Let’s stop debating what photography is real

It’s been a while since I’ve seen this debate and mostly because I don’t frequent forums where the topic comes up often, but all photography is real photography. It makes no difference what type of camera was used or whether it was on film or digital. Let’s face it, at one-time glass plates or a thin piece of metal were used as the media to record the image.

Current smartphones have cameras that are quite capable. It’s just a matter of learning how to control the features of the camera. The smartphone camera uses virtually the same technology as a dedicated digital camera.

I would venture to guess that most of us have a smartphone with a camera. I know there are times, as in many times, that my smartphone is the only device that I have to use to take a photograph. My iPhone X has a 12-megapixel sensor. I may not be able to make large prints from an image but it is quite capable.

I don’t intend to give up using my dedicated Nikon digital SLR cameras any time soon, but I do believe it is time to stop the debate about smartphone photography not being “real photography”. Learn to use all your gear, which includes your smartphone camera because sometimes it may be all you have to capture a marvelous scene.