Some people have the idea they need to spend big bucks to produce great photos. “If only I could afford to buy a fancy camera”, they lament. I’ve taken thousands of photos and two of my favortie ones were taken with my iPhone.
Here’s 3 reasons why you should fall in love with the camera built into your cellphone.
Reason 1. Your cellphone camera is always with you.
There’s a worn out, but true, statement that says, “The best camera is the one with you.” What good is a $5,000 camera if it’s packed in your bag when a good photo opportunity pops into view? Most people have their cellphone within arms reach.
Last summer I was riding the train into Chicago. Ahead of me was a little Amish boy peering out the window at the world. In a flash I recognized the potential of a worthy shot. But my fancy camera was packed in a bag. At that moment I remembered I had my iPhone in my hand. Snap! Here’s the photo I took.
It’s a matter of remembering you have a camera with you at all times built into your cellphone. Start looking for photo possibilities as you go through your day. Stop worrying about always lugging around a big camera.
Fall in love with your cellphone camera.
Reason 2. Your cellphone camera is quite sophisticated.
It’s incredible how adavanced your camera phone has become. Four days ago I uncovered photos I had taken in 2001 during a trip to Rome. It was with a then fancy Sony Mavica which stored photos on a 3.5″ floppy disk. It shocked me to discover that the average file size of each photo was 200KB. Today the average cellphone takes photos of at least 2MB. That’s a photo file 1,000 times bigger than my 2001 photos. And the bigger the file size, the more information in the file, and the better the photo.
Don’t underestimate the power of your camera phone. Yes, the quality depends on the model of your phone. But even an entry level cellphone is far superior to most cameras of even a decade ago. The fancy cameras available today are extraordinary. They provide options and versatility. But cellphones are capable of producing amazing photos. Some pro photographers are even using them to do their work.
Fall in love with your cellphone camera.
Reason 3. Your phone camera is light and nimble.
Fancy cameras have a heft to them. This is especially true with large lenses attached to the camera body. A four pound camera may not seem heavy but when you carry it all day it can wear you down. They even sell chest harnesses to help photographers cope with the weight of heavy camera rigs. These can be difficult to maneuver into creative positions.
Contrast that with your cellphone. It slips into your pocket and you never notice the weight. With one hand you can whip that cameraphone into any position you want.
Here’s an example of the difference.
Here’s a shot of my house taken at the typical upright height used with fancy cameras.
Now check out this photo taken with my cellphone. I used one hand and lowered it an inch above the mud puddle at my feet. I could’ve never taken this shot with my fancy camera.
A very light and nimble camera it opens up a new world of photographic opportunities.
Fall in love with your cellphone camera.
Stop thinking you can’t become an accomplished photographer because you don’t have expensive gear. Fall in love with your cellphone camera and show us what you can do.