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Mobile photography is the art of photography using a smartphone or mobile device.

Defined using the philosophy of 'the best camera is the one that's always with you', mobile photography is the future of the art form. Discreet, intimate and always accessible to capture a moment.

Mobile photography is so influential now that camera manufacturers are bringing phones to cameras rather than cameras to phones. 

“Photography is the story I fail to put into words.”

– Destin Sparks

“When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.”
– Ansel Adams

“In photography there is a reality so subtle that it becomes more real than reality.”

– Alfred Stieglitz

As a term, mobile photography is wide category in need of some specific definitions.

So, what are the characteristics of mobile photography? 

- it is inherently mobile i.e. there is no studio or staged shots

- it is photography made exclusively by a smartphone or mobile device 

- it is non exclusive in its choice of subject matter

- camera apps dominate the mobile photography experience

- fast editing on the fly is commonplace, no deliberation here

- editing apps, usually used together, combine to produce and showcase 'keepers'

- genres can cover: documentary, portraiture, street, citizen journalism, fashion and reportage

- images tend to be instantly shared to a variety of social networks after editing

- or images are shared in specialist photo sharing platforms like Instagram or TaDaa

- mobile photography makes photographic projects and essays easier to produce

- mobile art convergence i.e. when does a photo cease being a photo but a new image in of itself?

- images can be captioned, framed and storyifd

- it encourages a democratic and amateur enthusiasm (which pissed of pros!)

- it has a strong and growing global footprint of users, experts and evangelists 

- micro genres are formed frequently e.g #nofilter

“A thing that you see in my pictures is that I was not 

afraid to fall in love with these people.”

– Annie Leibovitz

“If your pictures aren’t good enough, you’re not

 close enough.”

– Robert Capa

Perhaps mobile photography is now so intertwined with the social aspects of shooting, editing and publishing photos that it should be called social mobile photography perhaps? But would that mean every photo you take you need to share? This would be a bad idea.

“The picture that you took with your camera is the imagination 

you want to create with reality.”

– Scott Lorenzo

“In the world of photography, you get to share a 

captured moment with other people.”

– James Wilson

You could also argue the word mobile will soon be dropped as mobile devices become the new normal and there is no distinguishing between the two modes of travel.

Whatever definition you use make sure you keep taking and sharing photos!

“Actually, I’m not all that interested in the subject of photography. Once the picture is in the box, I’m not all that interested in what happens next. Hunters, after all, aren’t cooks.”
– Henri Cartier-Bresson

“Photograph: a picture painted by the sun without instruction in art.”
– Ambrose Bierce

Posted By: YBFPresKunzPas