The Old Sheldon Church Ruins near Beaufort, SC - photographed with the Iphone 4
I love making new imagery. To me it doesn’t matter what type of camera I’m using as long as I’m having fun. As the saying goes, “The best camera is the one you have with you.” In a lot of scenarios that turns out to be your phone.
Many of the camera phones these days can produce unbelievable imagery. A testament to this fact is the recent image collection Aurora Photos (the agency I shoot for) has put together called The myPhone Collection. They realized that all of their photographers had unbelievable imagery just sitting in their phones. Conventional wisdom dictated that only high quality, high resolution files were good enough to go into the market place. All that has changed. With the virtual explosion of web-based digital content there is now plenty of room in the marketplace for images taken right from your camera phone.
I actually really enjoy taking pictures from my phone. Taking shots on my camera phone lets me relax. Since it is a very simple device, I find myself loosening up and trying new and creative things. I’m not worrying about which lens I’m using or what aperture and shutter speed settings I need. I am at the camera’s mercy which lets me relax and concentrate on making compelling imagery.
The post-processing aspect of shooting with your camera phone is also unbelievable. Within minutes I can process an image through a variety of powerful apps giving me a whole new range of creative control. Some of my favorite apps include: Photoshop Express, Instagram, Luminance and Old Photo Pro. After I’m done processing, I can instantly share my images on a variety of social media platforms, publish them directly to my website, upload to the stock agency I shoot for or email them to my friends. What’s not to like?!
To all of the critics and purists out there who would argue that the camera phone isn’t a professional tool for “real” photography, I would argue that it is simply another tool in the bag. When I’m shooting fast sports action or low light scenerios I reach for my Nikon D3s. When I need something lighter, still need to produce high resolution files and shoot 1080 video I grab my trusty Nikon D7000. If I’m out for the day and don’t have any gear with me I reach for my phone and have a little fun. It’s a great way to take some chances and step outside of the box with my imagery. It has become a powerful creative tool that I find myself enjoying more and more with every tap of the shutter.
Tags: advice, 
• apps, • camera • creative, • iphone, • phone, • photography, • tutorial,
