Sorry if this has been discussed before, but throwing it out there because I’m interested in general opinion. I have an SLR camera. I know how to use it (although I do not profess to knowing how to use it well!) but every picture I’ve taken so far has come from my iPhone. And I feel like I'm cheating somehow.
Given that there’s more technical skill involved in operating a camera, I find myself having more respect for shots from a camera rather than a phone…..not to mention the Film Feb project, which is blowing my mind!
Yet, some of the best pics I’ve seen on here have been taken on iPhones. I know that good photography lies in more than shutter speeds and aperture settings, and has as much (if not more) to do with composition, point of view, lighting etc.
So perhaps I should be more concerned with my finished product than how I got there....but it's bothering me! I’d be interested to hear what my fellow 365rs think?
My opinion is that an image is an image. I personally don't care how it was achieved. If it makes you feel something or documents a moment in time--goal. (:
As someone with more than one album I guess I'm suited to reply ... One where I upload normal (ie standard DSLR shots) and another with that I upload mainly iphone shots, I guess I should give my two pence worth....
Basically both have there merits... with the DSLR, I need to know the apeture/shutter speed/iso etc etc before I shoot... And with an app on the iphone such as hipstamatic, I need to choose the lens and film option before taking a shot.
Therefore, it's a matter of knowing the equipment.
BUT........ AND FAR MORE IMPORTAN, at the end of the day it's more about knowing what will make a good photo as opposed to equipment you have to hand...
I don't believe anyone will tell you to use one piece of equipment over another. They all give a photograph. If you are happy with what you post, who cares!?! In 10 years there will be something different to use. Just enjoy the journey. :-)
i too shoot with both the iphone and a dslr. i know how you feel. for me this project brings up a number of issues. getting a shot up each day brings it own pressures. sometimes the evryday running of life means that you have to take a shot on the hoof rather than in depth planning and execution if a shot. ive done both and i feel that the planning version comes out better,or at least i thinks so, but this is because of the work that i have put in. the iphone shots are still valid but maybe in a more documentory style or that condintiins around you are perfect so any camera wiuld be able to point snap and post. i have 2 shots up on my 365 that are goid because the light was perfect. so keep snapping but maybe(and i would be happy to have a go too) plan a shot in advance but plan it for the iphone rather than the slr. that way you are planning a shot with the limitations blof the camera built in. in a slightly related point. my dslr ( a olympus e410 kit) cost me £240. tou cant get an iphone 4 s for that! and my iphone has higher res (x2) and faster processer than my first nikon which cost £700 13 yrs ago!!!
you can make a camera from a shoe box or have a multi thousand dollar body. It is like saying the oven is solely responsible for my gourmet mean. Allow yourself to give credit to composition and creativity of the photographer.
One of my favorite cameras is a panasonic lumix...read as point and shoot. All around great photos. But here I post from my dslr Canon. Because that is the camera I want to get better on.
I've got a Canon and an iphone and currently I seem to be using my iphone for about 75% of my shots, it may change but I'm not bothered either way. As others have said an image is an image and I'm enjoying delving into the whole other world of iphoneography or whatever it's called!
well I'm shooting my whole project on an iPhone so you won't get any snobbery from me ;)
No matter what camera you choose, you have to learn its capabilities and to work within it's limitations - photography is the art of balancing compromises. Having the best camera in the world won't get you away from the need to make creative choices. There are tradeoffs involved in every aspect of image making, including those fundamental to optical systems and the physics of light (dof v shutterspeed, sensor size or diffraction for instance). And then you have to deal with practical matters of time, size, weight, cost and so on. Using an iPhone just creates a set of constraints around which you need to make your creative choices. Besides, when you think about it an iPhone is a zillion times more advanced than most of the cameras on which most of the great photographs have ever been taken :)
Hey, one of my iPhone pics made the Top 20, and I've actually printed it large and framed. It looks great. No iPhone snobbery here. Sure, it's great to have a "real" camera with you when a photo op presents itself, but the fact that you recognize the scene as a photo op and that you capture it beautifully speaks to your skill as a photographer:)
I have a DSLR and iphone and use both. I am working on composition at the moment and I feel like using the iphone makes me think more about the shot for some reason. Both have there place!
I use my Nikon DSLR primarily and my iPhone secondarily in my project. I don't think one is better than the other. I just got a laptop and Photoshop so I am just starting to learn it but most find it ironic that I will shoot with my Nikon and then edit the shots on my iPhone. I would say that sales on my website are 50% Nikon and 50% iPhone. I really don't think the device used matters. All I care about for my project is am I learning and growing. If you go back to the start of my project I am sure that you will agree that I am! Goal met! =D
I think it all depends what you do with it. Some people really create some works of art from their iPhones..it's one of the reasons that I got one for myself. I am in love with the hipstamatic app.
@2sweetladybugs yes! exactly. That is the BEST thing about it for me. I don't crop anything out of the phone, so I have to think more about composition, it's really good in that way - like using film.
I use my iPhone more and more because it is just so easy! Email the photo and I'm done. But then I have days where I long for something my DSLR can do (like today's cat eye macro photo)
The best camera is the one you have with you. That's pretty much all that matters!
I shot about 75% of my first year with my iPhone and vowed I would primarily use the DSLR for year 2... but it is not happening! I do use it quite a bit, but the phone is always with me and the DSLR isn't. Even when I take it to work, it stays in my library and I move around a lot and sometimes see a great shot either between buildings, or down in the elementary wing, or in the hallway, or the gym or wherever... and my camera is still in my library, but my phone is in my pocket! And in the car (I do lots of drive-by shooting!) the phone is way easier because of its size. I still plan to use this year to improve my camera skills with settings, etc. but I have decided I am OK with still using my phone for lots of my shots.
I don't have a fancy camera, but I have an iPhone. And you can shockingly get the iPhone to focus really well on close up stuff. I mostly do details in animal faces, and it works great for me. There's some stuff I can't do justice with my phone - faraway shots, scenery - but overall I'm happy with the phone.
I've not noticed any snobbery of people looking down on people using an iPhone for their shots. I have, however, noticed iPhone users that are pretty snobby toward people that post Android phone shots. What's up with that??? Just because Hipstamatic is insanely popular and not available on Android (yet) doesn't mean there aren't apps out there for Android phones. I found 2 that produce images as good (if not better) than a lot of Hipstamatic shots I've seen.... so I agree with the comments that people are making.... its about creating an image you are pleased with and having general knowledge of composition and what will make something aesthetically pleasing to others.... The means of reaching that end are the least important element.
@jsw0109 I haven't noticed a lot of that, the only time i insult a droid user is when it is a friend of mine, who shoots with a droid and a canon (i have a nikon and iphone) and can be a fun sporting argument. I actually picked up a droid today as well, simply to have another tool to use. i am just dreading what my friend will have to say about that one hehehe. i am curious to get a chance to play with both sides, should be interesting times.
@cchambers the camera on the iPhone is really the only selling point for me. I prefer smart phones that support Flash and don't have to be replaced if you accidentally drop it on the kitchen floor. LOL But the iPhone really does have the best camera for any cell phone. And Hipstamatic IS very sweet.
This project has converted me to being an iPhone fan. Using such a simple camera makes you compose well and look out for the unusual. Your image design has to have impact because all you have is a frame, shutter and your imagination.
Goodness me, I never expected this much response! Thank you so much for all your thoughts (and reassurance).
I feel like it's myself I'm cheating really, because I know I need the practice with my SLR. But I don't seem to get that much free time of late, and to me, using my SLR is a much more intensive experience....using manual settings doesn't come that naturally to me, so I have to really spend my time setting up shots properly, whereas with my phone, there is less technical skill involved (ie fiddling with buttons and dials!), so I can concentrate my efforts on getting the image I really want.
I just cannot carry my camera around all day. I just can't. So I'm using my iPhone. In fact I'm only using Hipstamatic because I think it's cool :-) Of course I don't know what the future will bring because in many cases I'm very sure the outcome would have been totally different using my 'real' camera. On the other hand, getting the most out of the moderate potential of my iPhone is quite satisfactory.
@sambehindalens --- You must be the one to decide what you use to take the pictures. If you want to learn your dslr you need to carry it with you daily and use it. There is no other way. Every time you use your iPhone you lose the opportunity to learn your dslr.
I do understand the convienence issue. I feel the same about getting a full blown dslr. At the moment I'm using a bridge camera. It has similar features to a dslr but in a smaller point-and-shoot camera. It's not a pocket camera and doesn't do the fun editiing. I wanted to see if I would carry a full dslr daily and this seemed like a good option. Well, I'm still on the fence about it but I carry it everywhere and use it every day because I want to learn how to use it well.
@sambehindalens I am new to DSLR photography and just did a workshop to help with all those choices you have to make. If you are in the US look up DSLRWorkshops by Okello Dunkley, he travels around so maybe there will be one nearby. I am also looking into an iPhone for various reason but a huge factor would be having a great camera on me at all times. Just saw a link to photojojo and loved their iPhone camera accessories.
This is giving me new respect for the iphone.... I have an ipod which sucks as a camera and am not a "phone" person (I have one for emergencies but hate it, never hear it ring, etc) so had never really considered getting one. But seriously, when I see what people like @dieter can do with an iphone, I think I need to have another look.... Perhaps I should change my thinking about iphones to "great little camera with added benefits) ;)
Write a Reply
Sign up for a free account or Sign in to post a comment.
Tweets ahoy!
Join the Group
Pin With Me
Basically both have there merits... with the DSLR, I need to know the apeture/shutter speed/iso etc etc before I shoot... And with an app on the iphone such as hipstamatic, I need to choose the lens and film option before taking a shot.
Therefore, it's a matter of knowing the equipment.
BUT........ AND FAR MORE IMPORTAN, at the end of the day it's more about knowing what will make a good photo as opposed to equipment you have to hand...
No matter what camera you choose, you have to learn its capabilities and to work within it's limitations - photography is the art of balancing compromises. Having the best camera in the world won't get you away from the need to make creative choices. There are tradeoffs involved in every aspect of image making, including those fundamental to optical systems and the physics of light (dof v shutterspeed, sensor size or diffraction for instance). And then you have to deal with practical matters of time, size, weight, cost and so on. Using an iPhone just creates a set of constraints around which you need to make your creative choices. Besides, when you think about it an iPhone is a zillion times more advanced than most of the cameras on which most of the great photographs have ever been taken :)
The best camera is the one you have with you. That's pretty much all that matters!
I feel like it's myself I'm cheating really, because I know I need the practice with my SLR. But I don't seem to get that much free time of late, and to me, using my SLR is a much more intensive experience....using manual settings doesn't come that naturally to me, so I have to really spend my time setting up shots properly, whereas with my phone, there is less technical skill involved (ie fiddling with buttons and dials!), so I can concentrate my efforts on getting the image I really want.
Thank you guys....I feel fully appeased now :)
If it works, go with it
I do understand the convienence issue. I feel the same about getting a full blown dslr. At the moment I'm using a bridge camera. It has similar features to a dslr but in a smaller point-and-shoot camera. It's not a pocket camera and doesn't do the fun editiing. I wanted to see if I would carry a full dslr daily and this seemed like a good option. Well, I'm still on the fence about it but I carry it everywhere and use it every day because I want to learn how to use it well.