Digital Photographer - UK (2019-08)

The camera and software on your

smartphone can create great effects

exPLORe YOUR

SMARTPHOne

The only camera you need is the one you have

with you – and often that’s your smartphone.

How many times have you spent ages setting

up and taking a shot with your expensive

digital camera, tripod and filters, then quickly

grabbed a snap with your smartphone to post

on social media and thought, “I don’t know

why I bother with all this kit, the phone does a

better job!”

It’s true. The cameras in the latest

smartphones like the Apple iPhone XS,

Samsung Galaxy S9, Huawei P20 Pro and

Google Pixel 3 are amazing. OK, the sensor

may be small compared to a ‘proper’ digital

camera, but image quality is stunning, their

ability to control contrast and exposure is

astounding and you could easily make prints

up to 16x20in and not realise the photographs

had been taken with a phone. When did you

last make a print bigger than that?

There’s also a plethora of apps you can

download to your smartphone specifically

for photography that enable you to create

beautiful fine art images. Some, like

Hipstamatic, do all the editing for you, so you

take a shot and seconds later it’s finished

and ready to use – you simply choose a lens

and film combination then start shooting.

Others, such as Snapseed, VSCO and Enlight

are designed to edit images that you have

already taken.

You can also get apps to create multiple

exposures like Photosplit and Superimpose

X, or use Lens Distortions to add light

and weather effects, Mextures for adding

textures, grain and light leaks, and you can

even get smartphone versions of Photoshop

and Lightroom.

If you’d rather stick to apps purely designed

for black and white photography, check out

Simply B&W, Dramatic B&W, Black & White

Dramatic Camera, Monokrom B&W Photo

Editor and others.

Some of these apps are free, others are not,

but when you consider the level of technology

you’re getting for 99p or £1.99, it’s staggering.

The great thing about phone photography

is that you always have your smartphone

with you, so you’ll never miss an opportunity.

They’re also quick and easy to use so you can

point and shoot. This is incredibly liberating

compared to carrying a heavy backpack of

gear around. You can basically forget about

the technical side of photography and focus

solely on creating artistic images, which can

only be a good thing.

Upper left

Vinales, Cuba

An instant old-

camera look

can be easily

obtained straight

from your phone

with the help of

clever apps

Upper middle

Old car

The film and lens

combos available

from apps such

as hipstamatic

let you create

images that

require no editing

Upper right

Torn posters

The resolution

of the latest

smartphones

means you can

easily make

large, exhibition-

quality prints

Below middle

On the street

Your phone is

ideal for street

photography

because no

one will take

it seriously –

except you

Below left

Quick art

various effects

can be rapidly

achieved with

different apps

and options –

there is no limit

to your creativity

Below right

Topless man

You can shoot

portraits on

your phone – a

quick and simple

way to capture

people while on

the move

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