iPhone photography- in the hands of an artist

The iPhone is a phone of firsts for me.  It’s the first phone that I’ve used to usefully surf the web, the first phone to watch movies with, and the first phone where I actually enjoy using the camera.

My iPhone is always on me, the picture quality is good, and you don’t have to click through a ton of menus to get to the camera function. Last week, I posted a few pictures that I had taken of some Spring flowers in Cincinnati. Greg Schmigel of Annapolis made a nice comment on them and asked me to check out his website, justwhatisee.com.

All I can say is wow!

Greg is a talented photographer, and the fact that he does it all with his iPhone is even more amazing.  The iPhone is a true camera bringing both strengths and weaknesses.  But like any tool in the hands of an artist, beautiful things can be made.

I’ve been interested in featuring unique websites like Greg’s and he was kind enough to answer a few questions that I had about his iPhone photography.  I’ve interspersed a selection of Greg’s photos with his answers.

All photos copyright Greg Schmigel.  Used with permission.

Website Feature: just what i see: iPhone photography

Q. What’s your background?  Are you a professional photographer?

I consider myself an amateur, and I like to keep it that way.  It gives me the desire to continually shoot better and more creative shots.   I’m self taught, in the traditional sense.  I finished college at the University of Maryland with a degree in Radio, Television and Film.

Q. What got you started taking iPhone photos?

I used to shoot with a Canon 40 D and a pocket-sized Leica D Lux-3, but since I purchased my iPhone, the big guys have been collecting a bit of dust.  As you can see from some of my photographs, I love to shoot street photography.  The iPhone, because of it’s size and discretion, gives me so many more opportunities to capture interesting moments that I might miss with a big rig.

Q. How many photos do you think you’ve taken with the iPhone?

I haven’t counted them all, and there are times when I scroll through old albums in iPhoto and I don’t even remember shooting the picture.  Honestly, I would say I have shot a few thousand, maybe 3,000.  I’m on my second iPhone…thank god for warranties!

Q. When you take pictures of people do they know what you’re doing?  Your candid photos of people are great!

Sometimes they do.  If I want to try and get a portrait-style shot, I will ask them.   They are usually so intrigued by the iPhone that they forget that I am actually snapping their image. 

But, most of the time, my shots are unannounced.  I love to capture the raw and candid imagery of people on the street.

Q. What’s your favorite thing to take pictures of?

If you visit my site, you will see that I am a city lover.  I can spend hours shooting just about anything you would find in the city.  People, signage, graffiti, found objects…just about anything except myself.

Q. Any hints for taking good iPhone pictures?

Always keep your iPhone camera feature on…always keep a wall charger in your pocket.  Just capture what you find interesting.  I’m not much for special lighting or special gear.  I just like to capture what I see, and share it with the world.

Q. How well do the pictures print out?

The iPhone is a 2MP camera, so you can actually get a nice 4X6 or 5X7 print out of it. 
That’s usually the first question gallery owners will ask.  “Well, how do you plan to present your images?”  They can look great in an oversized mattes.

Q. Any Pet Peeves about the iPhone camera?

The battery life.  Constant shooting on will last me a few hours, if I stay away from checking my e-mail.  Oh, and if I stay away from making calls.  Did I mention the iPhone makes phone calls, too? 

Q. What improvements would you like to see in future iPhone cameras?

Hopefully  Apple will move to more megapixels.  Maybe a 3, at the least.  But other than that, I am happy with it.  It’s kind of like shooting with an old plastic point and shoot.  The camera itself doesn’t have a ton of features.  The camera doesn’t “make” the shot…it leaves it up to the shooter to get more creative and find the shot.