Will cell phones conquer street photography?

The baseline of my style is street photography.

I’ve said it a few times, but I don’t believe cell phone cameras are anywhere near replacing pro-level cameras.

We’re nowhere near that point, despite the rapid advancement of cell-based image quality due to computational photography. Cell phones just can’t do the same things a pro camera can.

But maybe its time to consider what they can do.

This image was shot on my Pixel 3XL. I love this image. I’m even thinking of getting it printed.

Unlike most forms of photography, street isn’t necessarily advantaged by specific focal lengths. However, one thing using a cell phone affords you is anonymity.

Smart phones are ubiquitous. Walking around with a proper camera draws attention to you, but no one notices when you walk around taking pictures with your phone.

Furthermore, smart phone cameras have come a long way. The image resolution is great. You can print at larger sizes. The image above was taken with a 3 year old device. The only real downside is that they aren’t great with shooting in the dark.

Again, I don’t think any serious professional should be doing portrait or landscape work with an iPhone, but your tools should reflect your needs.

I’m planning on getting the iPhone 13 Pro Max this week and I can’t wait to try it out.