Low-end smartphone camera sucks. Poor censor makes the image resulted is never sharp. Its slow processor makes sure that whenever you try to capture moving object, you will have blurry photo. Don’t ask about the features which will limit whatever skill you have to the lowest level.
Yes, it sucks.
I can understand if you have such a feeling. My old OPPO A3s is in the category. I face such kind of situation many times.
However, at the same time, I feel lucky to have the gadget. It makes me a better photographer. I think my skill improved a lot after buying the smartphone.
The limitation provided with that low-end smartphone camera cornered me to focus only on one thing, photo composition.
I can’t use the camera to make bokeh or blurry background. The result was definitely laughable. It’s not possible also to do panning, or doing any creative technique as it’s near impossible with such poor censor and processor.
It forces me to think harder and more creatively to make attractive and interesting photos.
After quite lots of thinking, I found the only way is to rely on story making instead of showing the technical capability of mine.
To achieve this, I must make a photo composition that can tell a story to spectators. A story that relates to their life is stronger to attract their interest than any other factors in photography.
With its limitation, my low-end camera has taught me several things, i.e.
- to be more aware about the surrounding to find and object that can create a story so that I don’t have to rely on just beauty
- to be more aware about colors and its combination as I can’t rely on the color of Oppo’s camera I have (which is quite dull)
- to be close to the object as much as possible since its digital zoom is really terrible. I don’t want to get pixelized photo. This teaches me not to be lazy and the closest distance between me and the object tends to result on more emotional photo
- I can focus on composing all objects inside photo frame without distraction of my desire to beautify the photo using bokeh or any other things. I can spare more time to make the story shown on the frame
- to care more about lines and use more in the photo
An excuse for my inability to buy a new smartphone? Perhaps, many people will think that way, but honestly, I don’t give it a damn shit.
Because, as a semi professional photographer, I know well how important photo composition is. Even if you have a million dollars camera but you failed in creating a good composition, then your photo means nothing. Nobody will be attracted.
That’s why, even I hope that the time to replace my camera comes immediately, I can’t be more grateful for having this old OPPO. It has forced me focus on keep training one of the most important things in photography, which is composition.
Therefore, if you felt bad about your luck for having such cheap smartphone, I would suggest not to throw away that feeling immediately. Yes, of course, you can have such a feeling, I had that but don’t keep it too long.
Think positively. Your low-end smartphone is not as useless as you thought. It still can be used to practice one very important thing in photo making. As long as you are not lazy, you can keep practicing about how to create a photo that can tell spectators about a story than just only showing about beauty.
I am a better photographer now as I often use my old smartphone. It makes me understood more and more creative to find solution for the limitation my camera have.
You can also.
(all pictures in this posting are captured by my old OPPO smartphone)