Incredible Iphone imagery

[Richard G]

A connected S95 is very much to the point: with the iPhone in an urban war you can have the image on its way pronto and not even have a laptop, which you would not want to be seen crouching over. The camera kit could connect the Canon's SD card almost as quickly I suppose. Is holding up an iPhone really as unobtrusive as a small camera, or is it the retreat from a big system that is seen as the advantage?

 

[btgc]

Pictures from past also may look crappy from position of modern emulsions. Who cares, especially if you don't have any own pictures from that times...or place. I'm not going there to make pictures with real camera so I'm scrolling through Brown's set.

Camera means photography. This means certain mindset. Phone is common device, just like a pen or watch. Using this things, mindset doesn't shift toward photography. Phone allows to make pictures without being photographer, without thinking about taking pictures. This may happen also with simple camera, camera with fixed focus lens - just point it and shoot. Nothing about exposure, nothing about focusing. All is about what happens around me. I don't pretend I get his iphone thing but certainly there is resemblance of when I use simplest cameras. Just his frame is squared and capture is a file, but that's all difference. And yet non-photography attitude.

P.S. S95 - even if it can be set into certain focal length/fixed focus mode, anyway is camera. If it has to be focused, forget using it as naturally as device without need to be focused. Btw do iphone is fixed focus or already has AF implemented?

 

[raid]

The images look great to me. I don't care which camera was used.

 

[daninjc]

The cases are two:
(1) the photographer didn't have a better tool for the job
(2) it's a publicity stunt
It's hard to believe that a serious PJ finds himself in case (1), and I'd find it annoying that he'd chose to ruin great images by shooting them on a phone app. Original? Perhaps. Professional? Nope.
Unless we have become indifferent to quality, and the hipstamatic look is already part of our imaginary - even in photojournalism.

 

[Ezzie]

And taking pictures for a news agency is a different matter to taking them for National Geographic. I would think documenting the events on whatever tool is better than not at all. Who are we to critisize the photographer for what he feels is appropriate in a life and death environment? I for one would not swap places with him, not ever.

 

[kshapero]

The bottom line: Just get the shot.

 

[Spyro]

Ezzie you have a point, I wouldnt trade places with him either. But it seems that the tool selection was not a matter of survival, rather an artistic choice. And we are the audience and the customers, therefore our opinion should matter. Everyone has the right to choose whatever tool they prefer, and we have the right to like the result or not like it.

 

[tomnrides]

iphone makes on board manipulation a snap, no other cameras mentioned in the thread have that. try it sometime.

 

[B.S.]

I'm far from against using a cell phone to get a shot, especially when trying to be sneaky. Though I feel the way about most of these photos that I feel about most photos these days-- I wish it were shot on film. Shot on film the shots would go from interesting to something really special. But that's just my personal bias, I realize that the large majority really don't give a darn about something being shot on film.

But, I would ask why they don't just bring along a Leica X1 or something along those lines. I'm pretty sure the X1 is smaller or similar sized to iphone (only held one once-- The X1, that is). I doubt it would be any/much more visible, and the IQ would be much nicer. Not to mention you'll never miss a shot because you're getting a phone call...

 

[jky]

Ezzie you have a point, I wouldnt trade places with him either. But it seems that the tool selection was not a matter of survival, rather an artistic choice. And we are the audience and the customers, therefore our opinion should matter. Everyone has the right to choose whatever tool they prefer, and we have the right to like the result or not like it.

This reminded me of a presentation by Larry Towell I attended last year where he said something in the realm of:
"...If I'm shooting somebody starving/dying, I'm not shooting "art".... "

*caveat: substitute "starving/dying" for something else dire

 

[ashfaque]

This is a great find, jc_y. Thanks a lot for sharing. 🙂

As some of you mentioned, by being there he's way ahead of many 'tough'love photographers. To me non-embedded war photographers are the best amongst all photogs. I really wish I was one!