I remember the days of always having one camera, two lenses, and a flash with me on my travels. That’s all changed with the iPhone. Last October I (finally) bought one, and happily tossed my old Samsung that could hardly connect to the internet into my ATC (antiquated technology drawer). I quickly fell in love with the portability and playfulness of my new phone’s 8-megapixel camera and actually became stressed about traveling with it. Would I still use my Canon 5D? Would I learn to rotate? Would I have to take pictures of everything with two cameras?
My first trip dealing with this dilemma came a month later, when Eat Your World headed to Amsterdam with some friends. My immediate observation was that I took way more photos than is usual for me. I documented everything with the iPhone, moments for which I would never have used my Canon: at the airport, on the plane, our first night out. I had a ball and spent every free moment uploading the pictures to my Instagram app, choosing an appropriate filter. I was consumed. I was obsessed. Our second day it rained, and my bulky Canon never even made it out of the bag. With ease the iPhone captured countless memories in bars, restaurants, inside our rented apartment.
Day three saw sunshine, and I finally remembered the fine piece of equipment I had ignored for 48 hours. With my 5D, I strolled the canals of Jordaan, framing photos and enjoying every click of the camera. I zoomed in and out, knowing I’d have some nice big files to work with when I got home. Every so often I’d pull the iPhone out of my pocket for a quickie. I’d found my happy medium: Each camera will have its place in my future—at least until the iPhone can take 50-megabyte photos.
Reviewing our food map en route to the airport (iPhone)
Sunny day in the Jordaan (5D)
Colorful bikes by the canal (5D)
Laura & friends at the Seven Bridges (iPhone)
Any other photographers out there have this dilemma?