02-20-2019
03:37 AM
- last edited on
04-19-2022
12:30 PM
by
grazittiApiTest
Ever wonder if the camera on your phone is as good as a DSLR?
I know I am always inspired by many of the wonderful Local Guides here on Connect with their beautiful photography. As Local Guides photographers, we fall under two camps: Local Guides with DSLRs and Local Guides with their smartphones.
I want to share my personal experience as a Local Guide who only uses a phone, currently an iPhone 8 Plus (Don’t hate me for this!), as my camera of choice to take photos for everything, including Google Maps. You can get just as good results with a high-quality smartphone as with a DSLR.
Living in the San Francisco Bay Area, throughout the year, we have many types of birds that call this area their home.
I had an amazing “National Geographic Society” opportunity that literally landed on my doorstep during the Summer of 2016. This was priceless and I am still amazed that it happened without any prep on my part.
I was fortunate to be able to watch and capture in photos at the time with my Samsung Galaxy Note 4 the birth of a pair of mourning doves, not just once, but twice in my plant container on my front porch.
Mourning doves are smaller in size to pigeons. They are slightly different but from the same family. They can have up to 6 sets of chicks during their mating season. They are monogamous and form strong pair bonds. And both the male and female sit on the pair of eggs (two) and feed them after they hatch.
Birds, in general, build their nest in private, hidden areas to protect themselves and their eggs from predators, which includes both wildlife and humans. I have never heard of wild birds willing to nest so close to humans and let a human, me, hold out her arm less than 3 feet to take their photos, including the birth of their baby chicks.
Not knowing about Googler @Christina-NYC's nature photography tip of taking photos in the early morning,
I was actually doing this because it was the best time to capture the right light and it was the calmest time of the day in front of my house. Not as many cars drove by or where my neighbors were walking in front of the house.
This momma dove really did like Chateau Chin because she stayed for the entire summer and did not mind me taking photos of her and her two sets of baby doves. Being less than 3 feet from her with my Samsung, she never once raised her feathers or blinked at me.
What I learned that summer . . .
Taking photos up close of this “beauty of life” gave me the courage to use my phone more and to try different angles to get more of the finite details of an object, such as my recent flower photography using now my iPhone 8 Plus.
I also find I am not afraid to try take photos of birds when they catch my attention with my iPhone too. For example, here on Kauai, one of the 8 major islands of Hawaii, wild chickens have free rein on the island. They can be found everywhere, including in hotel and condo resorts, the car rental agency at the airport, etc. This particular rooster was one of many running around at the place I stayed last year during the Holidays. For more of my Google Maps review, read this.
Check out my less than 2-minute video (and not to bore you with a ton of photos - I took at least one photo a day during the summer of 2016 as I witness the "beauty of life" twice.)
Are you a phone or DSLR photographer? What do you prefer? Have you ever had the opportunity to photograph the stages of life, whether animal, insect, or floral?
Cheers,
Karen
02-20-2019 04:34 AM - edited 02-22-2019 05:20 PM
Thank you @KarenVChin for remembering to everyone (included myself, of course) that the new design of Google Maps is oriented to the phone users.
This seems a bit unnatural to me, as I grew up with a camera in my hand, with film in the past, and digital now, but I have to admit that a phone is a perfect tool for most of the photos that we take. Your post is great, in showing to us how this is really possible, exploring one of the field (birds photo) that everyone consider an exclusive area for powerful photographers.
Thank you for sharing also the great post written by @Christina-NYC . I suggest to scroll the long list of "how to" post she wrote (well, she still writing), for helping us in using our phone for taking photos. I don't have a personal preference, but I want to add here the one that I find more challenging: How to step outside your normal routine as a photographer
I am tagging here @AntonellaGr , as I know (I wonder why) how much she love to use a phone for taking photos
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02-20-2019 04:35 AM
@KarenVChin This is such an nice experience. To see the dove chicks grow up and all.
Some time back some birds were making their nest up the pillar just outside my door, and I would place a small pot of seeds and water nearby. That went on for quite some time, and was happy the chick grew up and after that, they didn't come back. Maybe the next time. 🙂
Didn't manage to take any photos though. Was too high up.
02-20-2019 06:42 AM - edited 02-20-2019 06:44 AM
Hola @KarenVChin , me encanta tu post ya que reivindica el uso del móvil como una poderosa herramienta de registro de la naturaleza, más en la actualidad con sus poderosas lentes que bajo determinadas condiciones y el tipo de foto a realizar superan ampliamente a las DSLR.
Creo que el secreto tambien es poder estar en el momento justo y nuestra vista de Local Guides agudiza eso, permitiendo pasar por la naturaleza de una manera más inquisitiva que contemplativa.
La oportunidad casi única de que tus palomas escogieran tu jardín y en especial tú maceta, casi a la mano tuya, es casi único, felicitaciones por las imágenes que logradas.
En mi caso puedo decir que el 80% de mis fotos son realizadas con mi móvil incluso llegué a la conclusión de que las Fotos 360 son más vividas y soportan mejor el zoom que tomadas con la Theta V, que generalmente no conecta bien con el móvil, (es otro tema para un post exclusivo de eso).
En geneal los temas que me gustan son los paisajes, la comida y la naturaleza, la Fotos con mucho acercamiento, por ejemplo un insecto una hoja etc, el móvil lo hace muy bien y otro punto sobre el cual estoy comenzando a tenerle mucho cariño al móvil es en los videos. Con todo esto, hace que deje de lado llevar tantas cámaras extras, como la réflex y los lentes.
Por supuesto si deseo hacer una Fotos de un ave volando o un animal a la distancia o la cara de una persona a 100 lo realizo con la reflex.
Graciasnpor comosrtir y darnos la excusa para contar como cada uno de nosotros utiliza su móvil.
Farid
02-20-2019 07:49 AM
Dear @KarenVChin
You were lucky to take pictures (and beautiful ones!) of birds in your garden. I use a phone too, not in my garden It is impossible for me with my 3 cats 🙂 🙂
Here is a picture of a stork (I thnk it is a stork)
Cheers
Antonella
02-20-2019 10:29 AM
@KarenVChin Awe! Nothing in the world touches the heart like baby animals! They are beautiful. Thanks for capturing.
02-20-2019 12:35 PM
02-20-2019 07:14 PM
@KarenVChin Thank you for sharing. The photos are amazing. I’ve also taken some very captivating photos with my phone. Back in San Francisco, @nkwetche @ChamnanMuon, @YK1001 and myself just came out from Super Duper Burger in Mission Street and as we crossed over to Spear street, I saw this guy that sells the most beautiful and colorful flowers I’ve even seen. I was so blown away and couldn’t help but approached him and politely ask if I can take some photos of his lovely flowers and he agreed.
02-20-2019 07:16 PM
@ErmesT This my friend has a very emotional attachment with his camera and has taken me some amazing shots and I don’t think Ermest is ready to switch to phone camera just yet 🤣🤣🤣
02-21-2019 01:36 AM
Hi @KarenVChin,
Thank you for writing this post, I so much enjoyed reading it. It is amazing to see how the wild mourning dove trusted the tub in your front porch. Is this the first year it happens?
I remember when I was a kid I used to spend my summers in my grandparents' house in a village. There every summer next to our front door I would see swallows creating their nest and giving birth for the next generation. What really surprised me that for many years, as spring comes swallows would always choose to go back to their "home", the nest they created before and will remember the exact place and location. In winters they move to other warmer countries and travel long distance. I wonder how do they remember all the way and don't choose to build up a new nest every year?
As to answer your question about DSLR versus phone cameras, for now my personal choice is to use a phone to take all of my photos. I like the quality of my phone and choosing the right DSLR camera is rather hard for me as I have never had a one before.
Last but not least, last summer while I was climbing Rila mountain with my friends and me came across horses with their fillies. It was the first time that I see a filly so close to me.
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