Creative iPhone Photography

I keep toying with the idea of getting a point and shoot camera. I tell myself that it would be nice to have a small camera that I can pull out of my pocket at a moment’s notice during those times when I don’t have my SLR with me. After all, I don’t carry around my Nikon D700 with me everywhere I go, and there are plenty of times when I see cool stuff out in the world that I’d like to document.

Then I always remember that I already have a point and shoot: my iPhone. Sure, it doesn’t have all the features or the resolution of a Coolpix or a PowerShot, but for the purpose of simply capturing everyday scenes and being creative on a whim, it does just fine. More importantly, I have it with me nearly all the time, and ultimately, that’s what matters.

As commercial photographer Chase Jarvis puts it, “the best camera is the one that’s with you,” even if it’s just an iPhone. After all, creativity comes from the creator, not from the camera. I agree wholeheartedly. He has created a book and an iPhone app around his iPhone photography, and some of his images are pretty darn good.

I tend to use my iPhone more for capturing snapshots than using it for creative photography, but I do have my moments. Then again, maybe that’s just my perception, as personal style and creativity will inherently shine through no matter what you’re shooting. Perhaps writing this post will inspire me to start doing more creative type photography with my iPhone.

Anyway, here are a few of my favorite iPhone photos from the past year.

Update: Check out my review of Camera+, the great new photo app for the iPhone that lets you really push your photographic creativity.