More monochrome photography in this post. Taken yesterday on a stormy highway while enroute to our Southern Home in Italy. No worries, I didn’t drive under the influence (of photography). Our e-car was driving autonomous on the highway in Southern Bavaria, supervised by Big Boy sitting behind the wheel. While I was snapping at the amazing cloudscape with ever-changing light with my iPhone 16 Pro Max from the passenger seat. To see more images of this photographic road trip continue after the jump….
Yesterday afternoon, The Significant Other and I went for a walk up the mountain behind the house we’re staying. Sure enough an opportunity to capture some of the surrounding beauty on a sensor. As “real” camera I brought the Nikon Zf plus some primes. And then there are the two iPhone cameras in my office phone (iPhone 16 Pro Max) and my personal device (iPhone 14 Pro). The camera I grabbed for our walk was the technically “weakest”, the iPhone 14 Pro.
Photography literally means “drawing with light”. There is no reference about technology in this. While having a capable device to capture light on a sensor (or film) certainly is a prerequisite, it is not the key component for taking good photographs. In fact, some of the world’s greatest images have been captured with technology that was far inferior to what we can use today. Photography is more about the eye, the creativity in our minds than technology. Taking landscape images, it is about light, contrast, color, shapes, textures and composition. And this for me is the fun when out and about, doing my “visual push ups”. So come along for a walk with my phone…..
As mentioned in yesterday’s post, Big Boy and I headed to Madrid to watch the Miami Dolphins play the Washington Commanders in the 2025 Madrid Game as part of the NFL’s international series. To give you some impressions of this fantastic event (with the right team winning 16:13 in OT), here a few images from and around the game. Fins Up!
A scene from a wet and chilly night on the streets of Madrid. A young couple seated in front of the Catedral de Santa María la Real de la Almudena, across from the Royal Palace. Leaning into each other, enjoying a moment of shared silence while the city moved around them. I don’t know what they were looking at on that phone. Maybe a photo of a friend. Maybe a message, or a train schedule, or nothing important at all. But in that frozen instant, the world outside stopped mattering.
This is the kind of thing I’m always on the hunt for with my Street Photography. Not grandeur, not drama, but the gentle realities we walk by every day. Snapped with my iPhone 16 Pro Max. Postprocessing in Lightroom Classic.
If you are looking for tips and inspirations around street photography, check out my free “Learning Center.”
My heart beats Street Photography. I’m always looking to capture life as it happens. Like this little girl looking at votive candles in Cathédrale Notre-Dame des Doms d’Avignon. Amazed by the magic light, maybe asking herself what wishes have been associated with those candles. A monochrome shot taken during our visit of Avignon (Provence, France) with my iPhone using the dark black&white mode.
If you are looking for more inspirations around street photography tips, check out my free “Learning Center”.
While heading to a quick dinner in Midtown Atlanta this week, I enjoyed the late afternoon warmth and the beautiful light. The golden glow of the setting sun cast long shadows on the sidewalks, adding depth and character to the Midtown streets. It was the perfect time for some quick street photography using my iPhone 16 Pro Max, capturing the energy of the city as people made their way home. By bike, on foot, and in their cars, each with their own story. Some rushed with purpose, others lingered, caught in quiet moments. The reflections in glass buildings, the flicker of neon signs coming to life, the movement at crosswalks — it all made for an ever-changing canvas for the stories of the street, just waiting to be framed. For a few more images, continue after the jump…
Isn’t it nice when a day starts full of color? This is especially true after having spent the night in an airplane seat crossing the Atlantic Ocean eastbound in a KLM Boeing 787 Dreamliner. I opened the shades, and there it was, the colorful airy sunrise. Playing round with my iPhone, it switched to macro mode when I zoomed in and focused on the ice crystals on the outside of the window. I really love the effect it generated. Kind of artsy…
I love these things, playing around with the camera (or the smartphone) and see what I can get out of interesting things I see. This is what I call my visual push-ups. Photography stands for “painting with light”. But it is also “playing with light”.
Get your creative juices flowing. Grab a camera (or phone) and try things out. As the saying goes: One good photo a day keeps boredom away 😉
For more tips and inspirations around street photography, head to my free Learning Center.
I’m back in the air this morning. Hard to believe it is the my first intercontinental business trip since 2019. Thanks to Covid. I’m flying from Nuremberg via Amsterdam to Atlanta. Weather wise I will improve, leaving the freezy streets of Nuremberg for the, according to my iPhone weather app, almost summerly warmer ATL. Not that I will get much out of it, as I’m staying only a few days and it will be all work (plus maybe a dinner or two). And a travel day is always a great opportunity for some street and travel photography, usually by doing snapshots with my iPhone. The one above is a prime example for the beautiful black and white images that can be produced with a modern smartphone camera. To see more images from my travel day, click to continue….
Street Photography is not necessarily about capturing human beings on the stage of life. It is also about seeing those little things that happen out in the streets, the little stories that make us smile about life happening in front of our lens. When I saw this 90 degrees bent bollard behind that car parked in Quimper, France, I had to laugh, I thought this was hilarious. I have captured that snapshot dubbed Collision Course with my iPhone.
So take your camera (or smartphone), hit your local streets and look for this little funny scenes that also tell the stories of the streets.
If you are looking for more tips and inspirations around street photography, take a look around my free Learning Center.
Yesterday, after a long workday, The Significant Other and I headed down to Genoa’s Porto Antico for an “Apericena”, Cocktails combined with Italian Tapas. I was pleasantly surprised, when the Regent of the Household suggested to visit the Summer Luna Park set up in the Harbor on the way back to our place. “So you can take some photographs while I look what the fair has to offer”. No questions asked from my side 🙂 . While having the X-T2 with me, I shot also various images with my iPhone, leveraging the feature to turn images taken with the “Live” function of the camera app turned on into long exposure photographs (you can to that in the photo app). Check out more image of the series “Luna Park with an iPhone” after the jump….
Smartphones are ubiquitous and virtually always within arm’s reach. And isn’t there the saying that the best camera is the one you have with you? Smartphone cameras allow spontaneous capture of moments without the need for carrying a large DSLR or mirrorless camera. Whether it’s a stunning sunset or a spontaneous social gathering, your smartphone is there to capture it instantly. Smartphone cameras are evolving rapidly, with each new model boasting better sensors, improved image processing, and more advanced features than most “real” cameras. But would any serious photographer accept a smartphone as a legit replacement for a “big” DSLR or mirrorless camera? The answer, at least from my point of view, is “it depends”…..continue reading after the jump for some more insights about the question smartphone or camera?…
Yesterday I was doing some street photography while strolling through the alleys of Intra at Italy’s Lago Maggiore. It was really too hot and humid to get the creative juices flowing. This is the only shot that is a keeper from the outing. I saw that mural and what message it seems to convey, and the luxury coffee store across the street. Then I saw the approaching sunlit family of casual Saturday shoppers. More contrasts. I snapped away with my iPhone.
In post I debated whether to convert to monochrome. But I like how the colors work together in this image. One photograph I like is enough to be happy with a day of otherwise energy-less shooting.
If you feel energized to head out with your camera (or smart phone) to capture some street photography, check out my free Learning Center for lots of tips and inspirations around shooting in the streets.
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