Is the cell phone camera “good enough”?

Yep. For the vast majority of folks, it sure is. I think we have finally arrived at “good enough” for 80% of the picture snappers out there.

Why? Well, most people just post to the web or show their friends their snaps, pics, and selfies directly from the tiny screen of their mobile phone. Huge image files not required. Even some photographic artists are plenty happy with the combination of flexibility and image quality they get–and they sometimes even print large! I’d guess that the days of the low-end point-and-shoot are numbered. (“Ain’t room ‘nuf in this here town fer the two of us, stranger.”)

We just upgraded our iPhones, skipping something like four generations, so we now have eight megapixels available as well as much better image quality–this, compared with the supposedly antiquated five megapixel beasts we had. (Note to self: Need to do a blog entry on consumerism and planned obsolescence.)

This iPhone 6 (which is going to have to last a long while) will likely be my go-to machine for intimate and candid street photography. Here, I am thinking of my Barcelona subway project specifically…I can appear to be texting or surfing and capture moments that would be impossible to get with a normal camera raised to the all-seeing eyeball. If you have big hands and pockets to hold and carry it–and a purse wadded with extra Franklins–consider the iPhone 6 Plus since it has a bigger screen and comes with the very helpful image stabilization feature.

Also, I always have my phone with me when I am cycling, so no more missed images along the road and trails! I feel like I can actually get a reasonable print size out of the deal, too. An example from yesterday’s ride, sized to print at 18×12, after a few fun tweaks in Photoshop and the Google-Nik suite:

Vote, Cement Plant. Boulder, Colorado, 2014

And you gotta love the pano capability! Here was the first fun demo image off of my phone (Courtesy of photographer, climber, entrepreneur, and Apple guru: Wes Cables):

Apple Store Panorama. Boulder, Colorado, 2014 (Photo by: Wes Cables)

And another from yesterday’s bike ride as the cold, cold, cold front sent its advance guard of lenticular clouds into Colorado:

Front Range Panorama. Boulder County, Colorado, 2014

The simplicity of these devices makes photography simple and fun. All one has to do, of course, is work on developing the creative vision–which is always the hardest part.