Photography in the age of cell phones…
If we have a great camera with us at all times, does that make us all photographers? Well, sort of… composition, lighting and a little knowledge helps too.
As the quality of cell phone camera’s got better and better, I realized my old camera, a 5 megapixel Lumix that I paid $500. for, was pretty much obsolete… and not worth anything for resale. Things sure change fast these days. I guess I should have sold it a long time ago to avoid having another bookcase object to remind me of the “good old days”. But that’s getting to be a regular occurrence for me. I’m stuck with the notion that you buy a quality product and you take care of it, and that product will provide you with “years” of useful service… And that’s part of the “quality product” equation. The “years” of “useful” service. Products that last one year will never achieve that “quality” to me.
Maybe I’m ranting but I spend a lot of time researching purchases these days, hoping they will last longer than one year or even six months (6 days?). Technology is changing so fast these days that I have to get used to the idea of throwing things away that “look perfect” but are no longer as capable as the next big thing. And yes, This is supposed to be about photography but I had to get that off my chest.
I’m not a photographer but I have spent my entire adult career as a graphic designer. So I do consider myself capable of looking through the viewfinder and composing a shot with some skill. Lately I’ve started to revisit photography as a creative outlet and turned my eye on the amazing displays of light and shadow I see in my day to day. I’m primarily interested in nature and the outdoors but I also find the everyday reality urban scenes fascinating. It takes a particular focus to see some of these amazing things.
I find myself looking at shadow patterns on a wet road after the rain. Reflections of the clouds in a puddle, juxtaposed on the shiny asphalt. The more I look, the more I see… Maybe I was too busy with life before to take notice, but armed with a great camera most of the time, I see great shots all around me. Shooting people requires a telephoto lens and some degree of willingness to “intrude” on their space which I won’t do, so I keep it impersonal and focus on my surroundings: the great outdoors and the suburban life I live. I’m surprised at how much I see everyday!