Capture preference

By Adrian Toon, director of a2n.

When I first started this column a few years ago, Smartphone cameras offered an OK picture quality, but not really good enough for print use.

How that has changed in a few years. It has nothing to do with the pixel count, it is all down to the quality of the lens and sensor, plus the extensive software that enhances the image. It is the latter that has transformed our smartphone photography into something a professional photographer can be proud of.

My preferred device for the capture of images for press releases would now be the smartphone. Its ease of use, handling and quality, not to mention its network connectivity, puts any basic camera in the shade.

When we come to studio photography and larger image requirements then the latest DSLRs still have the edge by quite a margin and will do for the foreseeable future.

So why employ a professional photographer to take images for PR? It comes down to experience really: a pro will know how to get the right images for a press release. That said, with a good quality smartphone and the ability of the smartphone photographer to learn the basics and craft his or her skill, perfect PR pictures can be obtained.

The key for the budding smartphone photographer is composition. Using a smartphone, we can forget the technical aspect of things and just concentrate on capturing the right picture to portray the PR story. Photography experience is gained though a ‘shoot, review and improve’ cycle, where your ‘review’ is determining how you could have done things differently to get a better image.

The process can be very rewarding, and it is why I enjoy photography.