This trip was an experiment. For the first time ever while traveling, I left the dSLR at home and just took the iPhone. Lately, even when I bring the “big” camera along, I don’t use it. Or if I do use it, I don’t do anything with the photographs. I wanted to find out if I would miss having the “big” camera with me on a longer trip.
The verdict? Nope, I didn’t miss it. I didn’t miss carrying around the weight. And surprisingly, I didn’t miss the expectation that I was supposed to take a certain kind of picture that seems to stick in my head when I carry the dSLR. I just captured what caught my eye as we went along. I took a lot fewer photographs, and of very different things, than when I visited Chicago almost two years ago. Part of it is due to the equipment I didn’t carry, but part of it is due to my changing interests and eye. It all plays together.
Here are a few of the things that captured my interest as we walked around…
A different view, huh?
A very different view. I can see what you mean about taking different photos from what you’d feel you “should” with your big camera. These images have a very personal feeling to them – they definitely say more about Kat than they do about Chicago. They all have a rather abstract flavor to them. Each one is interesting in its own way, but none of them says (to me, anyway) anything about a particular place: Chicago. (That’s just an observation, not negative criticism!)
I agree, they are more about me than about Chicago. I think that’s the shift – I’m not necessarily trying to convey the place at all anymore. I didn’t realize how much I was before, until now that I’m not. It’s liberating!
I was in Europe for the month of May working on a job the first and last week and taking time off in between. I left my “big” camera in it’s bag for the two weeks off. The second week was spent in Plum Village in the south o France and the third week in Porto, Portugal. I did not miss my DSLR at all. I love the freedom of the iPhone.
I thinking of purchasing the three lenses from PhotoJojo. What do you think? I’m worried about carrying more stuff that I can lose.
Very cool! I’m not alone with this approach, it seems. On the Photojojo lenses… I got them about a month ago and haven’t used them much. I haven’t been thrilled with the optical quality right out of the gate, but I think I need to practice with them more. As for keeping track of them, they have a little lanyard that I’ve put on a clip, so when I want to use them I can clip them somewhere handy and otherwise they are in a small pouch in my carry-around bag. I figure if I lose them it’s ok… they weren’t that expensive. I need to make an effort to play with them more, so I can figure out where and when I might want to use them.
I love them Kat, the point and shoot …to me…is sort of like capturing a thought before it leaves you….the “big girl camera” is like you have to write the whole book …right now…and it has to be good…cause you have lugged all that stuff too far to mess up now. so glad you found your flight of fancy voice.
Oh, I like that! The idea of less complex camera as being a note, maybe a poem, vs. a fully formed book. 🙂
I love these Kat, nicely captured!
“Lately, even when I bring the “big” camera along, I don’t use it. Or if I do use it, I don’t do anything with the photographs.” I laughed out loud when I read this. I thought I was the only one who behaved this way. When we went on the low tide shoot, I took my dSLR and actually did a lot of shooting with it–I’ve never even looked at those images. The iPhone images captured my complete attention. Strange, but true.
There is something addictive about the whole mobile process, isn’t there? I’m glad we both now know we are not alone. 🙂