Going Mobile, a New Perspective

Having spent the past 10 years striving to use the best camera I could afford, best film I could buy and best printing materials possible it has been refreshing, even liberating, to create images with a low quality cell phone camera. And I am not the only one. Talking to other photographers and reading through other blogs, image making with a mobile phone cameras is gaining popularity. Even carrying the potential to win awards.

When I graduated from art school in 2004 I started using a Mamiya RZ67. Its a sexy camera. I loved it when I first got it, and I still love it today. The first time I ever questioned using it was during a trip to Morocco in 2006. Regardless of where I was- in the medina, hiking through the Sahara or at home with family- it drew way too much attention.

The presence of the camera changed peoples reaction to me. The amount of attention I received in public places made me very uncomfortable, family members became stiff and awkward, and weight of the camera plus the tripod and other equipment was hell to trek with though the Saharan sand in the middle of summer.

In 2009 I went back to Morocco, this time with the Canon G10. I've been impressed with the image quality and versatility of the camera. Its small, light, unobtrusive, sturdy, and offers a great deal of control. I take with me every where I go. Despite the ease of use, small size and image quality, I still felt the desire to downsize, to lighten up and get away form relatively traditional image making- but to what?

In January of this year I committed to photographing every day. I found that at times it was easier and faster to snap a photo on my cell phone than with the camera. After downloading the cell phone photos onto my computer, I realized how much I enjoyed the images. I really like the small files, the lack of control, and making a seemingly pedestrian image special. Its a different perspective- and isn't that what all photographers are looking for?