Going iPhone?
The proof is in the prints
Well, I completed my Spain trip without emergency treatment for anxiety. Those of you who followed my trip on Notes know what I'm talking about, but for the rest of you, here's an overview before I summarize my results down below.
I went to Spain with my iPhone 13 Pro Max, a decidedly inferior instrument compared to the current iPhone 15 ProMax and a very inferior instrument next to my Fujifilm GFX 100 and slew of lenses and filters. The iPhone was the only camera I took. Period. That was a milestone of my 50+ years in photography (okay, make that 60, but who's counting?).
I traveled to Barcelona, Seville and Madrid, photographing throughout. The intent of this experiment was to see if Bob and I could end up with some decent prints from iPhone files. I did not go with the unrealistic expectation that we'd be able to do our typical large format prints (40 x 60 and larger), but there are lots of occasions when we need to do small prints.
The now ancient 13 Pro Max has three onboard prime lenses and I used all of them throughout the trip. I did not make use of any digital zoom functions. With a 12MP sensor (compared to the 48MP sensor in the iPhone 15) I needed to be careful with composition and judicious in cropping.
I also used the Lightroom Mobile camera app as my mainstay, which allowed me to have more control of functions such as exposure. I tended to keep exposure to 1/3 stop underexposed, except when shooting indoors or in other special circumstances.
I examined my images most nights so I could adjust my technique and expectations. I did minor post-processing in Lightroom on my iPad.
Once I got back to my Maryland studio I continued with a Lightoom workflow and printed on three Moab papers: Juniper, Entrada Natural and Entrada Bright.
The "Pro" Findings
On the plus side, I found the experience both lightening and enlightening.
It was very hot in all three cities, but especially in Seville, in the south of Spain. I was constantly aware of what it would have been like lugging around my usual 25-pound backpack and 10-pound Really Right Stuff tripod. So, on the "lightening" side, it was a pleasure being relieved of that burden.
Related to that, I was amazed at how many more shots I ended up taking that I might have passed up if I had all my photo gear with me. Let's face it, in 90-degree humid heat, with very, very dense crowds everywhere, it's a tough decision whether to bother setting up a tripod, change lenses, compose, shoot, analyze, reshoot, all the while protecting your gear. You all know the drill. What happened in Spain is that I just grabbed my iPhone and shot, despite its limitations. In fact, I had to creatively figure ways around them. Actually, that mostly turned out to be fun... and often enough resulted in failure.
Perhaps this is a minor point, but those of you who shoot advanced systems with lots of gear will understand. I never had to worry where to put my gear in restaurants, restrooms, while shooting, on trains, or even resting in a crowded park. Savvy tourist guides warn about knapsack thefts. I just had to make sure my iPhone was in my zippered cargo pants pocket.
Now the point of this experiement was to see how the files translated into prints. And this is where the enlightening came in. I was, quite frankly, stunned (with a major caveat, naturally).
At 8.5 x 11" I found the prints to be quite acceptable; good in fact. Just prior to the Spain trip I shot the following scene from an airplane seat going west from Denver. This was using my iPhone camera app, shot through double-paned glass. Not only was the 8.5 x 11 print on Moab Entrada Bright sharp and nicely saturated, but the 13 x 19 held its own! I think most photographers would be happy framing the image (but see below for the downsides).
The "Con" Findings
Now for the negatives. One of the sore points reported with the iPhone 13 was that it falls down in low light. I found this to be true. In low light there is enough noise in the file to detract from even an 8.5 x 11 print. At 13 x 19 it falls apart. I'm eager to see how the iPhone 16 performs in low light.
There were times when I wished I had a zoom capability, especially in tight architectural instances. Flexibility in framing, removing crowds, improvig composition would have been nice.
Next, I had to be very conscious of cropping, since I was planning to print at two or three sizes. At 12 MP, even modest crops can have disastrous effects on a print.
I missed having a tilt-shift lens for the spectacular churches, palaces, Roman ruins and other architecture in Spain. As an alternative a focus-stacking capability would have helped.
As a pro photographer, my gear and accessories are second nature. I want to have all capabilities available to capture whatever I face. So I missed having ND filters to remove crowds and GNDs for too bight and contrasty skies. But, as a senior photographer weight and bulk is a definite consideration.
In the end, the prints turned out surprisingly good at 8.5 x 11 and even some at 13 x 19. I would have no reluctance to use several of the images in my New Year's cards, gallery handouts and for other smallish format uses.
The Opinionated Findings
I'm really looking forward to doing a heads-up comparison when I get my iPhone 16 Pro Max. I have to admit that while I missed having my lenses and specialized filters with me I did find that I was having fun learning how to use the iPhone as a serious photo tool.
Look, I know that smartphones are not yet capable of what a sophisticated camera system can ideally do. But that determination is not a lab bench exercise. It really depends on how you plan to use your imagery in any given locale or circumstance. If you are looking for posts on Instagram, a smartphone is perfect. If you want to use images for greeting cards, why waste time, money and effort dragging along a fancy camera system and accessories? If you want to make a Shutterfly book of a family vacation, a smartphone may be perfect (and less of a pain to our families!).
In Comments, please share your experiences with printing from your smartphones. As for me, I'll be in line for the new iPhone 16 Pro Max. Or possibly the Leica Q3. Never mind, it'll be the iPhone 16.
Interesting project. When I was 19, I traveled alone in Spain, including the 3 cities you mentioned. Back then, my only camera was an instagram pocket camera, point and shoot, no controls. When I returned home, that fall I enrolled in a photography school and for a few years became absorbed in that effort.
Today, many years later, I shoot exclusively with a cellphone camera, the same model that you used. I print on 11x17 and 5x7 paper for work I sell. Technically, just as you say, there are real limitations but at the same time creatively, there are amazing shots I can take with my 13 pro max that I could not do even with my Leica M3 and a couple of prime lenses.
My question on the cropping and low light noise concerns, are you unimpressed with some of the software tools such as Topaz for enlargement (image enhancement) and for noise reduction? As well, from Lightroom and Photoshop?
I applaud your bravery with the simplicity of tools you brought to Spain! I also believe that fine art is not dictated by the caliber of equipment used, rather the vision and the mastery of the artist over whatever tools they choose to employ. As but one example, lots of great photographers used the SX 70 polaroid camera.
I too am looking forward to the iphone 16 hoping it will provide higher resolution than just for its main lens and greater telephoto capability. I would love to see your finished work from your trip!
Nice experiment. The single biggest issue in my experience with iPhone photos is the over-sharpening out of the box. I just can't find an app that doesn't bake it in. And therefore every photo to my eye looks incredibly digital (and not in a good way).