Saturday, February 20, 2021

Why mobile phone photography is great for professional photographers

You probably read the title of this blog post and thought "Is Jeff implying that mobile phone cameras are good cameras for professionals to use?" But that is not what I am talking about here. Even though cell phone cameras have gotten very good, and some may argue that the image quality has gotten good enough for most people, they are not the right tools for us professional photographers. I have heard a lot of people question whether or not these cameras are bad for us professionals, since people are taking all their own photos. But I believe that all the images captured from those pocket devices is actually helping us professionals. And here is why:

Photography has become more important to people

It wasn't that long ago that the vast majority of people walked around without a camera in their possession. And just in the last 10 years all of that has changed dramatically. Now, in most westernized civilizations, almost everyone over the age of 10 years old seems to have a camera with them 24/7. We are now taking more photos in a single day than the first 100 years of photography combined! Those images (and videos) are being posted and shared on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and countless other social media sites. This means that people are thinking visually more than ever before. Photos are now even more important to the way we communicate.

Quantity does not mean quality - but they DO want quality

I believe that, even though there are millions of photos being taken every day, the average person has had their photo quality expectations lowered. For those of us capturing photos with high quality cameras and lenses, we know that mobile phone images can't compare to the "real cameras" we use on a daily basis. The low light images are grainy and the small lenses just can't deliver image quality of dedicated cameras and good glass. For this reason, people have gotten used to seeing their portraits in selfie mode, with narrow depth of field, and taken with wide angle lenses which are not very flattering. 

I say all of this because I photograph a lot of teenagers and young adults, and am always intrigued when they see their portraits on the back of my camera. They are totally surprised to see how good they look, with narrow depth of field and lenses that flatter people. Sure, it is not all about the optics, it is also the skills of the photographer knowing the best settings, light and locations. But I truly believe that the "low bar" set by everyday mobile photography is helping us professionals shine in comparison.




Mobile phones lenses are not flattering

As I just mentioned,  most cell phone cameras are wide angle which does not flatter most people. When I take portraits, I usually opt for a good zoom lens, like the Canon 70-200mm 2.8 lens which really compliments my subject. I zoom in tight to accentuate the depth of field, keeping my subject in perfect focus while blurring everything else. And when photographing at long focal lengths, this helps slim people which is always a good thing. Since people are so used to seeing themselves through the wide lens of a cell phone camera, they appreciate our more flattering lenses.

No depth of field

Sure, most of the new mobile phones offer some sort of "portrait mode" which simulates narrow depth of field, but even with this feature, the image quality still does not compare to the real thing. And the rest of the time, people are photographing with cameras that default to keeping everything in focus. This is great when photographing landscapes, but not so great for photographing people and events. I can't tell you how many times I have shown people their portraits on the back of my camera and had them amazed at the selective focus (which really draws the viewer to the subject).

Flat lighting

Just about anyone who takes photos with their mobile phone is doing so using ambient light or the tiny little flash on the back of their handset. This is very limiting and makes it hard to control lighting like us professionals do with one or more large flash units. So, once again, the general public is used to flatly lit images, with no dramatic lighting!

 

Low light = low quality

Whenever there is a cool event with the moon, I see countless phone shots on social media, and all I see are grainy photos of a white dot in the sky. Sure, they tell a story, but it makes the images that us professionals are taking with long lenses and tripods stand out that much more. 

Everyday user vs trained professional

Ansel Adams used to say that the most important feature of the camera is what is 12 inches behind it. That would be the person taking the photo. Most people who take photos with their phones are not photographers and therefore do not know how to make a great photo, regardless of the equipment used. This means that they are creating images for keepsake (which is great), but probably not the quality that us professionals desire to deliver to our clients. They may not be able to take great photos, but they will likely appreciate the difference when they see professional images.

All of this is not to say that the camera in your phone is a bad thing. Not at all! There is the common saying that "the best camera is the one that is with you" and, like most of you, I love having a camera in my pocket all the time. Just yesterday afternoon I was capturing photos and videos on the ice rink as we played hockey. I chose to to use my iPhone 12 instead of taking my DSLR on the ice. 

I am curious to hear what you all think of this assertion, and I welcome your opinions on this subject. Feel free to comment here on the blog or on social media.


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If you are interested in purchasing ANY equipment, please click here to go to B&H Photo, as I get a referral from them if you enter this way. It does not change the cost to you in any way, but it helps me keep this blog up and running.
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Check out my upcoming photo tours to amazing places around the world. I have photo tours to Africa, Costa Rica, Cuba, Europe, Asia, India and more. And Canon will loan you any gear you want for FREE for any of my tours. 

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Thursday, February 4, 2021

The Summer Olympics in Tokyo - The rumors, the truth and the challenges

A couple of weeks ago there were a lot of news reports that the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo (yes - it is still called the 2020 Olympics even though they are slated to happen in July of this year), were going to be cancelled. I received a lot of phone calls, emails, and text messages asking for my take on this. It was really strange for me, because at the same time that all of you were seeing the news about a potential cancellation of the Olympic games, I was getting emails from the Tokyo Organizing Committee (TOCOG) about upcoming logistics. 

I told everyone that I thought the Olympics would go on for the following reasons:

* The athletes have trained for many years for this event and it means so much to them.

* With all the new vaccines coming out, hopefully they can have a safe Olympics with minimal impact.

* Even if there are limited people in the stands, the television revenues are far too big to be lost. 

Then, last week, there was news coming from Japan that the Games would be going on as planned. And since then, there has been an onslaught of communication from the IOC, TOCOG and the US Olympics and Paralympic Committee. 

I know that a lot of you follow the blog to see my Olympic images and to read the back stories, and I am happy to say that everything looks good for this summer and next winter. It is weird to sit here and write this blog knowing that in 6 months I will be photographing the Summer Olympics AND at this exact same time next year I will be photographing the Winter Olympics in Beijing. Since the planning for these events are so far out, I am dealing with overlapping processes for both Games at one time. Like so many other things in the last 12 months, this is unprecedented.

Just today I received the first "Playbook for Press" for the Tokyo Olympics. 

This playbook lays out the safety guidelines for the press, from beginning to end. They set forth the protocol for pre-travel to the Games, how things will be handled when on the Olympic grounds, and even protocol for exiting the country. 

The bad news

Photographing the Olympics in normal times is always a challenge and exhausting. From what I am reading, there are going to be a lot more challenges at this Olympics. Here are some of those:

* Traveling from venue to venue will be more restricted, with TOCOG recommending that we use press buses only, and not using any public transportation.

* I may have to make reservations to be in certain venues at set times due to the limited number of press per event.

* It sounds like we will all be COVID tested at regular intervals.

* They stated that the press center and other public facilities will be running at only 50% capacity to allow for social distancing. 

* We need to stay at least 6 feet from all the athletes, which will be challenging during the post game interviews. 

* All attendees (including press) will be asked not to cheer, sing or chant, replaced by simply clapping.

* And of course, it will be the first time I will have to shoot wearing a face mask (or two). 

The good news

It looks like the Olympics will actually happen, which is awesome for the athletes and the viewing public. And...since all of you like to follow along with me on this adventure, I am sure to have some crazy and interesting stories leading up to these Olympics, while at the Games and beyond. Stay tuned!



__________________________________________________________________________
Subscribe to the Jeff Cable Photography Blog by clicking HERE!
__________________________________________________________________________
If you are interested in purchasing ANY equipment, please click here to go to B&H Photo, as I get a referral from them if you enter this way. It does not change the cost to you in any way, but it helps me keep this blog up and running.
__________________________________________________________________________
Check out my upcoming photo tours to amazing places around the world. I have photo tours to Africa, Costa Rica, Cuba, Europe, Asia, India and more. And Canon will loan you any gear you want for FREE for any of my tours. 

__________________________________________________________________________ 

Tuesday, February 2, 2021

NEW VIDEO TUTORIAL - Fish eye lenses are fun to use!

The other day I posted this fish eye shot from an "at home" Bat Mitzvah and had a great response to that photo. It was taken with the Canon R6 and the Canon 8-15mm fish eye lens in the client's kitchen.

It reminded me that many months ago I shot a video tutorial on how and why I use fish eye lenses in my photography business. I shot the video, but had not published it on my YouTube channel yet. Well...it is published now and you can see it by clicking HERE.

There are photographers who are not big fans of using this wide angle lens, but I find them really fun and creative. What do you think? Leave a comment and let me know.


__________________________________________________________________________
Subscribe to the Jeff Cable Photography Blog by clicking HERE!
__________________________________________________________________________
If you are interested in purchasing ANY equipment, please click here to go to B&H Photo, as I get a referral from them if you enter this way. It does not change the cost to you in any way, but it helps me keep this blog up and running.
__________________________________________________________________________
Check out my upcoming photo tours to amazing places around the world. I have photo tours to Africa, Costa Rica, Cuba, Europe, Asia, India and more. And Canon will loan you any gear you want for FREE for any of my tours. 

__________________________________________________________________________