as much as my analogue ego hates to admit it, often the camera taking my most favorite images on trips is the smartphone…
it’s always there.
ready.
waiting.
capable.
flexible.
pocketable.
at times i’ve questioned why i even carry another camera if i have my phone.
it does everything.
wide – tele.
video.
photo.
slowmo.
timelapse.
selfies.
it’s thin and light and fits in most pockets.
it’s unobtrusive and literally the whole world is accustomed to them snapping away everywhere.
it’s always charged up and most people carry a charger on them, plus outlets are never far away.
photos can be edited instantly.
edits can be published instantly.
prints can be ordered instantly.
there’s no photo/video limit if you have enough storage.
and the quality is undeniable for most casual-hobby-enthusiast travel use cases.
am i talking myself out of an actual digital travel camera here?
what is the smartphone camera not great for?
-professional work (duh)
-amateur wildlife, portrait, action, etc.
-quality telephoto perspectives
-long exposures
-exposure latitude in tricky lighting situations
but there’s another reason the phone takes more of my favorite images than my film cameras or digi cameras….
i take personal photos with it.
and i really should be taking more casual personal photos with film too but it’s hard when it comes with an added cost.
often my favorite photos from a trip aren’t the stunning landscapes or cityscapes of the beautiful scenery.
they are the coffee/snack in front of a beautiful scene at sunrise. the dinner/drinks i shared with friends. that kebab at midnight. a type of ice cream i couldn’t get enough of and stopped at the small grocery stores on every corner each day to have one.
ok, yes, i love food.
but also, apartments we stayed in, musuems we passed through, shops we tasted a variety of olive oils in, bars we randomly wandered into that we definitely didn’t belong in…
small moments enjoyed.
random scenes that include life lived or living.
things i don’t always capture on an actual camera because it’s either not on me, not convenient or quick enough, or seemingly overkill for the moment…
being a photographer traveling, it’s easy to focus on the desirable shots. the classic frames.
but the messy ones are my favorites. the real memories.
instead of the castle at sunrise…my coffee and snack in front of the castle at sunrise.
all the joys in one frame.
not magazine material but mine.
yes, those coffees are both for me 🙂
haha i’m realizing it’s mostly food for me because i don’t publish photos of friends/family.
but hopefully the idea is coming across what i’m trying to say.
this photo might not mean anything to you but to me it means something because of a conversation i had on this trip.
so why do i bring cameras with me to travel again?