krl48 Loc: NY, PA now SC

In another section of UHH, a poster asked about shooting pictures while traveling on public transportation. Many of the usual points about the propriety and ethics of taking pictures of people out in public were brought up.

One UHH member, Steve03, posted this: I see people with smart phones all the time taking pictures and no one seem to care. pull out a camera and it seems to be an issue? any thought s on that?

I think Steve03 expressed a very valid point when he wrote "I see people with smart phones all the time taking pictures and no one seem to care."

That point brings me to the question expressed in the Topic title - Will smart phones become the best cameras for street photography?

What do others in the Street Photography think about this?

ArtzDarkroom Loc: Near Disneyland-Orange County, California

Remember when film photography was king? The photo magazines said it would take a vast improvement in digital photography to equal film. At the time they suggested it would take a 6 mega-pixel image to equal 35mm film. We are well passed that now. The smartphone is ubiquitous. Yes, smartphones are great, not just for street photography.

krl48 Loc: NY, PA now SC

To me, your last sentence can be interpreted two ways. Are you saying smartphones are great and not only for street photography or are you saying smart phones are great, but not great for street photography?

Am I making myself clear here?

ArtzDarkroom Loc: Near Disneyland-Orange County, California

I am saying Smartphone are good for street photography too.

krl48 Loc: NY, PA now SC

Thanks for the clarification.

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

Considering that some of the old street photographers liked to shoot from the hip, so to speak (Vivian Mayer [sp?] for example), perhaps the phone is the street camera of the future simply because no one pays any attention to them, as has been said. Used correctly, many of them do take excellent photos. I haven't gone that way yet, but it's a consideration.

Yankeepapa6 Loc: New York City

When traveling around I think you see cell phones are for more than just street photography. Mom and pop had a Brownie. Their children bought DSLR's now their children have cell phones.

StevenG Loc: Long Island, NY

Probably

John_F Loc: Minneapolis, MN

I have a picture of my mom and a friend shopping in downtown before WW2. A camera guy snapoed them and sold them a picture on the spot. This was before Polaroid and I have always wondered how he did it. The pic was like 3 by 5 and glossy.

cambriaman Loc: Central CA Coast

I remember those guys in downtown Los Angeles. My grandmother would never take a copy, she disliked the people doing that but never called a cop, she just walked on, dragging me behind her!

ebrunner Loc: New Jersey Shore

Yesterday I posted a photo in this section. The thread is "Daily Grind". The whole time I was taking those photos, I was wondering if someone would object to me taking photos on a train platform with a camera and a tripod. Turns out nobody said anything. I was waiting for my son to arrive on a train and took photos all around the station. I could not help wondering that, had I been doing the same thing with a cell phone, nobody would have even looked at me. So, yes, I think cell phones are quickly becoming a wonderful way to capture candid street shots since nobody notices them anymore. But, I don' know how you would have gotten a shot like the one I posted with a cell phone. Until you can control aperture and shutter speed on a cell phone, there will be technical advantages to using dslr or older film cameras for street. I still like shooting street scenes with my Yashica TLR. The camera itself is a conversation piece these days and I've gotten good images from of people who stop to talk to me about the camera. You can also "shoot from the hip" because of the waist level finder. Finally, the think is practically silent when you release the shutter because there is no mirror.
Erich

Stanhope Loc: New York City

I went out shooting one day with a Rolleiflex. Several people--all of them on in years--came over to me and seemed happy to see a camera like that being used. I suppose the sight of the camera reminds them of a time when such cameras were common, and I suppose the sight of something old being valued is also heart-warming. I mean, these people were all smiles to see that Rollei! I got the same reaction when I went out with an Argus C4, of all things. I thought no one would recognize that thing, but one man did. Delightedly. Same with a Minolta SRT 102. A man exclaimed, "The best of the SRTs!" which is true. It's nice that street shooting can be cheering, instead of annoying.

ebrunner Loc: New Jersey Shore

It's interesting that you seem to have a similar propensity to shoot film. I still love shooting film. I Still can't afford a Rollei but I get lots of comments when I go out shooting with my Yashica 124.

Tom G Loc: Atlanta, GA

Yes, you are quite clear about the ambiguity of the statement, "Yes, smartphones are great, not just for street photography."


ArtzDarkroom is saying that Smartphones are are great for other things, not only for street photography. (substitute the word "only" for "just")

Had he said, "Smart phones are great , just not for street photography", he would have been excluding the smartphone from the street photography genre.

The ambiguity arises on the placement of the two words, "not" and "just".


Interpreting how things are read or said, whether in marital spats or diplomatic conversations, is how divorces and world wars result.

waegwan Loc: Mae Won Li

I think people see phones more as a form of social media than as a camera. A picture is worth a thousand words. People are comfortable with communicating in sound and sight with their phones and just accept them as a normal. Cameras on the other hand do not seem to directly relate to the casual communication thing and so are often suspicious. IMHO