So let's start this blog right....

The idea of photography today is quite different than say 30-40 years ago when many of us got our start. Today photography has become the most democratic of all visual arts. Everyone has a camera, and in truth most cell phone cameras are as good as the vast majority of compact point and shoots that once were the bulwark of the photo industry. A good example is my Samsung Galaxy S5. It has a fantastic 16mp camera that gives great quality at base ISO, especially when controlled using an app like Camera FV-5. What does this mean however to all of us who call ourselves "photographer" and do this as a profession?

 That is the "Big Question" in our industry. Recently listening to the American Fashion Podcast, a designer mentioned how he had hired an Instagram Photographer to shoot his latest campaign. The person he hired never owned a camera until he got his iPhone, yet now shoots campaigns on said iPhone, processed through Instagram for post work. The technology has democratize photography to the point that someone with no formal training but an outstanding eye can land major work. Please note I am not complaining. To me this means that the cream floats to the top and really talented folks can find work where in the past they wouldn't. That said however the other side of the coin is also true. 

No other visual art has become as devalued as photography. To quote The Incredibles, "When everyone is special, then no one is". What was once the realm of a select few has become a cacophony of visual overload. One must not be only technically suave in the art of mobile photography, but must also be skilled in composition and lighting control. You have to figure out how to get your voice heard over this abattoir of imagery. For end clients this has also become troubling. It's like looking for a needle in a haystack. What we must become therefore is a rather large magnet to help potential clients find the needle that is you (or me for that matter). Over the next few articles I'll discuss the various technological options we have available to create compelling imagery using mobile technology to help draw eyes, and hopefully clients to all of us. 

 I leave you with an image that I shot, developed and edited right here on my Android tablet, as well as write this very article you are reading. The camera was the Ricoh GR, shot in DNG RAW and developed using PhotoMate R2, with post work done in Snapseed 2.0...