One of the things I love about photography is that pretty much anybody can do it. Cellphones nowadays have amazing quality cameras, so a traditional camera isn’t even a necessity. In fact, Apple’s 2019 iPhone 11 Pro release was marketed with the selling point that it could replace your digital camera. Personally, I don’t know if that’s true; I don’t own the phone, but there are a bunch of reviews on YouTube or articles that can be found with a simple Google.

But the general phone points stand no matter the model: phones are much more convenient to carry around and snap a pic when compared to lugging around bulky equipment. If you want my opinion, however, I can’t say that I’ll ever fully replace my digital camera with my phone.

That’s not to say that you can’t, or even that I haven’t taken several good pictures with my phone. It honestly comes down to preference and how much you’re willing to spend on photography.

For me, I think my actual DSLR symbolizes something important to me. It tells me that my love for photography isn’t a hoax; it’s real, I have a legit camera, I have proof. Of course you can be a legit photographer and use mainly your phone– a lot of Instagram influencers basically make their living off posting pictures, and they’re using their phones.

I think it also depends on what your photography focus is. Of course I’m gonna choose my DSLR over my phone when shooting a lacrosse game, because it’s faster, higher quality, and has a better zoom. But I’ll never turn down a quick selfie or two on my phone, because dealing with the whole set up of using a digital camera for a selfie gives me undeniable stress and at that point I don’t even want to take a selfie anymore.

Phones are great for in the moment. They’re great for capturing small, random moments that you don’t expect. Video clips of friends laughing, music playing. Phones, for their ease and convenience, are the only option when life throws you an unexpected moment you just have to capture.

Digital cameras, especially DSLRs, are much more intentional. They have a purpose, a goal. I will go to an event with my DSLR with the intention of taking pictures; if I did not have that intent, I would have left my camera nice and safe and secure back at home. Using my DSLR is a decision I make to be serious about photography, to care about it and promise to myself to keep improving.

I think there are benefits to both types of equipment, but it really comes down to personal preference. I know I’ll always have a bias, but if it’s because of my attachment to my DSLR or my lowkey terrible skills at shooting on my iPhone, I don’t know. I know this is kind of a lazy ending, but I just wanted to talk about this topic a little bit. If not for actual helpful information, at least to spark some self-reflection. What is your aim with photography? What is your purpose, your intention? And how can you best achieve those goals with your choice of equipment?