Can you shoot an event with just a phone?

"Corkscrew'd" (corkscrewd)
11/12/2019 at 16:47 • Filed to: PHOTOGRAPHY, AUTOMOTIVE PHOTOGRAPHY, AMERICAN CARS, BLOG, BLOGGING, CALIFORNIA, CAR SHOW, CARS, CLASSIC CARS, DANVILLE, DSLR, EUROPEAN CARS, EXOTIC CARS, GALLERY, LESSONS, OPINION, RACE CARS, SMARTPHONE, SPORTS CARS, VINTAGE CARS

Originally posted on Corkscrewd.blog

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Recently, I’ve been asked a question that’s been bugging me for days. I was having coffee with a friend one morning when he started asking questions about photography. Among the questions he asked, the one he stood out the most was “Can a professional photographer get away with using a smartphone?” Could I as a professional photographer, shoot an event with just a phone?

I’m a believer in expertise. !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . It’s not about how good the camera and lenses are, but how good the eyes behind the viewfinder are.

But, could I shoot an event with just a phone? I decided to give it a try!

Caught without a camera

One late summer evening, my friend let me know that there was a small classic car show happening nearby. This was a few days after our conversation, and just after a major event. My camera was basically out of commission as none of the batteries were charged and I still needed to offload photos. Then I thought, “Wait, this could be a chance to test what my phone can do!” This was a chance to test my hypothesis. I grabbed my phone and ran out of the door.

My phone of choice is the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Back in 2017, !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! in a field that included the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . I decided to get the V30 because of the camera and its ability to shoot in !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . I was always curious if I could get away with using just my phone, so I was excited to finally put the phone to the test of capturing a local car show, in less than ideal lighting conditions.

Leveraging the phone’s ability to shoot in both RAW and JPG, as well as the ability to modify the viewscreen to show professional-style tools ( !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , etc.), I got to work. I utilized all of my regular techniques; like dropping close to the floor for close up shots, pulling in really close for !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , and then using the view grid for shot composition. I used my phone as if it was a DSLR camera to make sure I can accurately compare the photo quality to using a DSLR rig.

The results were pretty surprising:

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Is the best camera the one you always have with you?

After processing the photos and making my regular tweaks in Lightroom, the quality of the photos was very surprising! While some images weren’t quite as sharp as I wanted, the majority of my photos were almost indistinguishable from photos shot with a professional photography rig. I think my phone performed better under certain conditions than my camera! So, you can professionally shoot an event with your phone.

This, however, begs the question: should I rely more on my phone camera than my rig? I think the answer is both yes and no. While your phone is an extremely powerful tool that not only allows you to take photos, edit them, and upload them to a microblogging platform, it shouldn’t outright replace your camera and lenses, because a phone camera is more limited in its capabilities. I can’t take my phone behind the fences at Laguna Seca and expect the photos to look the same, can I?

I think the best approach is to use both your camera and your phone in tandem. I’ve often used my phone to shoot photos for my !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and used the photos from my camera for my blog. The most recent example of this was when I went to !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ; where the photos from driving on the track were from my phone whereas the gallery photos were from the camera.

In conclusion

In the end, I think the question of shooting events with your smartphone boils down to your skill. There is nothing wrong in my opinion with using your phone as a professional camera for Instagram or blogging. There are set limitations for what a phone camera could do. This is where a dedicated camera will outperform a phone camera.

Until someone makes a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , I’ll continue using both my phone and my camera. Though, It’s nice to know that I can sometimes leave my camera at home!

DISCUSSION (14)

ClassicDatsunDebate > Corkscrew'd
11/12/2019 at 17:18

Your framing is great! Ive been told that the art of photography is composition, which I struggle with. Perhaps you were overcompensating for the camera by cranking the saturation or is that an Instagram filter ?

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Corkscrew'd
11/12/2019 at 17:36

The photographer has always been more important than the camera.

Corkscrew'd > ClassicDatsunDebate
11/12/2019 at 17:37

Nope, that’s the usual Lightroom process I use. I love the really saturated colors and deep shadows since it really brings out the reflective qualities of the paint and chrome. Since it’s the same process I use for my photos shot with my DSLR, I wanted to compare the look of both.

Thanks for the kind words! The viewfinder on the LG V30 camera app is made really well!

Corkscrew'd > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
11/12/2019 at 17:40

Tell that to the client that ripped off $100 from me.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Corkscrew'd
11/12/2019 at 17:42

Lame...

Corkscrew'd > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
11/12/2019 at 17:58

...and that’s why I’m keeping his stuff lol.

Play stupid games, and you win stupid prizes !

Kinja'd!!!

Chariotoflove > Corkscrew'd
11/12/2019 at 18:04

I was trying to figure out whether the camera was going to influence my choice of buying an iPhone XR vs. XS. I read articles by journalists testing out these cameras and came away with the conviction that phone cameras have advanced to the point where they really can be used for professional work. That doesn’t mean they can still cover all circumstances though.

Corkscrew'd > Chariotoflove
11/12/2019 at 18:09

Yes, these cameras have come a long way. That’s why I’m seriously reconsidering my career choice as a Freelance Photographer. Pretty much anyone with an iPhone thinks they could do better now lol.

Still can’t take it behind the fences at race tracks, but who knows if that might be the case in 5 years?

Chariotoflove > Corkscrew'd
11/12/2019 at 18:25

Anyone may think that, but people who make their money with pictures will still buy your services.

MiniGTI - now with XJ6 > Corkscrew'd
11/12/2019 at 19:10

Phone cameras a great nowadays but I find the rather wide angle lenses don’t really look right in many situations. No substitute for a real prime and or telephoto glass.

daender > Corkscrew'd
11/12/2019 at 19:27

Kinja'd!!!

I took this with an old Samsung that was dropped into a stream earlier this year. The hardest part was learning how to do tracking shots!

Corkscrew'd > Chariotoflove
11/12/2019 at 20:15

Ah, Yes. I haven’t quite figured out that part lol.

Corkscrew'd > daender
11/12/2019 at 20:18

That’s pretty legit! That’s a great way to get some practice too. I’d love to see you try with a framerate of 1/160 and below. I’m terribly interested in seeing how that might turn out!

Maybe we could do a follow up with “Can you do sports photography with a smartphone?” and use some of your photos?

Corkscrew'd > MiniGTI - now with XJ6
11/12/2019 at 20:20

I agree. Though, I often use both at events since it gives me a little more flexibility for certain shots.

I’l pretty much have one lens for action shots and then use my phone for wide-angle shots and microblogging (Inst agram ). I need to get a newer camera with wifi sharing since that would allow me to edit and then share photos from the camera.