The "quality" of a premium, self-portrait photo
While some lead you to believe that smartphone photos have little no value…
…there is gold in those smartphone shutter clicks :)
I recently gave a presentation to a group of speakers and the topic of self-portraits came up.
As I was chatting about the value of well-composed and high-quality smartphone photos, an attendee raised her hand.
She mentioned how she takes DSLR photos only and that the quality of smartphone camera phones couldn’t compare.
After she finished sharing her opinion, I asked her what she meant by “quality.”
As I explained, if she’s strictly speaking about the technical prowess of a dedicated still camera versus a jack-of-all-trades smartphone with a camera included, then yes, the quality of the photos is apples to oranges (assuming you know how to maximize the power of a DSLR camera, that is).
But…
The “quality” of an image doesn’t begin and end with technical superiority.
It also relates to the “quality” of the emotional sentiment of the image, as well.
You see, there are moments in your life that occur every single day that would serve as a wonderful share with your audience. And, you don’t have a professional photographer around to capture it - or have your own DSLR handy to set up and shoot it.
As a result, you work with what’cha got...and for all of us, that means taking out our phone and getting to work.
If you are educated on how to create a high-quality, smartphone self-portrait, the “quality” of the image lies in how you’ve leveraged lighting, composition and framing to draw all of the attention of the photo to your facial expression and body language.
Regardless if it was photographed with a $6700 camera or a smartphone, the emotional sentiment created by the image will resonate with your audience.
And that’s the point of every photo you share online.
A camera is a tool, nothing more than that. Doesn’t matter what make, model, or lens type you’re using to shoot; it’s the intention, purpose and precision of the photographer that makes the picture come alive.
Think about it: I could hand you my camera that has all the power you would ever need to capture a beautiful photo. But, if you don’t even know how to turn it on, much less leverage all of the technical considerations to create a high-quality photo, what’s the point of using it?
That’s right - there is no point!
As a result, when talking about photo “quality,” it’s not just about the pixels, color values, and resolution - we’re also talking about the emotional value, too.
Keep that in mind next time you feel the itch to capture a random photo within your day-to-day routine.
The juice is worth the squeeze.
And if you’re uncertain how to leverage composition and lighting with your phone, I can help you with that!
I have an online course that will teach you all the basics you need to know in less than an hour.
It’s called: