Wouild be interested to hear your thoughts, from casual camera phone users, through to those of you who are pro/semi-pro (but please try to keep it civil, if you happen to disagree with one another!).
Whatever you choose to use, it's fine by me. One of my colleagues used to show me pictures she had taken on her smartphone and claimed they could be blown up to A3. They certainly could if you didn't mind artefacts and poor quality. The best camera in the world is the on that you have one you.
Isn't it quite elitist to believe that a practice can only be an art if exercised by a small minority? If a technology opens up and simplifies a practice to a wide body of users, of course there will be a significant added percentage of "bad" execution. But don't blame the technologies or the tools if the percent of "good" stuff declines. The absolute number of "good" photographs being taken and shared is surely widening, but yes, clearly not as fast as the body of users. Is that bad? I would certainly say no. And who set themselves up to decide "good" and "bad" anyway?
Perhaps the author is a photojournalist and a little sour at being beaten to the "scoop" by that increasing body of users of extremely portable equipment? :)
I think there's a place for the camera phone. I understand the argument against them but I can recall the same arguments about digital vs film. If anything it has made photography more accessible. That can't be a bad thing. I think the last paragraph sums it up best when he says "Just because you've got a microprocessor in your computer doesn't make you a writer. And just because you've got an Instagram app on your phone you aren't a great photographer." this can be true for someone who has a an expensive DSLR too.
Some of my recent iPhone shots
In all seriousness, I don't care if you shoot on film sticky-taped to the back of a tin with a nail hole in the lid or on a mobile phone. Give me something to make me go hmmm and actually hold my attention.
I got the feeling the article was more of a commentary about deficient attention spans and the mobile phone camera reinforcing this behaviour. But that's something I've been known to drone on about before!
We have an 18 year old at University and he is constantly dismayed by his friends replying to his SMS' or facebook messages with things like "LOL" or "Evs" etc...
Interesting article. They said the same thing in the 1960's when Kodak introduced the Instamatic film camera. Cheap cameras for the masses = more photographs being taken. The vast majority of them are snapshots but that is ok. There will always be a difference between creating a photograph and taking a snapshot, no matter what the medium is.
I guess from my point of view, access to a decent, but not phenomenal can be a good thing. I started this project because my SO bought me a Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ7 and I wanted to learn how to use it better so I could take good pictures of my work to put in a portfolio. Instantly I became interested in the art of photography from looking at the other pictures here, and reading the discussion. While I feel like I've taken some wonderful pictures, I'm beginning to see how much better they could be with the right camera, and skill. I'm considering buying a more decent camera, and doing it more as a hobby than just to have nice pictures of my work. I'm still at a point where I have a lot to wrap my mind around before I spend a lot of money on a good camera, but I wouldn't be even thinking about it without the one I have. So I guess, if the iPhone draws more people in, with their own interesting perspective, it might not be a bad thing.
First, selfies at a funeral was the epitome of poor taste.
I'm jealous. I can't take a shot with my iPhone that I think is decent. I agree very much with Danny G. There will always be a quality difference. I've worked so very hard these last years to learn the "art" of photography. It has been so good to and for me. Keeps my mind active and on decent days gets me out of the house and moving (snowing again......). I have heard that phone photos have totally eclipsed camera photos in sheer numbers. Who knows what will happen I only know what works for me and still thrills me when I get what I am hoping to find.
What art form? Photography? The spectrum of photography includes anything that can be used to capture an image. Not just high priced cameras. And not every image needs to be 'blown up'. The ability to see a crisp picture in a massive size has nothing to do with the art. I'm reminded of a bed of sheets whose thread count is high. The quality is there but that in no way diminishes the fact that lower thread count sheets are still sheets and can be very comfortable.
Love the freedom I have when taking shots with my iPhone. I use it totally differently than I would my 6D and enjoy the difference! As many have said - the best camera is the one you have with you and I always have this one with me when I go downtown. When using the camera on my phone I am not going for 'picture perfect' but for a different view and processing I wouldn't normally do. Some examples from my Flickr account -
@kass I agree with that completely - they are very different to use. I would say it's more difficult to get good results out of a camera phone than, say, a DSLR, so in fact you could say you need to be more talented to get good shots out of your iPhone than someone with a high end camera.
I saw a wonderful exhibit at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts of photographs taken with pinhole cameras. Certainly not the fine detail of the DSLR, but stunning, nonetheless, in its own right.
Have to admit, it p-ed me off a bit to see the grand prize photo go to an iphone picture at the county fair last fall. But, meh, I'm over it now. All I really care about is what I'm using and how it works for me. I can see, after being on here for nearly a year, that I want to continue to improve my photography. For me, that means investing in a more "expensive" camera, lenses, etc. Also, investing more time in learning the craft. I'm but a poor neophyte! :)
i suck at iphonography, but one of my favouritist all time photos on this site was taken on an iPhone - the photog has deleted his account which is too bad - he had some fabulous photos - all using the iPhone... art is art, right, whatever the medium? but just because it's a photo, doesn't make it art :)
@northy was it the pic of a foggy evening under a bridge? Looking out over the river? That was a great pic with iPhone. I faved it...I guess I could go back and find it..unless it has been deleted.
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Perhaps the author is a photojournalist and a little sour at being beaten to the "scoop" by that increasing body of users of extremely portable equipment? :)
Some of my recent iPhone shots
I got the feeling the article was more of a commentary about deficient attention spans and the mobile phone camera reinforcing this behaviour. But that's something I've been known to drone on about before!
We have an 18 year old at University and he is constantly dismayed by his friends replying to his SMS' or facebook messages with things like "LOL" or "Evs" etc...
Just read the last paragraph.
I'm jealous. I can't take a shot with my iPhone that I think is decent. I agree very much with Danny G. There will always be a quality difference. I've worked so very hard these last years to learn the "art" of photography. It has been so good to and for me. Keeps my mind active and on decent days gets me out of the house and moving (snowing again......). I have heard that phone photos have totally eclipsed camera photos in sheer numbers. Who knows what will happen I only know what works for me and still thrills me when I get what I am hoping to find.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/blue-spirit/9415973612/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/blue-spirit/9032827479/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/blue-spirit/9410029655/
'nuff said
i suck at iphonography, but one of my favouritist all time photos on this site was taken on an iPhone - the photog has deleted his account which is too bad - he had some fabulous photos - all using the iPhone... art is art, right, whatever the medium? but just because it's a photo, doesn't make it art :)
Because, though overused the saying "the best camera is the one you have with you" is certainly true.
The ability and the passion both lie in the photographer, not the camera.