Hello Josephine, thanks for the heads-up about the iphone camera. Aside from that, this piece is a very interesting read, more so because of the mother-daughter combination. Also, from someone who knows nothing about Iceland, it's very informative. Gordon
I thoroughly agree that a camera in the hand is worth two in the… well, not in the bush. On the other hand I'm not totally won over by iPhone photography. I don't feel I have the same level of control and half the time I can't see the screen well enough. But your images here speak for themselves.
I resonate too with your comment, 'In this instance, the best camera was the eye and memory.'
The case that always sticks with me was over 20 years ago on the island of Canna, somewhere above cliffs on the North coast with a terrific vista of Skye and Rum. So naturally I had a wide-angle lens on and the camera firmly fixed to the tripod when… not one but TWO sea eagles floated up on an updraft about fifteen metres away. With a 20mm lens they would have been little more than specks and I didn't think I had time to get camera off tripod and change to a long lens. I decided not to even try, just to fix the moment in memory, and just as well as two seconds later, with barely a flick of their wings, they seemed to be half way to Skye.
Fantastic images, Josephine! Have you experimented with shooting in raw and processing the photos yourself, as you would raw files from your camera? I’ve found that this can really elevate iPhone images and help to avoid the overbaked ‘smartphone photo look’ that can creep in from time to time.
Personally I’ve relied on an iPhone as a sidekick camera for years, and it’s certainly capable of producing printable results if used with intention, but for me the loss of control is a major downside. Currently using a 15 Pro. I can’t compose effectively without a viewfinder and I find that my eye gets lazy when I shoot with a phone. It feels like a very clumsy and unrefined photographic tool without much soul. All very personal, though!
To quote google: "To shoot in RAW on your Android phone, it needs to support an Android operating system called the Camera2 API. This must be implemented by the device's manufacturer and cannot be added via an app. So if your phone doesn't support it, then RAW shooting is not available".
Thanks. I see the Pixel camera can be adjusted in settings to shoot both jpg (post-processed and enhanced by Android) and raw (DNG format). Which could well be worth trying if I was prepared to put up with all the extra screen-time... In-phone editing of the standard jpg file gives surprisingly good results already. I've a feeling that Android's skills in photo processing will soon overtake my own.
Yes Alex, I always shoot in iPhone RAW and bring them across to CameraRAW to process. For mid-angle shots, the iPhone Pro Max is excellent. Using ultra wide lens creates a lot of optical aberration. But, it allows me to travel with Nikon body attached to one lens (rather than taking 3), which helps with weight!
Dull cloudy day in the Borders I got much better results shooting in raw and processing in the computer than anything I could achieve with in-phone processing on the (fairly high-end) Android phone. But most of the time, the phone is just as good or better, and a lot quicker. NB this is Ronald, ie not a professional serious photographer like Jon!
I share your love of Iceland! I planned to go this August, but MS had different plans for me! I am currently trying to level up the relapse to be fit for the Outer Hebrides adventure in September with Billy Heaney.
Thank you so much for bringing Iceland to me! I have devoured your article and am intrigued about tomato beer!
I am so excited to learn that we also share a love of geology, although I am a dilettante, haha.
I couldn't agree more about the camera—it is about capturing memory, perceptions, and soul. When I became physically disabled in 2022, tremors made it impossible to stay in the photography field, or so I thought. The tripod was too heavy for me, either. I was devastated.
And then, I picked up my phone camera. I was back. Doing what I love. Currently using the smallest Canon with a super light tripod, but some phone-taken photos are just as cool as Canon and its great lenses!
And the lanyard? What a great idea! Thank you. That will definitely help me, as my dexterity is so bad, haha.
Hello Josephine, thanks for the heads-up about the iphone camera. Aside from that, this piece is a very interesting read, more so because of the mother-daughter combination. Also, from someone who knows nothing about Iceland, it's very informative. Gordon
I thoroughly agree that a camera in the hand is worth two in the… well, not in the bush. On the other hand I'm not totally won over by iPhone photography. I don't feel I have the same level of control and half the time I can't see the screen well enough. But your images here speak for themselves.
I resonate too with your comment, 'In this instance, the best camera was the eye and memory.'
The case that always sticks with me was over 20 years ago on the island of Canna, somewhere above cliffs on the North coast with a terrific vista of Skye and Rum. So naturally I had a wide-angle lens on and the camera firmly fixed to the tripod when… not one but TWO sea eagles floated up on an updraft about fifteen metres away. With a 20mm lens they would have been little more than specks and I didn't think I had time to get camera off tripod and change to a long lens. I decided not to even try, just to fix the moment in memory, and just as well as two seconds later, with barely a flick of their wings, they seemed to be half way to Skye.
Fantastic images, Josephine! Have you experimented with shooting in raw and processing the photos yourself, as you would raw files from your camera? I’ve found that this can really elevate iPhone images and help to avoid the overbaked ‘smartphone photo look’ that can creep in from time to time.
Personally I’ve relied on an iPhone as a sidekick camera for years, and it’s certainly capable of producing printable results if used with intention, but for me the loss of control is a major downside. Currently using a 15 Pro. I can’t compose effectively without a viewfinder and I find that my eye gets lazy when I shoot with a phone. It feels like a very clumsy and unrefined photographic tool without much soul. All very personal, though!
Can Android phones shoot in raw format as well? Mine's a Pixel (Google) one.
To quote google: "To shoot in RAW on your Android phone, it needs to support an Android operating system called the Camera2 API. This must be implemented by the device's manufacturer and cannot be added via an app. So if your phone doesn't support it, then RAW shooting is not available".
Thanks. I see the Pixel camera can be adjusted in settings to shoot both jpg (post-processed and enhanced by Android) and raw (DNG format). Which could well be worth trying if I was prepared to put up with all the extra screen-time... In-phone editing of the standard jpg file gives surprisingly good results already. I've a feeling that Android's skills in photo processing will soon overtake my own.
Yes Alex, I always shoot in iPhone RAW and bring them across to CameraRAW to process. For mid-angle shots, the iPhone Pro Max is excellent. Using ultra wide lens creates a lot of optical aberration. But, it allows me to travel with Nikon body attached to one lens (rather than taking 3), which helps with weight!
Having seen what can be done with an iPhone camera, I’m not sure I’ll bother to replace my ‘good’ camera when it dies!
Dull cloudy day in the Borders I got much better results shooting in raw and processing in the computer than anything I could achieve with in-phone processing on the (fairly high-end) Android phone. But most of the time, the phone is just as good or better, and a lot quicker. NB this is Ronald, ie not a professional serious photographer like Jon!
It's always worth having two!
Of course…
I share your love of Iceland! I planned to go this August, but MS had different plans for me! I am currently trying to level up the relapse to be fit for the Outer Hebrides adventure in September with Billy Heaney.
Thank you so much for bringing Iceland to me! I have devoured your article and am intrigued about tomato beer!
I am so excited to learn that we also share a love of geology, although I am a dilettante, haha.
I couldn't agree more about the camera—it is about capturing memory, perceptions, and soul. When I became physically disabled in 2022, tremors made it impossible to stay in the photography field, or so I thought. The tripod was too heavy for me, either. I was devastated.
And then, I picked up my phone camera. I was back. Doing what I love. Currently using the smallest Canon with a super light tripod, but some phone-taken photos are just as cool as Canon and its great lenses!
And the lanyard? What a great idea! Thank you. That will definitely help me, as my dexterity is so bad, haha.