Smartphone News

Yes, we’re all pretty sick of selfies but one clever photographer has created a hilarious photo series that appears to show ancient statues taking these now ubiquitous digital self portraits.

Photokina 2014 in Germany has been covered widely on the Internet already—including our own extensive reporting on the show on Shutterbug.com—so there’s no need for me to rehash the major announcements from the event, such as the latest full-frame cameras from Canon and Nikon and the like. My photo report here is aimed at sharing some wider ranging thoughts and perspectives on this important biennial show and what it told us about photography today and where it might be heading tomorrow.

Even though his first smartphone camera wasn’t very good by his standards—he is a professional photographer, after all—he liked being able to take quick, casual, spur-of-the-moment pictures when his DSLR wasn’t at hand, or when he didn’t feel like hauling it out.

On a Sunday morning not long ago I turned on the radio and by chance heard the legendary, Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist David Hume Kennerly say that his iPhone had made him a better photographer.
 

The Lumenati CS1 is a lightweight, ergonomically designed device measuring 6x7x3” that transforms your iPhone 6 (or 6s) into a Super 8 style camera. Simply put your smartphone into the Lumenati CS1 (the way you would have loaded film in a Super 8 camera) and start recording video. 

You’ve no-doubt read about accessories that claim to ”turn your phone into a DSLR,” but let’s face it—nothing can do that. However, we recently tested the well-made ShiftCam ProGrip that does provide a more camera-like experience and offers mobile photographers an array of convenient features for added functionality.

How much do I hate smartphones? Let me count the ways. But seriously, they aren’t going away anytime soon and many photographers, although not moi, have found clever ways to harness the power of these mobile devices. That said, I do own a smartphone albeit an older model and am on many social media platforms.