Unless you’re a professional photographer it doesn’t matter how you capture an image. Personally I prefer to use my proper camera because it’s far more tactile and purposeful, I find viewing the world through a viewfinder helps me see the image as a photograph much better. Someone using a smart phone for photography is no less a photographer than anyone else, it’s just a tool.
Alex, this is one of the best photography related videos I’ve seen all year! Smartphones are literally in everyone’s pocket and yet it’s somehow taboo to be serious about photography while utilizing the most convenient tool at our disposal. I have sold off all but one of my cameras this year (and that one may be going soon as well) in favor of using my phone. Many of my favorite pictures from my life were taken with some version of an iPhone over the past decade. The lower quality doesn’t matter to me nearly as much as the memory.
Loved this episode. Resonated completely with my experience over last 6 years. Now on my Pixel 8 Pro and have 50Mp raw files. Also a big issue is using snapseed for post processing and publishing to social media... I can go back to raw files and post A2 prints which hold up very well. Also the beauty of having ultra wide angle to telephoto in your pocket in a rugged, waterproof camera with all the post processing you need and publishing with ease is just incredible. Using a DSLR feels like going stone age again.
Another positive that comes to my mind is that you’ll blend in with 7 billion people with their phones rather than pulling our bazooka’s out and drawing attention to ourselves.
A traditional camera does not have to be a bazooka. My pocket camera is a Fujifilm XP140. It’s waterproof, shockproof and literally fits in a shirt pocket.
Ps: one other thing I like about phone photography is that it has a particular set of limitations that can help you find other ways to make your images stand out. It’s not easy but it can be rewarding if embraced and played with. 😊
I had the opposite journey. I used and liked the iphoneography and it has led to me getting a camera with just two primes and a kit lens. The iPhone did that to me, it taught me to use your feet as a zoom, it taught me that you don’t have to go full manual if you don’t want to, but the quality of the images are better now. I still snap away with the iPhone with its 28mm lens, but my camera and its 50 and 90mm primes and kit lens, give me additional options. I hope to use the two together depending what and where I am. All my photos are done with iPad editing only and I enjoy it, that’s good enough for me.
@@SystemParanoia sadly no, I cannot afford much. Even my camera is an older Olympus four thirds model but it’s about making do, and, learning to use the equipment you have rather might be better than just buy the biggest and best in my humble opinion. Maybe I’m forced to think like that way financially, but it allows me to not care about not having the latest iPhone or Leica etc. not knocking anyone wanting the best, it’s just the way I have had to adapt to. No, my iPhone 11 and 16mp 4/3rds are my eyes for the foreseeable future.
The phrase "use your feet as a zoom" is a common misconception. You can use crop as a substitute for zoom (in one direction), not your feet. When you crop, you get the same result as when you zoom in (except for size and resolution). When you move closer to the subject, you change the perspective and the resulting image looks quite different.
@@michalkubecek yup I put that one down wrong, I often do when my condition muddles up what I’m trying to say. It’s just a way that makes sense to me that’s all.
The best camera is the one that’s with you in THAT moment. Tbh, I don’t like making photos with my smartphone. There are too many flaws. But I try to use these flaws in a creative way. Sometimes it works. But in general I prefer, not just in terms of ergonomics, my camera.
The best camera is the one you have with you. I have kids, and yes, lugging around camera gear when you have kids in tow is terrible. I've become a pretty heavy user of taking photos with my iPhone for many of the reasons you talk about in this video, and it's wonderful. One thing I have started doing though is taking note of "bucket list shots" that I'd like to come back to re-take with actual serious photography gear. Whether I actually get those shots is another thing altogether, but in the meantime, the iPhone shots are mostly good enough.
The smartphone is the “Kodak Instamatic” of this age. Yes, there are some real artists who do fabulous work with a smartphone. But I would guess that 98% of the photos are the same kind of photos that were taken with an Instamatic. …Uncle Henry blowing out the candles on his birthday cake, Grandma playing croquet… etc.
I am a firm believer that the best camera is the one you have with you when a photo opportunity arises. That is on top of the fact that the art is using the equipment to capture something special, and making something that pleases the photographer who took it. Maybe sometimes we try too hard to please others with our photography and forget to enjoy it ourselves. That said if a mobile phone catches the moment and makes something artistic that others love too, even better as it shares how photography can be accessible and maybe inspires them to try it themselves.
Maybe one of the best vids I’ve ever watched about the psychology of photography. I use the Nikon FM2N and Nikon FE2 working in serious warzones, my Rolleiflex and Rolleicord for street photography and both my Pentax 6x7’s for autonomous art photography, but…blasting off and creating idea after idea: my iPhone is everyday fun and pleasure. No worries about lenses, film transport, being spotted, lightmetering, fancy camera bags, passing corrupt custom control employees, weather conditions, the most acceptable format, changing film from color to monochrome, etc. Always in the pocket, pull it out, aim, click and enjoying every image taken.
Something that makes me very jealous when it comes to smartphones are the kids. Some kids I walk by are taking pictures, filming and making moves. Talking about what a great shot they just took and some of them know more about perspective than what I do. And I am like, OMG! Imagine starting with this so young, just playing around and having fun. I remember when I went to a one year art school in the 90's and we got to borrow the school camera, to practice taking a photo. It was so hard and you automatically made it so difficult and complex. And kids don't do that.
You're right Alex. I shoot here & there with my phone, not because i like it, but because it's the (only) camera, i have always at my side. The UWA lens is helpful, albeit only mediocre quality, but it gets me shots, otherwise i wouldn't have had made. My fave quote is from chase jarvis - the best camera is that one, that's with you. Well, it's faux bokeh, A.I. algorithms, no haptics, no real bokeh, or DoF effect, no viewfinder, a fake soft "shutter" button via display, etc, etc...the list is endless...anyway, the phone is ok, but for serious work, i do prefer a 36x24mm setup, mostly film, but sometimes also digital.
Excellent video. Many photography forums start on the premise that you are not a "photographer" unless you have the newest, expensive cameras and glass, so 90% of the posts are around gear. To me, 75% of taking good photos is a good working knowledge of the art and science of photography, good light, patience and a little luck; 15% Post Processing skills; 10% camera and glass as long as they meet a minimum quality level and smartphone cameras exceed that minimum. As far as lower resolution, I've made very nice 17 x 22 prints (Canon Pro-1000) from a 12mp smartphone camera.
My motto is "have camera, will travel", I detest the technical limitations of a smartphone for what I want to do. However, for the vast majority of people, a smartphone is more than adequate as a camera. But the best camera is one you have with you at that moment as others have noted. Having a smartphone means you are always carrying a camera with you. I don't believe in the idea a photographer must use 'X' to be a real photographer but lean more towards the idea a photographer is someone who can see images worth capturing in the world that most never see.
I shoot with both Canon DSLR and iPhone. I show in galleries and sell photos from both. I do not label iPhone pics as ‘shot on an iPhone.’ I get great prints from iPhone at 12”x16” No one ever asks “was that shot on a phone.?’ ‘ ‘
I love using my smartphone to take pictures. I often use the phone/camera to preview shots before using my “real” camera, but other times I just use my phone.
I see it as the difference between a technical good photo (“big” camera including mirrorless cameras) or aesthetically good photos which can be done with a smart phone, too, but-as you said-at the expense of technical quality, which means one can’t use those photos for large gallery prints. And smart phones are great to practice the aesthetic skills.
Wow! I’m so happy that you are having fun just looking around and taking photo’s with your iPhone. Isn’t it fun! Thank you for not being “snooty” even though you’re a pro. I agree that this device has opened up the eye’s of millions of people who can now record what THEY see, whether they share it with the world or not.
I experimented with taking pictures with a mobile phone in pre-smartphone era, about in 2007. The phones back then were really small and quick. The quality of pictures then was poor, but I enjoyed it for some time. But the phones nowadays are huge and clunky and due to their omnipresence and general overuse of smartphone cameras, they lost their appeal for me. I came back to normal cameras, esp. to film photography. It gives me the feeling like I really photograph, the feeling of connection with old photographers.
i've been taking photos and maybe a lot of people too been taking photos on their phone since like eons ago. camera have always been expensive and out of reach for most of us. most of my youtube videos and photograph are taken using my iPhone and Samsung phone. the camera have also gotten better. recently, I've bought myself a new digital camera and I'm happy learning to use it. i also bought myself those action camera like gopro and insta360. nowadays, you're spoilt for choice and i love using them all. don't restrict yourself. just enjoy the technology and creating with whatever tools you have.
Something I read recently in one interview helped me realize that smartphones are killing camera market in a completely different way than most people think. All the time I keep hearing that there is no need for a "real camera" because smartphones are almost as good (often with "almost" replace by "just"). But the real problem is on _receiver_ side: when people watch photographs today, vast majority does not watch prints or images on a PC monitor; they watch them on a miniature smartphone display - and rarely for more than few seconds. When consumed this way, the image quality does not really matter. And not only image quality, I'm afraid.
In many ways thats akin to the customer sitting down at a restaurant who doesn't give a damn about which culinary school you went to, or the years of training, or even the quality of the beef, just give them their hamburger and make it quick!
Respectfully disagree. My photography is done mostly on an iPhone Pro Max. Because of both attention to detail when shooting and knowledge gained about post-processing the photos I post to Instagram and other social media stand out and many people are surprised when I tell them the images were captured on a phone. Image quality does matter.
Couldn't agree more Alex! I've taken some of my favourite photos on my phone over the years and would happily have them on the wall. Even though there are some great apps to give you more control, the simplicity of the native camera app is really freeing, I love using it.
My awakening was when I got an iPhone 13 promax. It enabled me to have all the 20kg real camera gear, be able to get the shot with the field of view I visualised, and actually gives me images I like right out the box. Carrying a big backpack and a big camera in hand means I’m fixed to a focal length until I pack down and change lenses. And for video, the stabilisation, sound and f1.2 mode at a 24mm equivalent is incredible for family memories. The hdr capture is as seamless as taking a single exposure and brings up superior results to my full frame ootb in backlit scenes. I had a sunset shot at the end of the world ruined because I was afraid to leave my camera bag in the car to hike up the stream for fear it might get stolen or the camera dives in the stream. The phone is with me and somewhat waterproofed (full immersion). That got me thinking. I still love the experience of using a big body and a big lens, and the images look a lot more impressive, especially in good lighting.
Bravo Alex for using an iPhone for your personal photography. Before I retired, I was a professional photographer for four decades - complete with a large studio and several other photographers working for me. Over the past few years I’ve done what you have done and been taking large numbers of images with iPhone’s cameras. I no longer feel like a pack-mule carrying a large amount of gear, not only on holiday, but in general every day. There is a 30x40 inch print hanging in our dining room taken with an accent iPhone 5. Today I carry an iPhone 14 Pro. It’s an amazing piece of kit all in one pocket-size unit. I no longer shoot for clients, photography is all for me. Back when I was 5-years old, my mother gave me a Kodak Brownie Hawkeye camera. Dad had a darkroom at home. That was seventy years ago. The iPhone makes it fun again.
I love my smartphone camera - I use it all the time. All. the. time. However, not for "photography". I realize this will vary by person but for me (and the type of photography I enjoy most - landscape), it's not the right tool. I use my phone for utilitarian documentary purposes. It doesn't work (for me) for anything more -- dare I use the word -- 'serious'. Not pompous, just more carefully considered. It's great for spontaneous captures, but a large part of what I enjoy about landscape photography are the deliberate, methodical, measured and intentional processes. (Of course that begs the question: Why aren't my landscape photos better than they are? LOL) And I actually enjoy using gear, even my exceedingly modest, cheap gear. It's not the only thing I enjoy, but it's part of the enjoyment. From a purely 'operational' standpoint, I don't like a phone form factor: Rectangular and flat with no handles. Touch screens are great in many ways and they certainly have their irreplaceable uses, but for me they're a major pain to attempt to precisely manipulate. There's no real physical touch feedback. Anyway, good video and valid points. I'm sure many will disagree with me (and that's fine) but for me if I had to use nothing but my phone, I'd stop taking photos.
Yes, gear does at times, get in the way. BUT, I must say this.... a good camera is a joy to own and use. I take a good number of pictures on my phone but I like taking the pictures with my camera even more. I just like the camera... even though very few of my pictures are seen by anyone.
Thanks for this video. I shoot with a iphone everytime I walk my dog and never regret carrying my mirrorless. Also when I use the DSLR I take the same image with my phone and use my regular software to process, or not, depending on the mood I am trying to achieve. Many times the phone trumps to DSLR. :)
Taking photos with my iPhone never feels really good for me. I don’t enjoy taking photos with it, unfortunately. But I think something similar could be achieved with setting the camera on full auto and put a kit zoom lens on it. Maybe a small camera like the Panasonic GX85 would do that. Still it would be bigger than a smartphone, but it’s easier to carry around than most "real" cameras.
The vast majority of people who take photos don't want to print them out in huge sizes. They post them to social media, share with friends, or post to apps like Frames or Vero etc.. And a good smartphone camera is perfect for that. Anybody who says you're not a photographer if you use a smartphone camera is a photography snob. I have a decent camera and lenses, but I take lots of photos with my iPhone, too. It's always to hand and it's much less intrusive when you pull it out and take a photo.
I really enjoy listening to your calm, reassuring voice giving me permission to just be me. The images that you include also say that I can do this thing by going out and being me. Thank you so much.
Thanks for the trigger warning at the beginning of the video. 😂😂 here’s my confession, these days when I vacation, I intentionally leave my proper camera at home and shoot everything on my iPhone. I get better travel shots with my iPhone. I can’t explain it. But the images are undeniably more interesting when I take them with my iPhone. The framing, the content, the decisive moments, etc. It makes me a bit sad. But it’s no contest, not even close. I especially love the Hipstamatic app because I can shoot my favorite lens and film combos and create cameras. I also love shooting on the square format. I only use my proper camera for landscapes, studio portraits and fine art.
I enjoy so much the videos you make. I find shooting with a "good" cell phone more than adequate for producing a base image which can be processed by editing software into an amazing image or piece of art.
Some of my best pics are with my phone. Because it's always there and in a way it's taught me composition and being able to "see" a photo. Since there isn't really any settings to worry about it just sort of gets out of the way. As I understand it the newer phones have much higher resolution and some even shoot in RAW. And yes, Mencher's work is amazing.
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Another great video, thanks! I agree with all what you say in that video and I recognise myself in your path using your smartphone. To make justice to all this technical hype I thing we have to say that photography history has been also build around technical improvements and other tech innovations. Photography was born from a technical invention after all!
Hi Alex. I think that overall this is one of the best photography channels on here and I watch every episode. That said, 'my little photonauts'? Bit patronising? Please don't.
I've taken photographs for as along as I can remember. My first camera was the cheapest one I could find in Woolworths - and I loved the results I got from it. Later photography became my job and I qualified as a photographic technician. I spent my days in darkrooms, sloshing about in questionable chemicals producing thousands if images. I even managed to buy a Hasselblad 500C as well as miscellaneous 35mm SLRs. Film was my life. Now nearly all my photography is digital, mainly though my iPhone. I relish the freedom such a simple device gives me and the results it gives. I am genuinely excited by how photography has been changed by technology and the unexplored future that lies ahead. Give me a slim smartphone that can be slipped into my pocket over a barely-luggable bag of camera bodies, lenses, film and accessories any day. As for a camera being a tool - absolutely correct. I remember, when I bought my Hasselblad way back when, someone saying I'd bought a camera that takes better pictures. No, I told them, I've just bought a camera that allows me to take better pictures.
My very first camera was a Kodak brownie that my mom.bought when she was young just after WWII. When I was a teenager I bought my first camera, the famous Olympus trip 35, and I made some really decent photos with that. After that I decided to go to slr, but it never really worked out for me (it still was te era of film). Until now I could not really get the smartphone work for me, but this is for sure: simplicity is key!
I use an iPhone 15 a lot but also use a Sony A1 and A7R V. The reality is I use them all for different subjects. Forget moon shots or BIF without a proper long lens, or moving nighttime shots without an F1.2 lens. Smartphones can do wide-angle shots in reasonable light very well indeed.
I bought the original iPhone and every couple of years I upgraded as the technology improved. Smartphones are convenient because they're always in your pocket, or most people's hand and that is why I left my Canon R5 behind on my recent overseas trip. Huge mistake because I realised that I settled for 'convenience' rather than the 'creative' feeling that I get when I have a camera up to my eye. I personally don't so much take photos as create them and relying on my smartphone this one time left me with somewhat mediocre images which I can never recreate. Horses for courses. A very relatable video. Good job!!
I wandered around Glastonbury this morning, a 'proper' camera in hand, and took some pictures. Back in the car park, my camera back in my bag, I noticed a lady dressed as a fairy (this is Glastonbury...) climbing out of a car. I grabbed my iPhone from my pocket and asked if I could take a portrait. The lady (or fairy) was agreeable, I took a few shots and had a good laugh with her and her friend. They were the best photos I took all day, indeed the best part of the morning, and without the phone I'd probably have missed the experience.
Fascinating again Alex. I use my phone, 1 spur of the moment. 2 record an interesting location for a visit later, a library of places to go when I have time, (GPS tags) 3 just playing for fun. I wonder sometimes, did manufacturers get it the wrong way round ? Rather than making a phone, then adding a camera, .. Why not start with a Camera, then add phone functions .. ? Tony Northrup asked this about three years ago.
Very timely in my feed! I took my 5 year old to London for the first time today but decided to leave my camera at home as it just wasn’t practical to carry and I would rather spend time with my family than messing with my camera. Phone shots are more than good enough for family photos, the trouble I have is as they just get lost on my iPhone… I need to get into the habit of reviewing phone shots the same as for my camera.
Just something you said there, Mr K., regarding the 'camera is just the tool'. I've been thinking about that quite a lot - i think platitudes deserve some attention - and i'm toying with the conclusion that that old notion has passed it's use-by date. My old FN, my beloved Spotty, my clunky Practika... there's not a lot of difference really, and thinking back to others - my OM1N, my XD-7, is really only 'more of the same'. These were all just fundamentally boxes to catch photons and the big difference came from the glass. Today i still hear people saying 'the camera doesn't matter so much, but buy the best glass you can afford'. I say they're wrong. That was true pre-digital, it's not true now. The difference between my 2006 E-300 and my 2016 K-1 is immense, regardless of the quality of glass i put on either. My K-1 effortlessly does things the E-300 can't even imagine. I toyed with the idea of an OM-1... 50fps in burst - it's the stuff that's made killer wildlife in motion images commonplace; the sort of shots that were as rare as a Dodo in the age of film. The camera is still a tool, but it's now a tool like a CNC Router compared to the indentured tradesman who used to carve for Chippendale - most of the skills have been assimilated into the technology and the carver becomes just another critically endangered species. (PS: mines got vodka. Cheers.)
I have both “proper” cameras and the iPhone. Despite the smaller sensor size, I find the iPhone convenient for photography and I do use it more. I recently went on a trip to Texas and just took my iPhone and garnered some amazing photos. No, I’m not ready to toss my DSLR in the closet, however I am happy using the iPhone.
Interesting future topic: While I have no problem appreciating photography whichever way it emerged, from pinhole to smartphone and I am quite early tech adopter, very easy with smartphones from day one,.... photography using one is simply completely counterintuitive to me. It simply doesn't work for my mindset and I tried. There is something in us that defines our preferred "medium" be it something new or something old. And, as you might say, that's OK. My first camera was plastic/metal Soviet Smena 8M. Looking back, an ideal tool to teach photography early on. It had focusing and exposure and aperture controls but, with symbolic images along numbers! And my parents, who gave it to me for finishing the first grade, had parenting style of providing but not teaching or instructing in anything (even tying shoelaces I needed to figure myself). So, I was given camera and some films and told to give it to them when it needs to be developed. By 4th grade I asked for my own simple (again, cheap Soviet stuff) darkroom and went to purposeful photowalk to local zoo (alone, different time and place, you could have 4th grader roam the multimillion sized city by public transport) to make "art pictures".
Thanks for the video. It was also fun to read through most of the comments. Until recently mobile photography has been disappointing to me, but that is rapidly changing. Many of the comments cite ergonomics as an issue, but these are now lots of solutions for phones (that cost less than a modest camera lens). Of course, I’m not using my phone for BIF, wildlife, or other specialized work but it is just fine for most shots from modestly wide to short telephoto.
I see your point. For me a smartphone doesn't fit my needs, i like to have a camera in my hand, but.... for a period of time now, i have always a little old compact with me (pentax optio 750z now) instead of taking my big bag. Fits easily in my pocket. And with this tool it's the same like you told. Getting more images, boosting my creativity and the quality of some old digicams is pretty good. The pentax in my case can shoot TIFF, so you can do a lot in post if needed. After 15 years of taking pictures ambitious, i've never thought that a nearly 20 year old digicam bring me to my "next level".
Thankyou for this video, Alex. People need to stop being scared about 'insulting' people in the 'P'hotography world. Each to their own. Insults fly thick and fast by 'photography snobs' that believe that unless you own a $10,000 'real' camera, it isn't a real photo. Smartphones have enabled people to become interested in photography, and these people are only interested in taking and uploading images to platforms such as Instagram, Vero and Facebook, amongst others. When these 'camera snobs' begin comparing a smartphone image to a 'real photo', all that is showing, is that the smartphone tech is starting to intrude into the FF world. Accept it, or ignore it. But let people enjoy themselves...
I try to grips with “proper photography” as a hobby, just for the fun of it. However, one of the best photos I’ve ever taken was taken with an iPhone - I captured Mike Stern backstage at a jazz festival, listening intently to a group that played before his gig. The phone enabled me to take in the atmosphere and his facial expression, with a camera I would have missed the moment!
The best camera for photography is the one you have with you. Ironically, I've got more into "proper" cameras again recently because the iPhone wasn't doing everything I wanted, but that's not to say the iPhone is irrelevant in photography. Especially if you can work with post-processing.
Very, very interesting! The only real quibble I have about smartphones is that you can hardly see the picture on the display in sunlight. All other shortcomings - are simply shortcomings. You know they are there so you know what you can do and you know what you cannot do.
My motto has become "Use the camera that you feel the most comfortable with." Comfort with a camera, be it a traditional camera or a smartphone, will allow you to get the most out of the experience. I don't use my smartphone as a camera much, but that's because I always find myself distracted by it. However, I do have a camera that I'm extremely comfortable with and that's my older Canon G7X mark ii. That small camera fits in my pocket and can go pretty much anywhere with me. It's also the camera that my most favorite photos have come from. I remember buying it and everyone saying "You don't want that for "SERIOUS" work. It just isn't good enough." I thought it was worth giving a shot anyway and I'm glad that I did. I could see people saying the same about using a smartphone rather than a traditional camera.
After trying smartphone photography in many fields (landscape, street, cars, studio portrait), I still think that smartphone photography is not serious, more like a fun challenge. I agree that a smartphone is just a form factor. It could still be considered a camera, even a Sony mirrorless camera, because more than half of the sensors in smartphones are made by Sony (and about 1/3 are made by Samsung). As for optics, you also have notable names like Leica involved. The sensor sizes of modern smartphones often exceed those of some point-and-shoot cameras that are still in production today, not to mention the older ones. And while smartphone photo processing is aggressive and varies among brands, all modern smartphones allow you to shoot in RAW format and use full manual controls (there are free apps for both Android and iOS that enable this). In these cases, there's no processing at all, and the pictures are neutral and flexible like DSLR RAWs. However, if you need: - much better noise performance when there's no sunlight, - more lens choices, not just 24-28mm (and a couple of lower-res non-RAW extras in some expensive flagship models), - shallower DOF (fake DOF effects are still ugly, hair-eating, etc.), - more resolution and detail to allow more cropping and larger print sizes, - better grip, - physical buttons, wheels, rings, etc., - a viewfinder, - more accurate and/or faster autofocus, especially for bursts, - quality lens accessories (yes we have macro/wide/tele adapters, ND, polarizing, gradient filters for smartphones too but quality and ease of use just isn't comparable) - flashes/strobes (they are helpful not only in studio), then a "real" camera is still a significantly better choice. You'll do the same job better and faster, with less chance of failure. After analyzing my smartphone photos from the past, I sometimes regret that I didn't have a "real" camera with me. So yes, it's good to have a smartphone, but often that is not enough. A smartphone is not a proper replacement, especially when you consider the value-price factor and the pre-owned camera gear market. A smartphone can teach you many things in photography, but its limitations are not worth the compactness. It does not become "the best" just because you have it with you all the time. That is just a popular saying used as an excuse and justification, but it's not 100% fair. I don't care about "blending in with the smartphone crowd" stuff; that's silly. You're doing photography, you should not be ashamed of handling a camera. Also, try talking a random person into making a portrait if you have proper gear versus just a smartphone. If you have some respect, you won't even attempt the latter unless you have a good lighting/scene setup with assistants if required and you could explain that you're performing a "smartphone photography" challenge.
So encouraging to hear your change of mind. It was a joy to listen to you share about your experiences, and new journey in photography.. Also.. Eric Mencher yes, and I live in Guatemala about an hour and a half from where those photos were taken. stunning photos and a truly stunning place as well. =D (Lake Atílan, Panajchel, Guatemala)
The iPhone 5 was the technological leap forward that made a phone camera a practical option for taking short-to-medium distance pictures, output to a small form viewed on-screen-with high portability. Used with functional limitations in mind, phone cameras are fantastic tools for creative expression. I don’t understand the inclination to ponder whether someone is taking a “snapshot” vs. a “Photograph” or whether taking pictures with a camera phone is “real Photography”. I’m happy to leave that for classrooms, juried competitions, and online pretentiata.
I would be even a bit harsher because in social media I often see beginners asking for camera recommendations because they want to get into photography. As I experience it, it does not work this way. You begin first with what you got. Then you buy a camera at some point, maybe later another one. Or you get a new flagship smartphone. Or a mid-range one. Good photos can be taken on anything. BTW I like your Spiderman camera, Alex :D Spiderman (and Venom) were photographers.
Thanks for a marvellous talk on using you iphone to take photographs. It lead me to thinking that my Panasonic G5 micro four thirds camera I bought for the lens attached for the equivalent of eighty three pounds would be excellent to use. It is small and light. What I got from looking at your wonderful photographs was how you photographed light and colour, how you composed the image, how you used all the elements of photography, eg line, shape,colour,point,space,repetition, contrast, etc and story telling. And to me it did not matter if it was a smart phone or expensive camera. We need more of this and less about the latest cameras and lenses.
When someone asked Duke Ellington why, as a noted jazz musician, he was writing music for symphony orchestras, he replied,"There are only two kinds of music; good music and bad music." In the same vein, I believe there are only two kinds of photos, good and bad. How you get there is not important.,
It was my y iPhone that made me move to a real camera . But to be fair some of my best photo have been taken on my iPhone and not my Nikon camera . I like to do street photography and find people not liked been photographed even though it is something else in the frame that I am photographing. But when I use my iPhone no one takes any notice as they do with my real camera . The biggest advantage a real camera has over a smart phone camera is that everything is fully optical with your lenses and not a digital zoom or a false bokia effect to the image . I don’t think smartphones will kill the photography market as they are things you can do with a real camera and not a smartphone and vice versa.
I enjoy phone photography, probably 1/3 of my photos over the past few years are from my phone. But I'm just a hobbiest, primarily shooting for Instagram and facebook. You can't beat the simplicity factor, and the phone camera quality has been solid for the past few years. But I also love my "real camera(s).
I don't see photography in the same way. You spoke about the easy part. I'd prefer the process of sharing client photos to be easier but client work usually involves cameras with professional lenses and high data file formats for editing so it can't be too easy for that. All of my enjoyment photography would take much more time and effort if I had the money for a darkroom, enlarger and chemicals etc to really enjoy the process. Digital photography does not provide nearly as much enjoyment as I got when I first learned photography. However the case, we all see things differently
What an interesting subject. Watching the video and reading the comments provides quite a bit of insight to different approaches to photography. I have a slightly different tack. I don’t pick up my camera unless I am going out to shoot. Having it in hand locks me in. I start working scenes as soon as I hit the ground. If I’m not out to shoot I’m not out to shoot. Even if I see something worth photographing, I think, wow, that would have been worth shooting if I had my camera. Otherwise, I try and be as present as possible, phone tucked away unless I need it. Plus, it’s kind of boring shooting the same stuff everyone else is with the same focal length. We are all presented the world at 28mm. I shoot at standard lengths but things really start to get interesting for me super wide or really compressed. Do you, have fun, get in your reps. How someone else defines you doesn’t really matter as long as you’re happy with the work.
Great video, thank you. Getting back the pleasure in photography is so important. I still remember the thrill of developing and printing in the darkroom. I take way more images on a phone than camera (which I am happy to print up to A3). Most fun for me these days is pinhole photography when I can spare the time.
Great content! I really enjoy your channel. Thank you for your insights ... particularly in overcoming my "that's not good enough to shoot" mental block. But I’m sure that the camera companies will hate you for even suggesting that I don’t need to buy an expensive camera and lens to take great photos. The best camera is indeed the one that you have with you but only if you are so inclined as to actually get it out and use it.
I can’t count the number of times in the past year I have left my house with my Canon camera and tripod as d backpack with the intention of taking photos with it, only to find that it stayed in the backpack while I used my iPhone to get some great photos. Convince wins almost every time. It has gotten to the point I have and am still considering selling off my dedicated camera and everything except the tripod and going iPhone only.
Interesting discussion, certainly nothing I can disagree with. I love taking images and have a pretty good pro/serious hobbyist kit but I do not like carrying around camera and lenses if not specifically out to take pictures. My cell phone is always with me and I have taken some pretty interesting images on the spirit the moment I may have missed even in the time it would take me to get my camera out the bag, turned on, etc. My advice to anyone looking for a camera less than 1000, for a trip, family snaps, a decent cell phone can do just as well if not better.
First of all, I really like your iPhone photos. I have several thousand photos on my iPhone and probably a couple hundred I really like. But in most cases I wish I could back to the same point in time and take them again with a camera. In a very small percentage of cases I can. A photo with a phone is better than nothing and once in a while very good.
I felt the urge to buy a camera recently for a trip to Paris. I envisioned taking wonderful pictures on a nice simple camera. Off I went to the camera store and asked for a simple, all manual camera that would be easy to carry. I was disappointed to learn that there is no longer a market for such a camera since phones started taking pictures. I bought the most compact point and shoot I could find, and went to Paris anticipating using it a lot. I hardly used it. The best pictures I took were taken with my phone. Still, I wish someone would make a compact camera like my Olympus XA, and add a small phone to it. For me the feel of a camera in my hands is a huge part of the photography experience.
Ah! the XA! I took one when trekking on my own in the Himalayas and going feral in India in the late 70's. A lot more restraint when using film. I guess people have to take battery chargers with them when they trek these days.
This is an awesome video about smartphones, its true, i shoot more photos using my iphone and they turn out really great although i haven't printed them larger than 8x14 size.
Taking photos with my IPhone was the reason I reconciliated myself with digital photography after spending one decade on film. And one of the best photo taking during that period was made with a single use camera.
Your comparison of your smart phone to your Spider-Man camera, parallels my assertion, that the smart phone is today’s equivalent of the old Kodak Instamatic.
IMO - you can make an image with whatever photo device you want. An image is an image. As you mentioned image output and sizing could be an issue. Would be interesting to see how these enlargement software can handle a mobile phone image. The final image is only as good as the post processing done to it. I just got a Paper Shoot Camera. Basic, all auto, no LCD panel. Fun to use.
Hello. I had film cameras with lenses, but I always ended up setting the dial on auto focus, because I wanted to just take photos. I ended just using my point, and shoot cameras, because of the ease of use. What I learned is that I had to stick with what worked for me.
I don't have an iphone, but I notice that smartphone cameras have improved a *lot* over the last five years, maybe a bit longer.. They may never match a high-end camera, and they lack the flexibility of an interchangeable lens, but they are way better than they used to be.
Longer in my experience, looking back at my smartphones I can confidently say my Nexus 5X (2014) was the first time I thought "Wow, now this is a real camera and I just need to focus on composition and proper exposure like on my DSLR".
Great vid old chum. Insightful. Here’s my take: Just as there is no ‘Art World’ - just Art houses, villages, towns and cities, so there is no photography with a large P’. There are now many expressions of photography from hands on to online, hifi to lofi, purist to imaginative. The days of the Specialist are over - Long live the Generalist! 🥰
Unless you’re a professional photographer it doesn’t matter how you capture an image. Personally I prefer to use my proper camera because it’s far more tactile and purposeful, I find viewing the world through a viewfinder helps me see the image as a photograph much better. Someone using a smart phone for photography is no less a photographer than anyone else, it’s just a tool.
Alex, this is one of the best photography related videos I’ve seen all year! Smartphones are literally in everyone’s pocket and yet it’s somehow taboo to be serious about photography while utilizing the most convenient tool at our disposal. I have sold off all but one of my cameras this year (and that one may be going soon as well) in favor of using my phone. Many of my favorite pictures from my life were taken with some version of an iPhone over the past decade. The lower quality doesn’t matter to me nearly as much as the memory.
I agree! Excellent! I am using iPhone 15 pro max and it is amazing!
Loved this episode. Resonated completely with my experience over last 6 years. Now on my Pixel 8 Pro and have 50Mp raw files. Also a big issue is using snapseed for post processing and publishing to social media... I can go back to raw files and post A2 prints which hold up very well.
Also the beauty of having ultra wide angle to telephoto in your pocket in a rugged, waterproof camera with all the post processing you need and publishing with ease is just incredible. Using a DSLR feels like going stone age again.
Another positive that comes to my mind is that you’ll blend in with 7 billion people with their phones rather than pulling our bazooka’s out and drawing attention to ourselves.
True ... but also on the other hand the bazooka, or my Practika MTL-5 to be precise, opens up some interesting conversations.
A traditional camera does not have to be a bazooka. My pocket camera is a Fujifilm XP140. It’s waterproof, shockproof and literally fits in a shirt pocket.
Ps: one other thing I like about phone photography is that it has a particular set of limitations that can help you find other ways to make your images stand out. It’s not easy but it can be rewarding if embraced and played with. 😊
I had the opposite journey. I used and liked the iphoneography and it has led to me getting a camera with just two primes and a kit lens. The iPhone did that to me, it taught me to use your feet as a zoom, it taught me that you don’t have to go full manual if you don’t want to, but the quality of the images are better now. I still snap away with the iPhone with its 28mm lens, but my camera and its 50 and 90mm primes and kit lens, give me additional options. I hope to use the two together depending what and where I am. All my photos are done with iPad editing only and I enjoy it, that’s good enough for me.
@@SystemParanoia sadly no, I cannot afford much. Even my camera is an older Olympus four thirds model but it’s about making do, and, learning to use the equipment you have rather might be better than just buy the biggest and best in my humble opinion. Maybe I’m forced to think like that way financially, but it allows me to not care about not having the latest iPhone or Leica etc.
not knocking anyone wanting the best, it’s just the way I have had to adapt to.
No, my iPhone 11 and 16mp 4/3rds are my eyes for the foreseeable future.
The phrase "use your feet as a zoom" is a common misconception. You can use crop as a substitute for zoom (in one direction), not your feet. When you crop, you get the same result as when you zoom in (except for size and resolution). When you move closer to the subject, you change the perspective and the resulting image looks quite different.
@@michalkubecek yup I put that one down wrong, I often do when my condition muddles up what I’m trying to say. It’s just a way that makes sense to me that’s all.
Me too!
iphones and apple products are so overrated.
The best camera is the one that’s with you in THAT moment.
Tbh, I don’t like making photos with my smartphone. There are too many flaws. But I try to use these flaws in a creative way. Sometimes it works. But in general I prefer, not just in terms of ergonomics, my camera.
The best camera is the one you have with you. I have kids, and yes, lugging around camera gear when you have kids in tow is terrible. I've become a pretty heavy user of taking photos with my iPhone for many of the reasons you talk about in this video, and it's wonderful. One thing I have started doing though is taking note of "bucket list shots" that I'd like to come back to re-take with actual serious photography gear. Whether I actually get those shots is another thing altogether, but in the meantime, the iPhone shots are mostly good enough.
The smartphone is the “Kodak Instamatic” of this age. Yes, there are some real artists who do fabulous work with a smartphone. But I would guess that 98% of the photos are the same kind of photos that were taken with an Instamatic. …Uncle Henry blowing out the candles on his birthday cake, Grandma playing croquet… etc.
I am a firm believer that the best camera is the one you have with you when a photo opportunity arises. That is on top of the fact that the art is using the equipment to capture something special, and making something that pleases the photographer who took it. Maybe sometimes we try too hard to please others with our photography and forget to enjoy it ourselves. That said if a mobile phone catches the moment and makes something artistic that others love too, even better as it shares how photography can be accessible and maybe inspires them to try it themselves.
Beautifully stated Martin!
Maybe one of the best vids I’ve ever watched about the psychology of photography.
I use the Nikon FM2N and Nikon FE2 working in serious warzones, my Rolleiflex and Rolleicord for street photography and both my Pentax 6x7’s for autonomous art photography, but…blasting off and creating idea after idea: my iPhone is everyday fun and pleasure.
No worries about lenses, film transport, being spotted, lightmetering, fancy camera bags, passing corrupt custom control employees, weather conditions, the most acceptable format, changing film from color to monochrome, etc.
Always in the pocket, pull it out, aim, click and enjoying every image taken.
Thanks for watching.
Something that makes me very jealous when it comes to smartphones are the kids. Some kids I walk by are taking pictures, filming and making moves. Talking about what a great shot they just took and some of them know more about perspective than what I do. And I am like, OMG! Imagine starting with this so young, just playing around and having fun. I remember when I went to a one year art school in the 90's and we got to borrow the school camera, to practice taking a photo. It was so hard and you automatically made it so difficult and complex. And kids don't do that.
You're right Alex. I shoot here & there with my phone, not because i like it, but because it's the (only) camera, i have always at my side. The UWA lens is helpful, albeit only mediocre quality, but it gets me shots, otherwise i wouldn't have had made. My fave quote is from chase jarvis - the best camera is that one, that's with you.
Well, it's faux bokeh, A.I. algorithms, no haptics, no real bokeh, or DoF effect, no viewfinder, a fake soft "shutter" button via display, etc, etc...the list is endless...anyway, the phone is ok, but for serious work, i do prefer a 36x24mm setup, mostly film, but sometimes also digital.
Excellent video. Many photography forums start on the premise that you are not a "photographer" unless you have the newest, expensive cameras and glass, so 90% of the posts are around gear. To me, 75% of taking good photos is a good working knowledge of the art and science of photography, good light, patience and a little luck; 15% Post Processing skills; 10% camera and glass as long as they meet a minimum quality level and smartphone cameras exceed that minimum. As far as lower resolution, I've made very nice 17 x 22 prints (Canon Pro-1000) from a 12mp smartphone camera.
My motto is "have camera, will travel", I detest the technical limitations of a smartphone for what I want to do. However, for the vast majority of people, a smartphone is more than adequate as a camera. But the best camera is one you have with you at that moment as others have noted. Having a smartphone means you are always carrying a camera with you.
I don't believe in the idea a photographer must use 'X' to be a real photographer but lean more towards the idea a photographer is someone who can see images worth capturing in the world that most never see.
I shoot with both Canon DSLR and iPhone. I show in galleries and sell photos from both. I do not label iPhone pics as ‘shot on an iPhone.’ I get great prints from iPhone at 12”x16” No one ever asks “was that shot on a phone.?’
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I love using my smartphone to take pictures. I often use the phone/camera to preview shots before using my “real” camera, but other times I just use my phone.
I see it as the difference between a technical good photo (“big” camera including mirrorless cameras) or aesthetically good photos which can be done with a smart phone, too, but-as you said-at the expense of technical quality, which means one can’t use those photos for large gallery prints.
And smart phones are great to practice the aesthetic skills.
Spot on Alex. Whatever equipment you may have, learn to use it to it’s fullest.
Wow! I’m so happy that you are having fun just looking around and taking photo’s with your iPhone. Isn’t it fun! Thank you for not being “snooty” even though you’re a pro. I agree that this device has opened up the eye’s of millions of people who can now record what THEY see, whether they share it with the world or not.
I experimented with taking pictures with a mobile phone in pre-smartphone era, about in 2007. The phones back then were really small and quick. The quality of pictures then was poor, but I enjoyed it for some time. But the phones nowadays are huge and clunky and due to their omnipresence and general overuse of smartphone cameras, they lost their appeal for me. I came back to normal cameras, esp. to film photography. It gives me the feeling like I really photograph, the feeling of connection with old photographers.
i've been taking photos and maybe a lot of people too been taking photos on their phone since like eons ago. camera have always been expensive and out of reach for most of us. most of my youtube videos and photograph are taken using my iPhone and Samsung phone. the camera have also gotten better. recently, I've bought myself a new digital camera and I'm happy learning to use it. i also bought myself those action camera like gopro and insta360. nowadays, you're spoilt for choice and i love using them all. don't restrict yourself. just enjoy the technology and creating with whatever tools you have.
Something I read recently in one interview helped me realize that smartphones are killing camera market in a completely different way than most people think. All the time I keep hearing that there is no need for a "real camera" because smartphones are almost as good (often with "almost" replace by "just"). But the real problem is on _receiver_ side: when people watch photographs today, vast majority does not watch prints or images on a PC monitor; they watch them on a miniature smartphone display - and rarely for more than few seconds. When consumed this way, the image quality does not really matter. And not only image quality, I'm afraid.
In many ways thats akin to the customer sitting down at a restaurant who doesn't give a damn about which culinary school you went to, or the years of training, or even the quality of the beef, just give them their hamburger and make it quick!
@@innercynic2784 And it is similar in many other areas... As if the society as a whole suffered from some form of "ADHD".
Respectfully disagree. My photography is done mostly on an iPhone Pro Max. Because of both attention to detail when shooting and knowledge gained about post-processing the photos I post to Instagram and other social media stand out and many people are surprised when I tell them the images were captured on a phone. Image quality does matter.
Couldn't agree more Alex! I've taken some of my favourite photos on my phone over the years and would happily have them on the wall. Even though there are some great apps to give you more control, the simplicity of the native camera app is really freeing, I love using it.
My awakening was when I got an iPhone 13 promax. It enabled me to have all the 20kg real camera gear, be able to get the shot with the field of view I visualised, and actually gives me images I like right out the box. Carrying a big backpack and a big camera in hand means I’m fixed to a focal length until I pack down and change lenses. And for video, the stabilisation, sound and f1.2 mode at a 24mm equivalent is incredible for family memories. The hdr capture is as seamless as taking a single exposure and brings up superior results to my full frame ootb in backlit scenes.
I had a sunset shot at the end of the world ruined because I was afraid to leave my camera bag in the car to hike up the stream for fear it might get stolen or the camera dives in the stream. The phone is with me and somewhat waterproofed (full immersion). That got me thinking.
I still love the experience of using a big body and a big lens, and the images look a lot more impressive, especially in good lighting.
Bravo Alex for using an iPhone for your personal photography. Before I retired, I was a professional photographer for four decades - complete with a large studio and several other photographers working for me. Over the past few years I’ve done what you have done and been taking large numbers of images with iPhone’s cameras. I no longer feel like a pack-mule carrying a large amount of gear, not only on holiday, but in general every day. There is a 30x40 inch print hanging in our dining room taken with an accent iPhone 5. Today I carry an iPhone 14 Pro. It’s an amazing piece of kit all in one pocket-size unit.
I no longer shoot for clients, photography is all for me. Back when I was 5-years old, my mother gave me a Kodak Brownie Hawkeye camera. Dad had a darkroom at home. That was seventy years ago.
The iPhone makes it fun again.
"fun"... that's the key. I take the iPhone or the OM-D 4/3rds depending on what'll be the least hassle (more fun) to use.
I love my smartphone camera - I use it all the time. All. the. time. However, not for "photography".
I realize this will vary by person but for me (and the type of photography I enjoy most - landscape), it's not the right tool. I use my phone for utilitarian documentary purposes. It doesn't work (for me) for anything more -- dare I use the word -- 'serious'. Not pompous, just more carefully considered. It's great for spontaneous captures, but a large part of what I enjoy about landscape photography are the deliberate, methodical, measured and intentional processes. (Of course that begs the question: Why aren't my landscape photos better than they are? LOL) And I actually enjoy using gear, even my exceedingly modest, cheap gear. It's not the only thing I enjoy, but it's part of the enjoyment. From a purely 'operational' standpoint, I don't like a phone form factor: Rectangular and flat with no handles. Touch screens are great in many ways and they certainly have their irreplaceable uses, but for me they're a major pain to attempt to precisely manipulate. There's no real physical touch feedback.
Anyway, good video and valid points. I'm sure many will disagree with me (and that's fine) but for me if I had to use nothing but my phone, I'd stop taking photos.
Yes, gear does at times, get in the way. BUT, I must say this.... a good camera is a joy to own and use. I take a good number of pictures on my phone but I like taking the pictures with my camera even more. I just like the camera... even though very few of my pictures are seen by anyone.
Thanks for this video. I shoot with a iphone everytime I walk my dog and never regret carrying my mirrorless. Also when I use the DSLR I take the same image with my phone and use my regular software to process, or not, depending on the mood I am trying to achieve. Many times the phone trumps to DSLR. :)
I shoot with both. Whenever I’m using my regular camera I also take images with my iPhone. I like both
I use my smart phone for taking quick test shots to check lighting and composition for certain subject matter. A fantastic tool.
The Ricoh GR series of cameras are really compact and have OK ergonomics- fantastic image quality !!! They are fun to use - not too expensive either…
Taking photos with my iPhone never feels really good for me. I don’t enjoy taking photos with it, unfortunately. But I think something similar could be achieved with setting the camera on full auto and put a kit zoom lens on it. Maybe a small camera like the Panasonic GX85 would do that. Still it would be bigger than a smartphone, but it’s easier to carry around than most "real" cameras.
The vast majority of people who take photos don't want to print them out in huge sizes. They post them to social media, share with friends, or post to apps like Frames or Vero etc.. And a good smartphone camera is perfect for that. Anybody who says you're not a photographer if you use a smartphone camera is a photography snob. I have a decent camera and lenses, but I take lots of photos with my iPhone, too. It's always to hand and it's much less intrusive when you pull it out and take a photo.
I really enjoy listening to your calm, reassuring voice giving me permission to just be me. The images that you include also say that I can do this thing by going out and being me. Thank you so much.
Thank you for watching
There is a very good book by Jo Bradford called Viewpoint... Everything in that book has been taken on an Android or IPhone camera phone.
Cheers Ian.
Thanks for the trigger warning at the beginning of the video. 😂😂 here’s my confession, these days when I vacation, I intentionally leave my proper camera at home and shoot everything on my iPhone. I get better travel shots with my iPhone. I can’t explain it. But the images are undeniably more interesting when I take them with my iPhone. The framing, the content, the decisive moments, etc. It makes me a bit sad. But it’s no contest, not even close. I especially love the Hipstamatic app because I can shoot my favorite lens and film combos and create cameras. I also love shooting on the square format. I only use my proper camera for landscapes, studio portraits and fine art.
I enjoy so much the videos you make. I find shooting with a "good" cell phone more than adequate for producing a base image which can be processed by editing software into an amazing image or piece of art.
Some of my best pics are with my phone. Because it's always there and in a way it's taught me composition and being able to "see" a photo. Since there isn't really any settings to worry about it just sort of gets out of the way. As I understand it the newer phones have much higher resolution and some even shoot in RAW. And yes, Mencher's work is amazing.
Another great video, thanks!
I agree with all what you say in that video and I recognise myself in your path using your smartphone.
To make justice to all this technical hype I thing we have to say that photography history has been also build around technical improvements and other tech innovations. Photography was born from a technical invention after all!
Hi Alex. I think that overall this is one of the best photography channels on here and I watch every episode. That said, 'my little photonauts'? Bit patronising? Please don't.
I've taken photographs for as along as I can remember. My first camera was the cheapest one I could find in Woolworths - and I loved the results I got from it. Later photography became my job and I qualified as a photographic technician. I spent my days in darkrooms, sloshing about in questionable chemicals producing thousands if images. I even managed to buy a Hasselblad 500C as well as miscellaneous 35mm SLRs. Film was my life.
Now nearly all my photography is digital, mainly though my iPhone. I relish the freedom such a simple device gives me and the results it gives. I am genuinely excited by how photography has been changed by technology and the unexplored future that lies ahead. Give me a slim smartphone that can be slipped into my pocket over a barely-luggable bag of camera bodies, lenses, film and accessories any day.
As for a camera being a tool - absolutely correct. I remember, when I bought my Hasselblad way back when, someone saying I'd bought a camera that takes better pictures. No, I told them, I've just bought a camera that allows me to take better pictures.
My very first camera was a Kodak brownie that my mom.bought when she was young just after WWII. When I was a teenager I bought my first camera, the famous Olympus trip 35, and I made some really decent photos with that. After that I decided to go to slr, but it never really worked out for me (it still was te era of film).
Until now I could not really get the smartphone work for me, but this is for sure: simplicity is key!
I use an iPhone 15 a lot but also use a Sony A1 and A7R V. The reality is I use them all for different subjects. Forget moon shots or BIF without a proper long lens, or moving nighttime shots without an F1.2 lens. Smartphones can do wide-angle shots in reasonable light very well indeed.
I couldn’t agree more . I love using my iPhone to take photos . So much less hassle than my “proper” camera!
I bought the original iPhone and every couple of years I upgraded as the technology improved. Smartphones are convenient because they're always in your pocket, or most people's hand and that is why I left my Canon R5 behind on my recent overseas trip. Huge mistake because I realised that I settled for 'convenience' rather than the 'creative' feeling that I get when I have a camera up to my eye. I personally don't so much take photos as create them and relying on my smartphone this one time left me with somewhat mediocre images which I can never recreate. Horses for courses. A very relatable video. Good job!!
Thank you
I wandered around Glastonbury this morning, a 'proper' camera in hand, and took some pictures. Back in the car park, my camera back in my bag, I noticed a lady dressed as a fairy (this is Glastonbury...) climbing out of a car. I grabbed my iPhone from my pocket and asked if I could take a portrait. The lady (or fairy) was agreeable, I took a few shots and had a good laugh with her and her friend. They were the best photos I took all day, indeed the best part of the morning, and without the phone I'd probably have missed the experience.
Fascinating again Alex.
I use my phone,
1 spur of the moment.
2 record an interesting location for a visit later, a library of places to go when I have time, (GPS tags)
3 just playing for fun.
I wonder sometimes, did manufacturers get it the wrong way round ?
Rather than making a phone, then adding a camera, ..
Why not start with a Camera, then add phone functions .. ?
Tony Northrup asked this about three years ago.
Sony did that. Iphone killed it.
Very timely in my feed! I took my 5 year old to London for the first time today but decided to leave my camera at home as it just wasn’t practical to carry and I would rather spend time with my family than messing with my camera. Phone shots are more than good enough for family photos, the trouble I have is as they just get lost on my iPhone… I need to get into the habit of reviewing phone shots the same as for my camera.
Its all about the joy of taking pictures.
Just something you said there, Mr K., regarding the 'camera is just the tool'. I've been thinking about that quite a lot - i think platitudes deserve some attention - and i'm toying with the conclusion that that old notion has passed it's use-by date. My old FN, my beloved Spotty, my clunky Practika... there's not a lot of difference really, and thinking back to others - my OM1N, my XD-7, is really only 'more of the same'. These were all just fundamentally boxes to catch photons and the big difference came from the glass. Today i still hear people saying 'the camera doesn't matter so much, but buy the best glass you can afford'. I say they're wrong. That was true pre-digital, it's not true now. The difference between my 2006 E-300 and my 2016 K-1 is immense, regardless of the quality of glass i put on either. My K-1 effortlessly does things the E-300 can't even imagine. I toyed with the idea of an OM-1... 50fps in burst - it's the stuff that's made killer wildlife in motion images commonplace; the sort of shots that were as rare as a Dodo in the age of film. The camera is still a tool, but it's now a tool like a CNC Router compared to the indentured tradesman who used to carve for Chippendale - most of the skills have been assimilated into the technology and the carver becomes just another critically endangered species. (PS: mines got vodka. Cheers.)
I have both “proper” cameras and the iPhone. Despite the smaller sensor size, I find the iPhone convenient for photography and I do use it more.
I recently went on a trip to Texas and just took my iPhone and garnered some amazing photos. No, I’m not ready to toss my DSLR in the closet, however I am happy using the iPhone.
Interesting future topic: While I have no problem appreciating photography whichever way it emerged, from pinhole to smartphone and I am quite early tech adopter, very easy with smartphones from day one,.... photography using one is simply completely counterintuitive to me. It simply doesn't work for my mindset and I tried. There is something in us that defines our preferred "medium" be it something new or something old. And, as you might say, that's OK.
My first camera was plastic/metal Soviet Smena 8M. Looking back, an ideal tool to teach photography early on. It had focusing and exposure and aperture controls but, with symbolic images along numbers! And my parents, who gave it to me for finishing the first grade, had parenting style of providing but not teaching or instructing in anything (even tying shoelaces I needed to figure myself). So, I was given camera and some films and told to give it to them when it needs to be developed. By 4th grade I asked for my own simple (again, cheap Soviet stuff) darkroom and went to purposeful photowalk to local zoo (alone, different time and place, you could have 4th grader roam the multimillion sized city by public transport) to make "art pictures".
Once I embraced the limitations of iPhone cameras it became a new freedom and soon a book 👍🏽
What a lovely reflection. Highly appreciated, thank you.
Thanks for the video. It was also fun to read through most of the comments. Until recently mobile photography has been disappointing to me, but that is rapidly changing. Many of the comments cite ergonomics as an issue, but these are now lots of solutions for phones (that cost less than a modest camera lens). Of course, I’m not using my phone for BIF, wildlife, or other specialized work but it is just fine for most shots from modestly wide to short telephoto.
I was 7 when I got that Spider-Man camera. It didn’t last long because I took it apart to see how it worked. What trip down memory lane! Thanks
Your welcome
I see your point. For me a smartphone doesn't fit my needs, i like to have a camera in my hand, but....
for a period of time now, i have always a little old compact with me (pentax optio 750z now) instead of taking my big bag. Fits easily in my pocket.
And with this tool it's the same like you told. Getting more images, boosting my creativity and the quality of some old digicams is pretty good.
The pentax in my case can shoot TIFF, so you can do a lot in post if needed.
After 15 years of taking pictures ambitious, i've never thought that a nearly 20 year old digicam bring me to my "next level".
The best landscape I've ever taken was the Moraine Lake in Alberta, with an iPhone 7. The best camera is the one you have with you.
Thankyou for this video, Alex. People need to stop being scared about 'insulting' people in the 'P'hotography world. Each to their own. Insults fly thick and fast by 'photography snobs' that believe that unless you own a $10,000 'real' camera, it isn't a real photo. Smartphones have enabled people to become interested in photography, and these people are only interested in taking and uploading images to platforms such as Instagram, Vero and Facebook, amongst others. When these 'camera snobs' begin comparing a smartphone image to a 'real photo', all that is showing, is that the smartphone tech is starting to intrude into the FF world.
Accept it, or ignore it. But let people enjoy themselves...
I try to grips with “proper photography” as a hobby, just for the fun of it. However, one of the best photos I’ve ever taken was taken with an iPhone - I captured Mike Stern backstage at a jazz festival, listening intently to a group that played before his gig. The phone enabled me to take in the atmosphere and his facial expression, with a camera I would have missed the moment!
The best camera for photography is the one you have with you.
Ironically, I've got more into "proper" cameras again recently because the iPhone wasn't doing everything I wanted, but that's not to say the iPhone is irrelevant in photography. Especially if you can work with post-processing.
Very, very interesting! The only real quibble I have about smartphones is that you can hardly see the picture on the display in sunlight. All other shortcomings - are simply shortcomings. You know they are there so you know what you can do and you know what you cannot do.
My motto has become "Use the camera that you feel the most comfortable with." Comfort with a camera, be it a traditional camera or a smartphone, will allow you to get the most out of the experience. I don't use my smartphone as a camera much, but that's because I always find myself distracted by it. However, I do have a camera that I'm extremely comfortable with and that's my older Canon G7X mark ii. That small camera fits in my pocket and can go pretty much anywhere with me. It's also the camera that my most favorite photos have come from. I remember buying it and everyone saying "You don't want that for "SERIOUS" work. It just isn't good enough." I thought it was worth giving a shot anyway and I'm glad that I did. I could see people saying the same about using a smartphone rather than a traditional camera.
I've also gone along with that motto for a while now. The best camera is the one you have in your hand as the addage goes.
Such a philosopher. Well done.
On a recent trip to England and PortugaI I used my iPhone exclusively. The results were fine.
After trying smartphone photography in many fields (landscape, street, cars, studio portrait), I still think that smartphone photography is not serious, more like a fun challenge. I agree that a smartphone is just a form factor. It could still be considered a camera, even a Sony mirrorless camera, because more than half of the sensors in smartphones are made by Sony (and about 1/3 are made by Samsung). As for optics, you also have notable names like Leica involved. The sensor sizes of modern smartphones often exceed those of some point-and-shoot cameras that are still in production today, not to mention the older ones. And while smartphone photo processing is aggressive and varies among brands, all modern smartphones allow you to shoot in RAW format and use full manual controls (there are free apps for both Android and iOS that enable this). In these cases, there's no processing at all, and the pictures are neutral and flexible like DSLR RAWs.
However, if you need:
- much better noise performance when there's no sunlight,
- more lens choices, not just 24-28mm (and a couple of lower-res non-RAW extras in some expensive flagship models),
- shallower DOF (fake DOF effects are still ugly, hair-eating, etc.),
- more resolution and detail to allow more cropping and larger print sizes,
- better grip,
- physical buttons, wheels, rings, etc.,
- a viewfinder,
- more accurate and/or faster autofocus, especially for bursts,
- quality lens accessories (yes we have macro/wide/tele adapters, ND, polarizing, gradient filters for smartphones too but quality and ease of use just isn't comparable)
- flashes/strobes (they are helpful not only in studio),
then a "real" camera is still a significantly better choice. You'll do the same job better and faster, with less chance of failure.
After analyzing my smartphone photos from the past, I sometimes regret that I didn't have a "real" camera with me. So yes, it's good to have a smartphone, but often that is not enough. A smartphone is not a proper replacement, especially when you consider the value-price factor and the pre-owned camera gear market. A smartphone can teach you many things in photography, but its limitations are not worth the compactness. It does not become "the best" just because you have it with you all the time. That is just a popular saying used as an excuse and justification, but it's not 100% fair. I don't care about "blending in with the smartphone crowd" stuff; that's silly. You're doing photography, you should not be ashamed of handling a camera. Also, try talking a random person into making a portrait if you have proper gear versus just a smartphone. If you have some respect, you won't even attempt the latter unless you have a good lighting/scene setup with assistants if required and you could explain that you're performing a "smartphone photography" challenge.
So encouraging to hear your change of mind. It was a joy to listen to you share about your experiences, and new journey in photography.. Also.. Eric Mencher yes, and I live in Guatemala about an hour and a half from where those photos were taken. stunning photos and a truly stunning place as well. =D (Lake Atílan, Panajchel, Guatemala)
And I bought a Fuji xt30 Yesterday and today I found this Video on the Tube....
The iPhone 5 was the technological leap forward that made a phone camera a practical option for taking short-to-medium distance pictures, output to a small form viewed on-screen-with high portability. Used with functional limitations in mind, phone cameras are fantastic tools for creative expression. I don’t understand the inclination to ponder whether someone is taking a “snapshot” vs. a “Photograph” or whether taking pictures with a camera phone is “real Photography”. I’m happy to leave that for classrooms, juried competitions, and online pretentiata.
I would be even a bit harsher because in social media I often see beginners asking for camera recommendations because they want to get into photography. As I experience it, it does not work this way. You begin first with what you got. Then you buy a camera at some point, maybe later another one. Or you get a new flagship smartphone. Or a mid-range one. Good photos can be taken on anything.
BTW I like your Spiderman camera, Alex :D
Spiderman (and Venom) were photographers.
You are so right! They are all tools! Another great video, thanks.
Thanks for watching!
And it’s true what they say: it’s not the camera, it’s the eye and imagination that makes good images.
My lady used only her smart phone in trip to ZA. Onceback she was off to Wall mart. On my Birthday, 2 Huge albums of our trip! I was a pro.
Any camera is a great camera! Appreciation of the subject is what enables to enjoy the great photos. :)
Thanks for a marvellous talk on using you iphone to take photographs. It lead me to thinking that my Panasonic G5 micro four thirds camera I bought for the lens attached for the equivalent of eighty three pounds would be excellent to use. It is small and light. What I got from looking at your wonderful photographs was how you photographed light and colour, how you composed the image, how you used all the elements of photography, eg line, shape,colour,point,space,repetition, contrast, etc and story telling. And to me it did not matter if it was a smart phone or expensive camera. We need more of this and less about the latest cameras and lenses.
When someone asked Duke Ellington why, as a noted jazz musician, he was writing music for symphony orchestras, he replied,"There are only two kinds of music; good music and bad music." In the same vein, I believe there are only two kinds of photos, good and bad. How you get there is not important.,
informative video smart phones are a good option, for reasons mentioned. informative content.
I very much believe the greats of photography past would love and embrace mobile phones.
Love the video!
Thanks for watching
It was my y iPhone that made me move to a real camera . But to be fair some of my best photo have been taken on my iPhone and not my Nikon camera . I like to do street photography and find people not liked been photographed even though it is something else in the frame that I am photographing. But when I use my iPhone no one takes any notice as they do with my real camera . The biggest advantage a real camera has over a smart phone camera is that everything is fully optical with your lenses and not a digital zoom or a false bokia effect to the image . I don’t think smartphones will kill the photography market as they are things you can do with a real camera and not a smartphone and vice versa.
I enjoy phone photography, probably 1/3 of my photos over the past few years are from my phone. But I'm just a hobbiest, primarily shooting for Instagram and facebook. You can't beat the simplicity factor, and the phone camera quality has been solid for the past few years. But I also love my "real camera(s).
Been waiting for a DSLR/Mirrorless to come out that also makes phone calls. 🤪
Text capability would be fine lol.
I don't see photography in the same way. You spoke about the easy part. I'd prefer the process of sharing client photos to be easier but client work usually involves cameras with professional lenses and high data file formats for editing so it can't be too easy for that. All of my enjoyment photography would take much more time and effort if I had the money for a darkroom, enlarger and chemicals etc to really enjoy the process. Digital photography does not provide nearly as much enjoyment as I got when I first learned photography. However the case, we all see things differently
What an interesting subject. Watching the video and reading the comments provides quite a bit of insight to different approaches to photography. I have a slightly different tack. I don’t pick up my camera unless I am going out to shoot. Having it in hand locks me in. I start working scenes as soon as I hit the ground. If I’m not out to shoot I’m not out to shoot. Even if I see something worth photographing, I think, wow, that would have been worth shooting if I had my camera. Otherwise, I try and be as present as possible, phone tucked away unless I need it. Plus, it’s kind of boring shooting the same stuff everyone else is with the same focal length. We are all presented the world at 28mm. I shoot at standard lengths but things really start to get interesting for me super wide or really compressed. Do you, have fun, get in your reps. How someone else defines you doesn’t really matter as long as you’re happy with the work.
I like what iPhone photographer Lisa Carney says, “it’s the wizard, not the wand” as another way to using the tool you have in your hand.
In one of your videos you mentioned looking.shapes that resembled letters how many did you find
Alex, I'm very curious to know if you use RAW mode at all while on mobile, or do any post processing?
Great video, thank you. Getting back the pleasure in photography is so important. I still remember the thrill of developing and printing in the darkroom. I take way more images on a phone than camera (which I am happy to print up to A3). Most fun for me these days is pinhole photography when I can spare the time.
Thanks for watching
Great content! I really enjoy your channel. Thank you for your insights ... particularly in overcoming my "that's not good enough to shoot" mental block. But I’m sure that the camera companies will hate you for even suggesting that I don’t need to buy an expensive camera and lens to take great photos. The best camera is indeed the one that you have with you but only if you are so inclined as to actually get it out and use it.
Thank you for watching
I can’t count the number of times in the past year I have left my house with my Canon camera and tripod as d backpack with the intention of taking photos with it, only to find that it stayed in the backpack while I used my iPhone to get some great photos. Convince wins almost every time. It has gotten to the point I have and am still considering selling off my dedicated camera and everything except the tripod and going iPhone only.
Interesting discussion, certainly nothing I can disagree with. I love taking images and have a pretty good pro/serious hobbyist kit but I do not like carrying around camera and lenses if not specifically out to take pictures. My cell phone is always with me and I have taken some pretty interesting images on the spirit the moment I may have missed even in the time it would take me to get my camera out the bag, turned on, etc.
My advice to anyone looking for a camera less than 1000, for a trip, family snaps, a decent cell phone can do just as well if not better.
First of all, I really like your iPhone photos. I have several thousand photos on my iPhone and probably a couple hundred I really like. But in most cases I wish I could back to the same point in time and take them again with a camera. In a very small percentage of cases I can. A photo with a phone is better than nothing and once in a while very good.
I felt the urge to buy a camera recently for a trip to Paris. I envisioned taking wonderful pictures on a nice simple camera. Off I went to the camera store and asked for a simple, all manual camera that would be easy to carry. I was disappointed to learn that there is no longer a market for such a camera since phones started taking pictures. I bought the most compact point and shoot I could find, and went to Paris anticipating using it a lot. I hardly used it. The best pictures I took were taken with my phone.
Still, I wish someone would make a compact camera like my Olympus XA, and add a small phone to it. For me the feel of a camera in my hands is a huge part of the photography experience.
Ah! the XA! I took one when trekking on my own in the Himalayas and going feral in India in the late 70's. A lot more restraint when using film. I guess people have to take battery chargers with them when they trek these days.
thank you
This is an awesome video about smartphones, its true, i shoot more photos using my iphone and they turn out really great although i haven't printed them larger than 8x14 size.
Taking photos with my IPhone was the reason I reconciliated myself with digital photography after spending one decade on film. And one of the best photo taking during that period was made with a single use camera.
Your comparison of your smart phone to your Spider-Man camera, parallels my assertion, that the smart phone is today’s equivalent of the old Kodak Instamatic.
IMO - you can make an image with whatever photo device you want. An image is an image. As you mentioned image output and sizing could be an issue. Would be interesting to see how these enlargement software can handle a mobile phone image. The final image is only as good as the post processing done to it. I just got a Paper Shoot Camera. Basic, all auto, no LCD panel. Fun to use.
Hello. I had film cameras with lenses, but I always ended up setting the dial on auto focus, because I wanted to just take photos. I ended just using my point, and shoot cameras, because of the ease of use. What I learned is that I had to stick with what worked for me.
I don't have an iphone, but I notice that smartphone cameras have improved a *lot* over the last five years, maybe a bit longer.. They may never match a high-end camera, and they lack the flexibility of an interchangeable lens, but they are way better than they used to be.
Longer in my experience, looking back at my smartphones I can confidently say my Nexus 5X (2014) was the first time I thought "Wow, now this is a real camera and I just need to focus on composition and proper exposure like on my DSLR".
Great vid old chum. Insightful.
Here’s my take:
Just as there is no ‘Art World’ - just Art houses, villages, towns and cities, so there is no photography with a large P’. There are now many expressions of photography from hands on to online, hifi to lofi, purist to imaginative.
The days of the Specialist are over - Long live the Generalist! 🥰