cell phone photographer

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ywenz

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Taken at a club last weekend. I think the wave of capable cell phone cameras are coming. I can't wait!

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somecanuckchick said:
ugh. I hope not. There are enough people who fancy themselves professional photographers with a cheap digital camera, or throw-away film camera...
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Agreed that 99.99999% of those people are crap shooters, there's still that teensiest percentage that isn't and does great work with even the lowlest of cameras. So, bring on the cell phone pro photog! Or artist! :p
 
somecanuckchick said:
ugh. I hope not. There are enough people who fancy themselves professional photographers with a cheap digital camera, or throw-away film camera...
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So basically you're one of them who feels the equipment defines the photographer. Excellent.

Care to define "professional photographer" for us all?
 
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somecanuckchick said:
ugh. I hope not. There are enough people who fancy themselves professional photographers with a cheap digital camera, or throw-away film camera...
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That's not necessarily. I was reading recently about a photojournalist (who's name, of course, I have forgotten at the key moment) who use akit consiting entirely of Olympus (I think it was Olympus) digital P&S.
 
sweathog said:
That's not necessarily. I was reading recently about a photojournalist (who's name, of course, I have forgotten at the key moment) who use akit consiting entirely of Olympus (I think it was Olympus) digital P&S.
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Yes indeed. Alex Majoli.
 
I think that the artists has to pick his equipment (I'm not one of those people who always yell "take pictures with anything" when it comes to equipment talk) but at the same time I think that art can be achived by any means. I have seen people make great use of point and shoot cameras, cellphones, and disposable cameras.
 
Recently, a wedding photographer I know went to see the Dave Matthews Band in or around the Boston area.

She noted that on the back of the tickets it said "No professional cameras allowed"

She had her little Canon A640 digital P&S in her purse - she carries it everywhere - she makes her living with a 5D and various lenses but she always has a camera on her - specifically the P&S. Hardly a "pro" camera.

She approached the gate, was searched, and told that she couldn't bring the P&S into the concert. When she asked if they let people in with cell phone cameras she was told "yes, we allow those in" yet the digital P&S was too "professional" for the staff working the gates.

I think it's going to take a lot of convincing of the general public (and photographic community as well) to make folks believe that a cell phone camera can be considered a "professional tool" or that it can be used to create "art" per se.

That said.. aren't there monkeys and elephants that 'paint' and get their "art" sold in galleries?

Dave
 
dcsang said:
She approached the gate, was searched, and told that she couldn't bring the P&S into the concert. When she asked if they let people in with cell phone cameras she was told "yes, we allow those in" yet the digital P&S was too "professional" for the staff working the gates.

I think it's going to take a lot of convincing of the general public (and photographic community as well) to make folks believe that a cell phone camera can be considered a "professional tool" or that it can be used to create "art" per se.
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5-10 years ago people said the same thing about digicams, and see where we're now. In another 5 years the doormen will frisk everyone for cell phones too.
 
People who know how to take a good picture, can do so using any cameras (even cellphone cameras).
People who don't want to bother with knowing how to take a good picture, can't do so even if they are armed with a full-frame Canon pro-auto-everything.

Ywenz, cool shots (for web-viewing resolution, that is :) )
 
Define professional photographer? Please let's get above that frame o mind that only those who do not earn their living through photography are the real photographers (at least that the way I understood it!).
The professional find himself very often hostge to tzhe fact that s/he has to make photos if s/he likes it or not. Recntly some editors decided to publish more and more material by people who take photos rather casually with equipment that is considerably cheaper than that of "professionals". But hey that's the classic evolution. When photography came up the most poular way to make portaits was to have a miniature painter paint it.....we know the story up came the "vulgar machine yielding non artist who called themselves photographers and it ws over.
Perhaps in 15 year cell phone cameras will be so good and cheap that people will start to focus on the quality of the results again....until someone manages to implant a chip and a hub into our temples so that we can take family fotos with our eyes
PS: When you are taking pis at an event with your Bessa/Leica/Nikon/Schnork and you see other photographers with a comparable Bessa/Leica/Nikon/Schnork very often you can exchange some friendly words (like a universal brotherhood).....except if the price difference of the other persons equipment is so big that this person whose gear is more professional than himself/herself is treating you arrogantly...well that's the kind of "professional" I would never consider a pro
 
RML said:
5-10 years ago people said the same thing about digicams, and see where we're now. In another 5 years the doormen will frisk everyone for cell phones too.
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With advances in technology, yes, digital cameras - even the high noise, bad posterization, god awful "the more megapixels the better" ones - have become quite acceptable.

Would I use one to shoot a wedding?

Nope

Would I use one to take "happy snaps" on vacation?
Sure.

The same could be said for the M7 and M2 I own. I would never use them in a wedding situation but for my own purposes, yes, I'd be happy to use them.

The cell phone I have now has a camera.
Do I ever use it?
No.

Why?

Because it's a PHONE - and I don't need a "phone" to do anything else other than make a phone call. I don't need it to be an MP3 player, a camera, an organizer, make coffee, cuts fries instantly etc. -
So.. maybe Cell Phone cameras will suddenly become the all the rage.

I'll wait till I can print a decent 8x12 without artifacting etc. before attempting to use a cell phone camera for anything more than the novelty it currently is.

Dave
 
I enjoy taking photos with my film systems, but today I wanted a quick and cheap way to take some shots in Monte-Carlo to show my girlfriend, and my cellphone was quite successful in doing this. There are times when you don't want to carry around a camera. Today was one of these times (job interviews) and I was glad to take these snaps around, sort of "tourist photos" more than making a statement. Here they are : http://darkkavenger.blogsome.com (mostly taken from a moving car)
 
dcsang said:
The cell phone I have now has a camera.
Do I ever use it?
No.

Why?

Because it's a PHONE - and I don't need a "phone" to do anything else other than make a phone call.
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If it's desirable to keep the functionality of a cell phone pure, then why not get even more critical of what a cell phone should be? Advocate for a cell phone that has no address book functionality and you carry your Rolodex + cell phone for all your phone call needs! "Hey I've got a pocket big enough to carry a business card holder and a cell phone!" - one could reason.

If you think of the cell phone as a communication device, then the idea of an integrated camera is not so absurd.. I love how I can upload images from my phone directly to flickr, I'd love it even more if the camera on my phone is improved!
 
Cell phone cameras will almost surely evolve to the point where they'll replace consumer p&s digital. Using them with serious face however is too Dick Tracy style for my taste, I'll stick with a real camera thankyou.
 
It really doesn't matter what tool is used to create art, as long as the final product is art. Some talented people have taken Holgas, scratched the cheap plastic lenses and rubbed KY Jelly on them and produced some very interesting photos.

BTW, nice club shot, Ywenz.

Regards,

Charlie
 
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