Once Upon A Time
There was a time when professional photographers were admired for not only their craft but their ability to actually make a living in a difficult and competitive field. It took me years to appreciate this status. On meeting people there would be a momentary shock at my occupation especially after getting past that I didn’t have a studio or shoot weddings or family portraits.
One comment and one question eventually came out. First was always “what kind of camera do you use?” Perhaps if Shakespeare had a better quill… The comment often heard on delivery of photos to a client was “those shots really turned out” -as if by some unexpected magic?
No one says these things anymore. Most viewers see little difference between a phone picture and one from a professional camera as they scroll on a small screen. Terrible lighting conditions (industrial interiors, fluorescent and mixed lighting) once requiring multiple filters and elaborate lighting now yield stellar results on a phone. Computational Photography (the instant digital processing of images to manipulate characteristics such as depth of field, dynamic range, enhanced color, B&W conversion, lighting, etc.) outputs portraits rivaling Hollywood’s Classic 8x10 glossies as well as other images once requiring hours of darkroom craft or a skilled Photoshop Master to produce.
And I love it, using these tricks as do many others. But the romance of being a photographer is gone. The difficulty of making a living (even pre-COVID) has become a near impossibility. I reflect without melancholy and with an embrace of progress. Would we want to go back to sending the family a postcard when we safely arrived in Europe?
I still strive to produce visually stunning large display prints using best methods available. But sometimes I unintentionally cut corners and get away with it. On a trip to the Grand Canyon the transport van stopped at an arid rest stop. A funny scene caught my eye and I had to decide whether to walk back to the van for an actual camera or just do an iPhone snap? Later I regretted not using a real camera. But laziness was a benefit as this shot was selected for a recent BLACK&WHITE MAGAZINE Phone Contest Winner.
Transport of Airstream RV’s at rest stop in Cordes Lakes, AZ. Shot with iPhone X and included in BLACK&WHITE MAGAZINE Phone Contest Winners 2021.
On a flight over the Himalayas we had the clearest Mt. Everest view the crew had ever seen. With mid-day light, the bane of photography, I only did a record phone click. Later a friend used it to make a 11x10 foot wall print which meant the original image had to be cropped. It really turned out.
11x10 foot wall paper print display of Mt. Everest shot on iPhone 11 Pro.
If a phone is all you need, how can you best be using it? Years ago, when a 16mm film crew was sent out to cover afternoon breaking news the TV station could only tease you at 6PM with more information coming later by saying “film at 11.”