Renewing my interest in mobile photography!
I’m just back from Portland, OR where I shot only with my iPhone 12 Pro. Even in lower light, this camera is delivering some stellar images. Check them out!
I’m just back from a quick trip up to Portland, OR - and all I had was my iPhone!
Years ago, I shot with my iPhone all the time. I mean ALL THE TIME. I loved it. I always had it with me, of course, so I shot away with it. Eventually I ended up with an iPhone 7, which at the time I thought was great (this was 4+ years ago when I got the iPhone 7). After a while though, I just felt like the image quality was not up to par for me, unless it was in pretty great lighting. Time after time, I would look at the images, zoom in, and be disappointed. Eventually I just quit shooting with it altogether.
A few months ago, I upgraded to the iPhone 12 Pro (yes, I know the 13 just came out, but I had to get a new phone at the time, and couldn’t wait). I had read so much about the advancements in the camera, and I couldn’t wait to try it out. It’s just so much better than what I had (granted, it’s several years worth of advancements, but still). I have been pretty much blown away with how good the camera is.
So when this trip to Portland came up - and knowing I had limited free time to go shoot - I decided to forego my usual Sony stuff and just shoot on the go with my iPhone. It also happened to be peak Fall season, so there were lots of amazing colors in the trees, and additionally we were able to visit several different parts of town, so I ended up shooting quite a bit!
The thing that impressed me the most is how well it performs in low light. Now to be clear, it doesn’t compare to my full frame Sony in that regard, but still it does a pretty darn good job. The images look amazingly crisp to my eyes, and I am quite happy about that! And of course, this has renewed my interest in mobile photography, which is great fun! I’ve missed it. It’s good to be back at it! And now I will be using my iPhone much more often when I am out shooting!
And as far as editing goes, I edited all of these photos in Luminar AI. Just a few quick adjustments is all it takes!
Skulking about in London
Lovely long exposure work from lovely London…
I love to just wander the streets of London. It’s my favorite city and I always find beautiful things to aim the camera towards. This was one of those evenings. I was all over the place and whenever I see a busy street (at every turn in London LOL), I like to set up the tripod for a long exposure and capture some passing cars.
On the streets of Chicago
Evening starts to arrive in Chicago and I am out capturing some street scenes…
I love wandering the streets when I visit a city, and places like Chicago give you a lot of interesting things to photograph. Although my trip there was fairly short - and thus I did not have a lot of time to shoot - I still made the most of it and came home with some shots that I really liked. After getting rained on over at the Bean, I was in search of a meal. As I walked, I really liked the look of this English pub, and the color of the sky. I just had to wait a moment for someone to walk into the frame.
Chicago nights
A lovely night, post rain, in equally lovely Chicago…
After a long night of shooting - and getting rained on - I wandered over here for my last couple of shots. This is looking over the Chicago River and I just couldn’t help myself. There were so many lights and so much color, it just drew me in!
The streets of Chicago
Blue hour in Chicago and I am wandering the streets…
Nothing I love more than wandering around the streets of a city, camera in hand. On my recent trip to Chicago, I had a few hours one evening to do just that, and came away with a few images that I really like. Despite a little rain here and there, I still got it done. :-)
Morning on the Charles Bridge
Sunrise in Prague and I was on the Charles Bridge, firing away happily…
This morning in Prague started EARLY. I got up about 4:30am in order to get out and walk to the Charles Bridge, with plans to be in place before sunrise. Luckily, that was plenty of time and I nearly had the bridge to myself, which was exactly what I wanted. There were a few people here and there - mostly those returning from an extended night out - but otherwise it was blissfully quiet and I had some fabulous light, too. All in all, a wonderful way to start a day in Prague!
A great view in Prague
A stunning view over the equally stunning city of Prague…
Prague is just a gorgeous city - I think it rivals Paris as possibly the most beautiful city I have visited. So much amazing architecture, street scenes and more. This photo was taken from atop their City Hall building (also known for it’s astronomical clock). You buy a ticket, ride the elevator, and then walk out onto the area around the tower - giving you the ability to view the city from all sides. But this view is the most popular, and you can see why in the photograph. That gorgeous church sits there down below, just looking stunning and photo-ready. I went up there twice in the 5 days I spent in Prague. I would love to return and shoot it again, even though I have a lot of photos from this spot already. Such an excellent view!
Covent Garden at night
A night shot of a musician at work in Covent Garden, London…
From my last visit to lovely London…I captured this gentleman playing music in Covent Garden while wandering over there one evening. It’s a beautiful part of London and one well worth visiting. I will be returning to London soon and hope to pop over here for a little while to check it out again!
The Shad Thames
An interesting section on London known as the Shad Thames…
This is an interesting part of London, just south of the Tower Bridge. I spent some time wandering there on my last trip, and plan to revisit this spot again when I visit London again in August (so excited!). It’s sort of a dockworker area, right next to the river, full of old buildings that I believe used to be warehouses and things like that. Nowadays it’s some stores and restaurants, etc but still interesting and beautiful.
The Moulin Rouge
A long exposure taken at the Moulin Rouge in Paris…
Such a great spot for night photography! We were in Paris and sorta near this part of town one evening, and I just had to pop over here and get some long exposures of the spinning wheel at the Moulin Rouge. It’s a colorful part of the city and one worth exploring. Then again, the whole city is just amazing. In other words, if you are planning a trip here, be sure you make it a long one! ;-)
Morning in San Francisco
Blue hour at the Ferry Building in San Francisco…
I love to get up and wander in the early morning hours when I travel. It’s generally always peaceful and quiet, and I can enjoy the beauty of a city without all the crowds getting in my shots. :-) This was taken before sunrise in San Francisco one morning. This is the Ferry Building, which is one of my favorite spots in the city, which is full of great spots by the way. I just love the look of this place, inside and out.
Blue hour in London
A lovely evening begins in London…
Blue hour is my favorite time of day to shoot, and London is quite possibly my favorite city. So you can imagine how happy I was when I was out shooting blue hour in London! This was alongside the Tower of London, staring at the Shard across the River Thames. Such a beautiful part of a beautiful city!
Nights in Amsterdam
A night shot from the archives…Amsterdam looking all lovely.
I love wandering in cities, day or night, but of course at night when the lights come on things really look interesting. This was from a trip a number of years ago to Amsterdam, and was one of my last shots before calling it a night.
A view over the Old Town
A view over the beautiful Old Town of Prague…
Prague is such a gorgeous city. I hope to return someday so I can wander those streets again. I really enjoyed my visit there, and came home with so many photos that I really like. Today’s shot was a view I had when I was atop their famous clock tower. There is an area there where you can walk around (although admittedly it is pretty tight and can get crowded) and get views in all directions. After shooting the famous view over their town square, I wandered to the other side and shot over some of the streets. I love getting these elevated views in cities. So much fun!
Sunrise in Prague
Sunrise in Prague, and I am in their old Town Square which is nearly empty. So nice!
Gish, if Prague is not the most beautiful city in the world, I don’t know which one is. It really is quite stunning. On my visit there, I got up SOOOO EARLY one morning so I could get out and shoot the streets without all the massive tourist hoards. It worked out great, and I go a lot of great photos too. Here’s one from their Town Square that shows just how empty it really was that morning. Enjoy!