Camera Phones are Cameras

Articles: Camera Phones are Cameras

Contributor

Saxon Holt

Topics: Garden Futurist, Inspired Gardens and Design

Pacific Horticulture presents a new monthly photo series by renowned garden photographer and former Pacific Horticulture Board Member, Saxon Holt of PhotoBotanic and Summer-Dry

Header image: Himadri Karmakar_CC BY 2.0

Fall 2024

I begin this series with a full disclosure. I have been a professional garden photographer for 40 years and do not take any of my professional photos with a camera phone. That said, nearly all of the students in my workshops these days are using camera phones – as do I when I hike or travel for pleasure. This photograph of the Tuileries garden in Paris is an iPhone picture.

I will explain the thought process of making this photo in more detail below, but the very first lesson, the most important tip for taking good garden pictures with a camera phone is in the title of the series, camera phones are cameras.

The cell phone manufacturers know very well that most people do not use their phones to talk to people. They give us access to the Internet and social media, text messaging, and amazing cameras and new features with every new model. The camera upgrade is perhaps the most compelling reason to stay up-to-date with new models. I bought my newest phone a few weeks before I went on vacation, knowing I would not take my “real” camera.

I will say it one more time, camera phones are cameras. If you want to take a good garden pictures, with any camera, you have to have intention. You have to want to take a good picture and spend a few moments (or minutes ) looking carefully at the potential photo, and then have the consciousness to use your camera to make it happen. It does take a little bit of leap of faith to believe that the phone in your hand can actually take a decent picture, but it will – if you have intention and consciousness. And then apply a few fundamental techniques.

The photo of the Tuileries garden was about being In the right place at the right time, a piece of serendipity that allows us to make a good photo when we didn’t expect it, and allows you to take a better picture than a professional. When the moment is right, you just have to be there with a camera, and have intent and consciousness.

I was dashing through the Tuileries garden on the way to the pedestrian bridge that crosses the Seine to meet my wife at Musée d’Orsey. Just as I am about to leave the garden, I looked to my right between the allé of trees and Bam! a photo appeared.

I knew it was there. The light was great, and the two bands of perfectly pruned trees converged to a vanishing point. There were just enough people enjoying the park to give it life. “There is a very good photo here” if I take a moment to make sense out of the light and the various lines, and create a composition that is balanced and interesting.

I quickly realized the strong light was creating a lot of contrast, and if I favored the left-hand row of trees, their backsides being in shade would create a very strong shape. That forced me to make the asymmetrical composition as I carefully looked at the scene through the back of my phone.

Fortunately, behind me on the path leading to the bridge was a tree with overhanging branches and I was able to incorporate some branches to break up the sky that would otherwise be too bright and dominate the composition. I spent a few moments shifting left and right always looking through the camera to compose the photograph so that those branches were exactly in the middle.

Those few moments of consciousness and intent made the photo. The camera gave me the tool to frame it and move around to find a nice composition, and then click the shutter, or rather push the button. I then used the camera to text my wife and say I was on the way.

We often find ourselves traveling with only a camera phone, fighting crowds, and jockeying for a decent angle to get a classic view. Next, a visit to Monet’s garden at Giverney to see the lily ponds during tourist hours.