(embiggenable) ~ straight out of the iPhone with a little fine tuning
(embiggenable) ~ straight out of the iPhone with a lot of fine tuning cuz the iPhone’s AI wants every picture to be like a bright sunny day
AN ADDENDUM OF SORTS TO YESTERDAY’S ENTRY: re: not thinking while making a picture. One of the ways in which I do not think when making a picture is linked to the gear I use. From that standpoint, this entry also derives its subject matter form the T.O.P. entry about “simple” cameras.
One of the standard pieces of advice for those picture makers seeking to find their picture making vision is the one camera-one lens-one year idea. The point of that exercise is to minimize one’s involvement with the gear so that the focus can be on seeing. In short, set it, forget it, then start making pictures. Although the idea that, if you find your vision using that methodology, you can then start changing lenses or bodies is ludicrous. iMo, what should be done at that point is to duct tape the lens to the body and keep making pictures.
In any event, every digital camera I have ever owned was a simple camera inasmuch as, within 30 minutes-maybe a little more, maybe a little less-of getting my hands on a new camera (always from the same camera maker) I: 1.) set the shooting mode to MANUAL, 2.) designate 2 dials/wheels, 1 ea. for shutter speed and aperture, 3.) set the focus / metering settings to the center of the viewfinder / screen, 4.) set the rendering intent to NEUTRAL, 5.) engage the IS, and, 6.) make sure I have easy access to the ISO menu. In essence I have made my camera as simple to operate as my first late-60s Nikon F. And, at this point what I am looking to achieve with my set up is to end up with a rich image file, full of useful information which can be fine-tuned to any visual state I wish to achieve.
This set up has served me well during my “real” camera days. Although, in some extreme high dynamic range lighting conditions, it required a bracketed frame or 2 to blend either highlight or shadow detail-at times, both-into the master file to achieve my desired result. Note that virtually all of the “work” to achieve my desired result came after making the image file. Nothing got in the way of seeing. Also note that, by creating a rich / “straight” image file, all of how the final image will look is up to me, not the machine or the AI software programers.
Which brings me to the iPhone…but that’s for another entry.