The more I travel the more I see people taking photos with mobile devices (cell phones, tablet computers, etc.) Case in point while in Glacier National Park I spied a tourist photographing Logan Pass from a turnout on the Road to the Sun with an iPad 2. It’s very common to see people taking photos with their mobile phones, but the difference in this case is that the iPad 2 has a very weak camera by modern standards. The iPad 2 rear camera has a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels, which adds up to 0.92 megapixel. By comparison most mobile phones now have resolutions on the order of 3-5 megapixels. I’m not sure this photographer will be very happy with his images when he realizes this. Bummer too as he was from Europe and I’m sure it will be a while before he’s back in Glacier National Park.
Are you seeing an increase in this trend on your trips?
Tourist Photographs Mount Clements with an iPad 2 - Glacier National Park, Montana
[tags]photography, iPad 2, stock photo, Glacier National Park, Montana, tablet[/tags]
definitely, I’ve even seen someone using an iPad2 to shoot a show, he was accredited too.
On the other hand, some people just want the memory recorded, and if they can flick through their snaps on screen, that’s all they ask for, sometimes a photographers we think too hard about the tiny details, when really, it’s the memory that counts for some people.
Last week I was in Berlin and I saw plenty of people with cell phones taking pictures, but not tablets.
They are still people with cameras, but it’s the first time I’ve seen so many cell phones in the air trying to shoot
I was discussing this exact same thing with my friends just the other day. The pictures coming out of India regarding the recent events have people taking pictures using the iPad. The pictures are wrong on so many levels that it is not even funny. Honestly, I feel it is just that these people want to be seen that they own a “cool device”. I believe, like you rightly pointed, most tablet users will probably have a smart phone with a much better camera. Why whip out the tablet?
I’ve not seen anyone taking photos with an iPad (yet) but I’ve seen a huge increase in the number taking photos with their cell phones rather than compact cameras. My last trip was a cruise and there was hardly anyone with a DSLR – mainly cell phones and a few compacts.
I shoot professionally and I love to shoot with my cellphone! Just returned from the Canadian Rockies and some of my favorite images were taken with my iPhone.
But I also blur the line between art and photography and the iPads are fantastic devices for artists to take a photo and then begin to do their magic! Not all photography is for photography’s sake.
And don’t forget the fun factor! Camera phones and their amazing apps are too much fun and I use them when I’m at an airport or stuck waiting around. Creativity abounds in this area.
To quote a cliche… The best camera you have is the camera you have with you. In this fellows case that may have been his iPad2. We are witnessing the genesis of an entirely new class of photography. Personally I love the balance between depth of field, f stop, light, shadows etc which are impossible to control with devices like this. Check out http://ow.ly/6h7Yn for some pretty cool iphoneography things…
To be fair not everyone is on track to be a master photographer and mobile devices just make it easy to share a quick update. Still it was painful to see him fumbling with the iPad.
Agreed sometimes it is just about capturing a quick shot to share with a buddy. In this case he was lining up his compositions quite carefully so who knows.
Cell phone cameras are everywhere now. In fact I see more people taking photos cell phones than point and shoot cameras. I wonder how badly mobile devices are impacting the P&S market. It also makes me wonder when camera makers will partner with cell phone makers.
There certainly is the ‘cool’ aspect of it all. Folks like to show off their latest gadget. I’m also not sure people are aware of the resolution difference. In time the tablet cameras will catch up so we may see this becoming a rising trend.
Crazy how that has changed. For me I’ve seen that change in the last 18 months. The Android and iPhone cell phones have really hit a good level of saturation in the marketplace. Soon people won’t even think twice about having a camera they’ll just turn to their phone. As it is I unconsciously call my cell phone my camera when trying to get a quick photo of my son.
Agreed. Mobile devices are great for keeping your creative mind sharp. Anything that helps you see the world creatively is a great thing. Time will tell if people notice or even air their grievances about taking photos like this with an iPad2.
haven’t seen someone shooting with an iPad, but have seen one with a Samsung Galaxy Tab!…. I think its sometimes the basic ability of the device to take a picture that instigates people to test out its capabilities…. love for beauty had always been there… its these mobile devices that has given the power in people’s hands to capture that beauty in their own way..
haven’t seen someone shooting with an iPad, but have seen one with a Samsung Galaxy Tab!…. I think its sometimes the basic ability of the device to take a picture that instigates people to test out its capabilities…. love for beauty had always been there… its these mobile devices that has given the power in people’s hands to capture that beauty in their own way..
I saw someone using an ipad 2 to take photos on safari! Made me chuckle 🙂
I noticed this while in the cathedral in Prague. A group of tourists had someone take a group picture of them from a few feet back using an iPad. This group looked rediculous, and the picture I’m sure was not as exciting as they hoped.
I noticed this while in the cathedral in Prague. A group of tourists had someone take a group picture of them from a few feet back using an iPad. This group looked rediculous, and the picture I’m sure was not as exciting as they hoped.
he could have been on a skype call, and showing the scenes around him. I did that on a trip to sydney. I wonder if people thought i was being lame and taking pics with my tab
Hi Jim, I was a professional photographer for almost 30 years…and let’s get my definition of “professional” photographer out there. I attended and graduated from an accredited photography school, and made enough money to not have to have a second job to make a decent earning. I know that is not everyone’s idea, but my lawyer, mechanic, accountant and doctor are all professionals, and have the credentials and income to justify the label. No to try and dissuade those eager to capture lifes’ amazing moments with a camera, phone or pinhole device et al…just a reality check is sometimes needed;
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1014&message=37418050&changemode=1
Regarding the issue of “everyone” being a photographer (loved the cartoon BTW!) since film has gone the way of the Dodo, it is effortless to create acceptable, and occasional brilliant images. Having said that, most are on peoples’ FB/Google+/Picassa pages, or never make it off their camera cards. I guarantee 10 years ago, when the professional world was transitioning from wet to digital, most of today’s “professionals” could not afford the digital cameras we were using, and had no Idea what push or pull processing was, and a front or back clip, was thought to be a hairdressing term.
For anyone wishing to delve into the dog-eat-dog world of professional photography, don’t give up your day job, and accept the label of “amateur” or “advanced amateur” …or my favourite..”freelance” I do not wish to dissuade those wishing to create marketable images for a living, just do your homework and set realistic goals. Learn how much stock agencies really pay per image, how many other photographers will be trying to get that advertising gig , and the different genres of photography pay enough to make a decent living…and remember, yes professional staff of every major and minor news outlet and wire service has shrunk substantially because of cellphone cameras, and all those seeking a quick buck and 15 minutes of fame. I worked for a German magazine during the 1988 winter Olympics, and even back then, the editors were accepting on the spot slides for possible submission…we looked at 3,500 in 2 weeks, and used 2 slides. They got a small amount for them.
Most discover, that once they understand the tedious task of filling in..correctly..Exif information on every image, obtaining the usage or “model” rights from every person in the picture, realize that 12-16 hour days are the norm, and exhaustion and your tax accountant are your nemesis, are committed to upgrading your gear every 6 months, understand that you do need 5 extra flash units and assistants are grumpy and expensive, and to make any kind of real money, you will have to travel…lots..and know what a carnet is, and get used to sleeping with all your gear..with one eye open..in airports and other undesirable places. And that is the easy stuff, I won’t even get into clients, trying to get owed fees from them..on time.
And finally, forget “oh I can fix it in Photoshop” …no you can’t, and yes, paying clients can tell ;~)
I do not discount your title as a professional photographer, but the simple fact is that the rest of the world is beginning to define “professional” (and honestly, “photography”) very differently. True professionals are a dying breed, but to the average citizen, that doesn’t matter. As automated systems get better, smaller, and cheaper, there is a weakening desire to learn the finer points of photography. I know that my iPad 2 with less than 1 megapixel is a pretty shoddy camera, but what about the 5mp rear cam on the 3rd gen iPad? Or the 8mp bit of wonderment on my iPhone 4S? I have seen photos with both of these devices that rival the ones I see in National Geographic! I agree with you that technology is not a pound-for-pound substitute for proper education, but the bottom line is your average customer thinks he’s just as well off taking the pictures himself with his Droid Bionic. Sorry to break it to ya 🙁
LOL! Chris….You didn’t get my point…if there really was a point. You are not breaking any news to me. I am the farthest from a digital Luddite as you will find on this planet. I also take sh*tloads of images with my crappy crackberry 5 mp when I forget my camera heading out to walk the dog, or head to the beer store etc. If I did have a point, I think it was that a person wanting to make a decent living as a photographer, will need to use the same tools as the rest of the pool..and yes, most professionals have a couple of point-and-shoot backups, and a cell phone camera as a last resort…however, not the first tool they reach for. Like I said, if you are never planning to print large format or museum grade images, or shoot sports etc, and just plan to post online, why invest in something that is big, bulky and very expensive? I digress, I suppose I was just trying to explain the reality of choices, to those who would aspire to make money from a dying trade. I was fortunate and stubborn. Two assets in that world. The third, and most important, is a comprehensive portfolio. Wedding photography is almost dead, company groups-shots are taken by the person in accounts receivable. More and more “contributor” shots are fleshing out news stories, and it’s saving ENG’s millions in staff wages and equipment. Newsprint is disappearing rapidly, and where a lead story was once (10 years ago) covered by a reporter and photographer, and Betacam operator, the reporter does all three. Yes Chris, I get it, embrace it, and use to teach it. When I informed my peers in 1996 that wet film would soon be dead, and digital would replace it entirely, I was laughed at quite heartily…and to those old friends, no…this is not a neener neener neener moment ;~)
Well Jim, considering the images people used to nervously wait for at the one hour photomarts, hoping a few would turn out in focus, without a thumb in the picture, and hoping they loaded the film correctly, this is a wonderful time for happy snappers to remember, or quickly delete, life’s’ moments :~)
…and I am not quite sure why a person would carry around a tablet as a primary image capturing device. I would guess a tablet owner would have a compatible camera phone with NEF or Bluetooth transfer modes? iPhone/iPad , Blackberry Playbook/crackberry..etc. …having said that, it might be fun to pretend you were Ansel Adams and were looking at the ground glass..only right side up…and you don’t have to deal with the 15lb camera and tripod ;~)
A very useful articles, cause i have been learn about photography blog and recently i am using digital camera but i also used ipad before. The best camera you have is the camera you have with you.
v nice