In an effort to inspire others and show that you do not need a full DSLR to take great pictures, I’m starting a series about phone photography. All images were captured on an iPhone 6s and edited in VSCO. No external accessories or lenses were used for any of these photos. (The photo of myself sitting on the ledge was captured by a friend I met while hiking and edited by me).
Phone camera sensors are SMALL. Because of this, the digital noise that is introduced during low light shooting can be extremely detrimental. With phone photography you want to ensure your camera can gather enough light to produce a clean image. Unlike full sized DSLRs, the images produced from phones do not have a lot of room in terms of manipulating the exposure after the shot. Always try get your desired exposure set before taking the picture.
The great thing about phone photography is that you are restricted to one focal length (or two on newer phones). This requires you to move your feet to obtain the composition you want. You are much more involved with the subject than if you were to stand in one place and just zoom the lens.
Eklutna Lake, Alaska
North Shore, Oahu
Kaena Point, Oahu
Above Oahu
The best camera is the one you have with you. Even if you can’t afford a high quality smartphone, you can really take great photos with anything. Buy a disposable camera, shoot film, or pick up a secondhand camera. Any camera is better than no camera. If you are able to convey emotion, tell a story, or capture a moment, you have succeeded as a photographer.
As I continue this series I will be sharing tips and tricks that I have learned about phone photography. I hope you can learn something from these posts or simply get inspired to go out and take more photos.
Thank you for reading! I’d love to see your smartphone photography!
Chase