Your smartphone's camera is a fantastic tool for exercising your creative muscles and sharpening your photographic vision. Having all of the technical decisions made for you frees you to focus on the image which, after all, is what really counts. It also removes a lot of the creative pressure of doing 'serious photography', which ironically makes you more creative. I know I’m more instinctive and spontaneous when I'm shooting with my iPhone. For those pixel peepers obsessed with image quality, I agree we haven't reached DSLR quality in our smartphone cameras…yet. But let me ask you: How many ‘Shot on iPhone’ billboards have you driven past recently? Those 20 X 50 foot images really were shot with a phone camera. Just how much 'quality' do you need? I think the key to making great images with your phone camera is taking an intentional approach when you shoot. In other words, be serious but don't take it so seriously.

Below are examples of images I've made with my various phone cameras. I happen to be an iPhone user but Apple doesn't have a monopoly on great smartphone cameras. I have to say, though, the ever increasing quality and features of each new generation (Portrait mode, Night mode, etc.) has me hooked on acquiring the latest model as soon as it is available. Well, that's my excuse, anyways ;-)!