Anyone can shoot: Don't sleep on smartphone photography

In August, I finally purchased a new battery for my old camera. It’s a digital single-lens reflex device that celebrated its 11th birthday with me this year—but its real age is a bit older, given that I’m the second owner.  

During the intensified advent of my photography passion in high school, my dad swapped his precious laptop for a DSLR camera that was already a pretty old model at the time. But I couldn’t care less. I was finally holding a real one—a far cry from the smartphones chronicling lives the best way they could in 2013. Soaking in its 10.1-megapixel glory, I prepared liability letters to sneak in the gadget during my Catholic school’s events and snap candids of my friends, sans complaints of how heavier it felt than all my textbooks combined. 

When I signed up for my university’s photography organization, though, the magic gradually wore off as I began noticing my camera’s limits. My orgmates brought lenses I saw for the first time, small-talked in features absent in my lexicon, and performed techniques I couldn’t wrap my head around on how to pull off. While people were nothing short of inviting, I saw myself as an outsider, and for years, I rarely picked up my former favorite thing. 

Rekindling the photography flame 

However, the atmosphere changed upon resurrecting it recently. For a camera that already sports a disintegrating rubber cover, an unpredictable shutter, and faulty doors, I now feel less pressured and restricted, taking shots of everything I want to document. While significantly aged, my camera also feels strangely fresh—and I think I have to thank smartphone photography for rewiring my brain. 

In the years I’ve mostly relied on my phone’s camera, I indulged in the charm of unintentional blurs, satisfying framing, and the challenge of finding the right angle, whether it’s taking a portrait of my friend in a dark cafe, or just getting a good shot of the sunset. And although some find it skewing to cringe, I love seeing imperfect snaps of people’s lives in Instagram dumps, a step away from the age of much more serious curation.  

Interestingly, professional photographers, whose arsenal includes overwhelming gear and rich technical knowledge, can actually relate. 

“The best thing about mobile photography is probably the convenience and physicality of it. Everything I need is already [on] the phone, so I can move around more freely and focus on getting different angles or distances,” Cru Camara, known for their experimental portfolio of arresting colors, contrast, and shadow, shares with PhilSTAR L!fe. “A phone will probably always feel more casual to me too, so in a sense, there’s a feeling of less pressure, even though the stakes may still be pretty high during a shoot. I think it just takes more planning in terms of lighting to work around some of the shortcomings of the camera, but in general, I find it way more fun to shoot on a phone.” 

Don’t sleep on the smartphone 

For fashion and portrait photographer Artu Nepomuceno, whose work has graced a plethora of magazine covers, some smartphone features like being able to edit images on the fly is a path to “[understanding] the craft better.”

He tells L!fe, “To be able to determine that the final output does or does not match the approach in taking the photo[...] It's a means to understand what a raw image can do, instantly.” 

Utilizing the smartphone also means accessing its extension a.k.a. apps and add-ons, which Camara appreciates as an artistic exercise. “I love exploring the different editing options as opposed to using a filter, and sometimes there are cool results from mixing a filter and the custom adjustments. I just have to rely on my eye to tweak the tones or exposures, and sometimes having a really wonky result is part of the charm too!”

The evolution of smartphone cameras 

Both having collaborated with smartphone brands, Nepomuceno and Camara have witnessed how mobile phone cameras transform to align with the allure of professional cameras. 

“Sometime in 2023, Yongnuo released the YN455, an interchangeable lens camera with Android software installed. Essentially, the touchscreen software was similar to a tablet, with capabilities to connect to WiFi and to possibly download image editing and even social media apps,” Nepomuceno recounts. “The idea of this camera seemed like an attempt at marrying mobile photography with professional-level cameras/lenses. While Apple and Samsung lead the lines with creating cutting-edge photography tech on a very compact level (while mixing that with AI support), other brands may take a similar approach as Yongnuo, where the software in professional-grade equipment is as advanced as that of phones.”

He adds, “I wouldn't be surprised if one day Apple created a camera, where all you would have to do is attach your iPhone, and that by itself would be all you need. The convenience of modularity would attract a large audience, I would think.” 

Nepomuceno is also drawn to Moment lenses. “They were maybe the first third-party brand to provide clip-on lenses for phones that were made out of high-quality glass,” he says. “I have one of their telephotos, and it was a really good lens during the time that I used it. However, the lens development of these phones is moving at an incredible speed, where we might not need attachments in the near future.” 

Other smartphone makers are also making advancements with their devices. The Xiaomi 14T series is equipped with Leica cameras for improved lighting, while the HONOR 200, dubbed “the portrait master,” boasts DSLR-level imaging capabilities.

Camara sees the developments in a different light: “I am of the opinion that most new tools in camera systems are not essential, but possibly useful for practicality and/or creativity. I think while it’s extremely convenient to have a really advanced camera integrated into your phone, I don’t think it affects the skills you need to make a good image—it just shortens the path to making it.”  

Photography in 2024 

In recent years, photography has shapeshifted. Analog film found its way into the psyche of people wanting to romanticize life, especially during the pandemic. And recently, the youth is breathing new life to their parents’ 2000s digicams—although this has been riddled with overpricing issues, the seemingly end-stage of every virtually hyped Gen Z fixation. While modes are vast, a smartphone shines in accessibility, as it’s usually something people have by default. 

“Photography is incredibly accessible nowadays and smartphones have definitely played a part in that,” says Camara. “Everyone is a photographer to a certain extent now and most of us have at least an intuitive understanding of light and composition that has come about pretty naturally from the rise of social media.”

They add that the standards for a “professional quality [photograph] has [also] risen.” 

However, photography being more accessible presents its own challenges, like how it's getting more difficult to stand out professionally and offer something unique, Camara explains.

In the past decade, camera and smartphone makers were in a "pixel war" as they wanted to equip their devices with the most megapixels. In 2024, there's another technological development to keep up with: artificial intelligence.

“Now in 2024 there is the debate on AI as both a means of image generation and image editing, while mobile photography has yet to figure out exactly what new technology the market is now looking for,” Nepomuceno says. “Customers are leaning towards nostalgic images, but at the same time are expecting a professional level quality in mobile cameras.”

He stresses, “There is no doubt that smartphone photography has made the craft way more inclusive and supportive, but what people are currently looking for in comparison to what they're expecting in terms of tech comes off as a challenge to the manufacturers: What is it that the consumer truly wants?”

What makes a great photograph? 

Despite the continuous evolution of the smartphone camera, aspiring photographers might still find themselves at a crossroads. Is it possible to be a “true” photographer with a device that feels both accessible and limited for the craft?

While it’s true that professional cameras offer an undeniably different output, it doesn’t mean that it’s impossible to cultivate skill with a smartphone.  

“Chase Jarvis once said that ‘the best camera is the one with you,’ and that couldn't be more true. I have a small memory back in high school, where I came across a vintage car show and kept wishing that my old Nokia would magically have a camera show up on it,” Nepomuceno recalled. “There was a time when taking pictures was not a convenience, and so the reliance was purely based on mental imagery. Today it is a double-edged sword—both our social batteries and brain memory require us to take photos to remember and be remembered, but at the same time we have this wonderful tool to document either the most beautiful encounters or things we must take note of.”  

He further shares that fleeting moments are his favorite thing to capture with a phone, as there are times when pulling out his professional camera would cause him “to lose the moment or even worse, interrupt it.” 

“What I love about having a camera in my pocket is that I get to practice the instinct to take a photo of something special—when the image means something to someone, then there's no right or wrong type of gear used in taking that image,” he says. 

If you feel unsure about developing creativity with the device, Camara recommends knowing “how to sequence and edit your images into a cohesive point-of-view.”  

“An image comes to life when it exists with other images. I think that’s an important skill that’s often overlooked. I’ve also recently been enjoying having a mobile version of Photoshop on my phone to play around with as well, so that’s a fun and convenient recommendation I have to keep me interested in mobile photography,” they add.  

Once you’ve warmed up and maximized that “trigger happy feeling” of capturing everything, Nepomuceno suggests a next stage: Practicing restraint. 

He says, “The best way to learn how to maximize the tools you are given is to first know what its limits are by pushing it to the edge, and then learning how to maximize those limits through the other strengths that you'll discover by taking breaths between shots.” 

Camara views limitations as a lair of unique ideas. “[They] can teach you a lot about the fundamentals. While having the necessary gear is important, understanding light and composition, developing a voice, and having great taste surpass any piece of expensive equipment.” 

Nepomuceno adds, “Blaming the tech is a convenient excuse to not challenge your creativity. Work with what you have.” 

Sky isn’t the limit—and that’s beautiful 

After all, the key to honing skills with a smartphone lies not in acting like the limits don’t exist. It’s more of acknowledging what they are, but not villainizing them. Instead of hindrances, they can be avenues to push the envelope, helping you identify how you can perform beyond what your device can do for you.  

“Going back to how the masters of photography started: Less is more and right now we have a whole lot of more,” Nepomuceno says.  

In my smartphone’s photo gallery, I have a blurry photo of friends laughing their hearts out mid-conversation, a close-up portrait of my dog Maximize side-eyeing me out of nowhere, and a landscape shot of the sky is an unusual color of pink—I wouldn’t have immortalized this with my DSLR, as it wouldn’t even fit through the window railings. How cool is it to utilize something that can blend in the moment?