helvetica
Well-known
As a self proclaimed gear-head, I have spent the majority of my years behind the lens focusing on the technical issues of our craft; maximizing this, that, and the other. I have had a change in heart, however, and have come to realize that a smartphone makes for a perhaps unrivaled photographic sketchbook. The more that I embrace smartphone cameras, the more I find my experience with them to be educational and transformative.
I find myself taking pictures of things that I wouldn't normally bother taking out the DSLR for because I want to see how some geometry looks or because of an interesting composition. It is "easy" to take take a portrait at 200mm ƒ/2.8 when anything distracting or unpleasant in the background becomes a creamy blur, but a smartphone gives you neither the blur nor the tight field of view - so it pushes you to work on your composition, not your technique.
When I take photos with my DSLRs, they are photos that I know I will want to show other people; film is for photos that I am going to want to be special gifts. When I take photos with my smartphone... they are pictures that I am taking for me, to challenge myself, and to practice seeing.
Has anyone else had this experience with smartphones? If nothing else, it's given me a new smile when I see HCB's quote "Sharpness is a bourgeois concept".
I find myself taking pictures of things that I wouldn't normally bother taking out the DSLR for because I want to see how some geometry looks or because of an interesting composition. It is "easy" to take take a portrait at 200mm ƒ/2.8 when anything distracting or unpleasant in the background becomes a creamy blur, but a smartphone gives you neither the blur nor the tight field of view - so it pushes you to work on your composition, not your technique.
When I take photos with my DSLRs, they are photos that I know I will want to show other people; film is for photos that I am going to want to be special gifts. When I take photos with my smartphone... they are pictures that I am taking for me, to challenge myself, and to practice seeing.
Has anyone else had this experience with smartphones? If nothing else, it's given me a new smile when I see HCB's quote "Sharpness is a bourgeois concept".
nickthetasmaniac
Veteran
Not so much, generally the photos I take on my phone are the ones I delete in bulk two months later after never looking at them...
Although I've had a similar experience to what you're talking about with my GR, for similar reasons.
**edit** Actually, thinking about the Moleskine analogy, perhaps... I write in my notebook to remember at the time, not later: I rarely go back to read notes, but the process is still valuable. Likewise phone photography.
helvetica
Well-known
There is something about the camera to computer process; Lightroom, RAW files, etc that end up being a distraction to my "photo doodling".
The nice thing about the GR, X100, RX1, etc is that you don't get caught in the trap of saying "Well if I had this lens, I could take that picture" - you take your one integrated prime lense and learn to become one with that focal length!
The nice thing about the GR, X100, RX1, etc is that you don't get caught in the trap of saying "Well if I had this lens, I could take that picture" - you take your one integrated prime lense and learn to become one with that focal length!
helvetica
Well-known
I think that is what it is - doing something as an exercise in it of itself, not to produce a tangible product.
BlackXList
Well-known
The only time I photograph with my phone is so I can send the image to someone to show them something, it's just not something I enjoy.
I did consider getting a half frame camera to use as a sketchbook, but the more I thought about it, the less I could actually justify it, why not just use a normal compact? I could arrange diptychs afterwards if I really wanted to after all, and the quality would be better.
I do agree with helvetica's comments about using primes though, that's precisely why I like them, I just focus (no pun intended) on shooting and it feels very direct.
I did consider getting a half frame camera to use as a sketchbook, but the more I thought about it, the less I could actually justify it, why not just use a normal compact? I could arrange diptychs afterwards if I really wanted to after all, and the quality would be better.
I do agree with helvetica's comments about using primes though, that's precisely why I like them, I just focus (no pun intended) on shooting and it feels very direct.
Roger Hicks
Veteran
If it's a Moleskine, surely you'd need an iProduct.
Otherwise, any camera or any notebook would suffice.
For my part, I use a "real" (not phone) camera for a notebook as happily as for "serious" pictures. Why not, after all?
Cheers,
R.
Otherwise, any camera or any notebook would suffice.
For my part, I use a "real" (not phone) camera for a notebook as happily as for "serious" pictures. Why not, after all?
Cheers,
R.
helvetica
Well-known
I am glad you caught my [not so] subtle play. As for why not a real camera, maybe it's my own neurosis, but there is freedom in the limits of a smartphone. I don't care that Insragram crops to ~1000 pixels because I am not playing with RAW files and tripods anyways.
giganova
Well-known
Absolutely, that's what smart phones are for! I use my smart phone when I go location scouting and snap pictures of interesting buildings/locations, I make pictures of my camera settings, I make smartphone pictures of the exact location of my tripod feet when I want to come back during a different season, I make pictures as mental notes, I snap pictures of people so I remember them and add the pictures to their profile in my address book, I snap pictures of photography books in book stores so I can research the best prices online later or when I have enough money to buy them, etc. The list goes on & on.
nickthetasmaniac
Veteran
Ah but the paper! 'Any' notebook certainly doesn't suffice...