by NYIP Student Advisor Chris Corradino
Whether you use a smart device like an iPhone or an Android, or a
more compact cell phone, chances are that you have a camera in your
pocket right now. Not very long ago, the optical quality of these
cameras was very poor, especially in low light situations. Yet today,
thanks to continued technological developments, a growing number of
users are beginning to realize the power of the latest cell phone
cameras. In fact, the International Telecommunications Union estimates
that "4.6 billion mobile phones are in use at the moment." If this is
any indication of what the future holds, cell phone cameras may very
well replace smaller point-and-shoot cameras altogether.
Rather than carrying a phone, a camera, and an MP3 player, many
consumers look for one electronic device that does it all. Some shoppers
simply search for "best camera phone" and make their purchase solely on
the quality of the camera. Manufacturers are taking notice, and they're
adding more capable cameras to their phones. For example, the Nokia
PureView 808 features a staggering 41 megapixels of resolution along
with full HD 1080p video recording and audio recording at CD quality.
The affordable Sony Xperia has an 8.1 megapixel camera with autofocus,
16x digital zoom, LED flash, and a maximum aperture of f/2.65.
One of the best parts about camera phones is the ability to share the
image with others right away. You can post your photos to a variety of
social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, and more. You can even
post videos to YouTube directly from your phone. This type of content
sharing has become incredibly popular. Facebook alone receives more than
2 billion photo uploads each month! On Twitter, many photographers
share their "Twitpics" with their followers. These can range from "look
where I am" to beautiful fine art imagery. If another user appreciates
an image, it's often retweeted, and shared with even more people. It's
possible to upload a photo at 10:15, and have several hundred or more
views by 10:30.
Camera phones don't have the speed or advanced functionality of the
more full-featured DSLRs. Yet, the benefit of having a small, quiet
camera in your pocket at all times outweighs any of its technical
limitations. When a professional photographer arrives on the scene with
two DSLRs, telephoto lenses, and flash units, everyone immediately
notices. In certain situations, this can hinder the pro from doing his
or her job, as people are more guarded and aware of the cameras. With
small cell phones, however, a photographer can get the needed shot and
leave the scene virtually undetected. In addition, there are some places
where professional-looking cameras are absolutely prohibited.
Thankfully, camera phones are more discreet, and don't generally draw
attention to the user.
For iPhone and Droid users, there are an overwhelming number of
photo-related applications (just called "apps") to help edit, enhance,
and share pictures. In fact, Adobe Photoshop has an inexpensive app
called Photoshop Touch with many impressive features including the
ability to adjust curves. While in-phone editing can be convenient and
fun, some users prefer to edit the "old fashioned" way, on their
computers. Cell phone images are typically JPEGS, and can be downloaded
into a full version of Adobe Photoshop, or other editing software. This
opens up many possibilities like layer masking, unsharp mask, noise
reduction, and more. Here are two popular apps you'll want to look into
for serious cell phone photography.
Hipstamatic soon became a household name
infiltrating its way into the fabric of our society. Not a day went by
where our Facebook wall wasn't filled with photos that looked like they
were taken 50 years ago. Still, despite being overused at the peak of
its popularity, there was an authenticity to the images that ordinary
phone snaps were lacking. What some may have initially written off as a
fad appeared to have staying power. This shift was first evident after
New York Times
photographer Damon Winter used the app to document war in Afghanistan.
Winter is a Pulitzer Prize winning photographer whose work we've long
admired for its creativity and technical brilliance. Yet, when his photo
story "A Grunt's Life" was awarded third place in the Pictures of the
Year International contest, a flood of naysayers took to the Internet to
bash the ethics of his camera selection. In his thoughtful response,
Winter said, "I will always stand behind these photographs and am
confident in my decision that this was the right tool to tell this
particular story." In studying the series of twelve photos, it's
difficult to envision them any other way. The quiet, introspective
moments he captured coupled with vintage aesthetics make for a telling
look at life behind enemy lines.
The
Instagram app, acquired by Facebook in 2012
boasts over 40 million users, and that number is growing fast,
especially after adding support for Android devices. These two apps have
paved the way for a landslide of similar options, many of which are
free to download.
Other photo-editing apps you might want to investigate include
PhotoForge2, Camera+, and Filterstorm. And don't forget to download the
free app from The New York Institute of Photography. You can access
ongoing photography and business tips and videos. Tune in to informative
tweets and view photos from NYIP students and graduates.
Source: New York Institute of Photography
