15

I believe that photography is the most accessible and democratic form of artistic expression.  The ubiquity of digital cameras -- on mobile phones or small point-and-shoot cameras all the way to large, powerful DSLR or medium format cameras -- is making it ever simpler to capture high-quality images anywhere, anytime.

But as most will attest, making great photographs has little to do with owning the best and most expensive equipment.  Personally, I believe that the real secret behind great photography is in how you see a moment and interpret it in a still frame, regardless of what type of camera you are using.  Are you able to make something ordinary appear extraordinary by showing it differently?  Are you able to make the viewer feel an emotion when they see your photograph?  Are you able to transport someone to a moment with you simply by pressing the shutter?

I often find it hard to imagine what I did before I owned an iPhone.  I've shot more pictures in the past three years than I have in my entire life, making more than ten thousand photographs that I never would have ever created if I'd not had a camera in my pocket at all times.

My iPhone has undoubtedly made me a better photographer.  As anyone who loves photography will

attest, you cannot turn creativity on and off; amazing photographic opportunities exist all around us.  And an endless stream of imagery floating across my screen from photographers across the globe on Instagram and Flickr and Twitter provides me with constant stimulation and inspiration.  As photographer Chase Jarvis succinctly stated, "The best camera is the one that’s with you".  And my iPhone always is.

As a professional photographer, I am paid to document my experiences around the world.  It is an amazing job, and I feel truly thankful and fortunate for my career and the opportunities I have.  But, candidly, it is so invigorating to visit a new country, enjoy the sights and sounds and actually experience the journey -- to be present and live the adventure, observing with my own two eyes rather than being concerned about capturing every moment through the lens of my camera.  This is the approach I consciously took on my recent holiday to Myanmar.

I packed a camera bag full of Nikon DSLRs and fast lenses, which I dutifully lugged on six flights into, across and out of "The Golden Land", and only dug them out of their cocoon twice in more than two weeks.  It was refreshing, but more than anything else, it was liberating.

Of course, this doesn't mean that I didn't make many

hundreds of images.  It just means that I did it differently. Rather than actively hunting for photographs, I allowed the photographs to find me.  And I did it entirely on my iPhone. The result was a different kind of travel and photographic experience than I am used to having.  And I loved it.

I have always called my style “Choose Your Own Adventure Photography” after the books I used to read as a child. Literally and creatively, I can go one direction and discover a remarkable photographic opportunity; or I can go another direction and find something entirely different.  It is this serendipity that is the beauty of photography for me.  The 15 days I spent exploring and experiencing and enjoying Myanmar with my iPhone further validated this philosophy.

See more of my iPhoneography elsewhere on this blog or on Flickr.

Follow me and my iPhoneography on Instagram.