Most people assume that taking great photos requires lots of expensive gear and software. In fact, many go so far as to equate the two: upon seeing a beautiful photograph, the natural response is to say “you must have a nice camera!” While it’s true that equipment can be important in photography, it’s not true that you need expensive equipment to take great photos. The advent of mobile photography has proven this, I think, beyond a doubt. The cameras in smartphones are smaller, cheaper, and less flexible than their DSLR counterparts. Despite this, mobile photography has become it’s own genre – a genre embraced by even the most seasoned pros. I’ve seen incredible images taken on mobile devices, and have even taken some great images myself. With that in mind, I’d like to share a few of my favorite mobile photos, along with some reasons why I have come to love mobile photography.
iPhone 6 || Edited in Lightroom Mobile
#1: Change In Focus
With professional cameras, the focus tends to be on equipment and technical know-how. With mobile photography however, the focus is on photographic vision. It’s all about how you see the world as a photographer. The better your sense of elements like composition and lighting, the better your images will be. In reality, this is true in all types of photography, but the simplified interface of mobile photography emphasizes it.
iPhone 4s || Edited in VSCOcam
#2: Convenience and Portability
Another great thing about mobile photography is that it’s something you can do almost anywhere at a moment’s notice. I don’t always have my main camera with me. It’s big, it’s heavy, and it’s just not convenient for everyday use. My phone, on the other hand, fits in my pocket and is with me almost everywhere I go. True, the images won’t be as large or as sharp as the images taken on my DSLR, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t high quality. The quality is plenty good for prints and stock photography, and of course it’s perfect for sharing on social media.
iPhone 6 || Edited in VSCOcam
#3: Post Processing
Perhaps the best aspect of mobile photography is that you can take and edit your image on the same device. There is a veritable sea of apps available today for mobile editing. Honestly, you’ll probably spend more time choosing which app you want than you will actually editing a particular photo! Many social sites like Instagram provide their own set of filters to add to your photos. If you want more control, you can use free apps like Lightroom Mobile and VSCO cam. These apps make it easy to edit your photos without ever having to touch your desktop or laptop.
iPhone 6 || Edited in Lightroom Mobile
As great as it is, mobile photography does come with its own challenges. There are certain kinds of photography that will be difficult, if not impossible, with the camera on a mobile phone. For example, you’re not likely to be doing astrophotography on your iPhone anytime soon. But as you can see, there are a lot of perks as well – enough to make mobile photography a worthwhile investment of your time and focus as a photographer. So grab your phone, get outside, and happy shooting!
Check out more of my favorite mobile photos here
