The camera on our phones, particularly iPhones, has come just a long way that it takes more and more to justify that purchase of a DSLR camera.
As Craig Mod describes, phones are the ultimate networked devices with lenses. We shoot and we share. It’s ubiquitous, always with us and ready to shoot in an instance. We no longer regard iPhones as “good enough” device to take pictures. It’s how much better they are going to get. I shoot exclusively with the iPhone 6 and most pictures turn out to be great (to me). I’m limited by my skills, not the capabilities of the camera.
To me, the iPhone is a fantastic tool that happens to take great pictures. Since getting my first iPhone (5), I’ve taken thousands of pictures. Most of them are probably irrelevant to the public but to me, they are pieces of my memory that’s prone to fade away. The snapshot of my happy wife on a picnic, the exasperation and excitement of having a giant plate of monster curry on the table. And stopping, smelling, eventually capturing a shot of the flower during a morning jog at the Botanic Gardens (now a UNESCO heritage site). These are instances where I don’t normally bring a dedicated camera along. Having an iPhone in the pocket brings me convenience that allows me to capture these snippets of life.
The pictures reside in my phone, waiting to be reviewed at any moment. I show my family what we did last time during the get-together, I show my wife the places we went, I show my friends the crazy things we once did. Those are precious little moments. Mobile photography has not just transform the way we take pictures, it provides us a platform to review past photos that is all the more valuable. The pictures no longer just lie dormant in the hard disk.
The sentence “the best camera is the one in your pocket” feels so overused to the extend it gives me goosebumps just hearing it. It’s not just about taking great, memorable pictures. It’s also about the spontaneous interaction with the people next to us, and sharing with them the photos. This is what’s truly amazing about mobile photography.