Cameras
These first two videos aren’t strictly necessary, but it is useful to be familiar with the pro’s and cons of ‘Real’ Cameras and Smartphones. As with most photographers, I use both. It’s good to know when to pick one over the other:
Key points
Section titled “Key points”- Dedicated cameras offer better handling and ergonomics than flat smartphones, making them easier to hold steady and control.
- Electronic viewfinders (EVFs) give accurate previews of exposure, focus and composition, even in bright light.
- Proper electronic flash provides much more creative and powerful lighting options than a phone’s weak LED.
- Interchangeable lenses allow huge creative range – from ultra-wide to extreme telephoto, plus macro and specialist lenses.
- True shallow depth of field is possible with large sensors and wide-aperture lenses, unlike digital blur in portrait mode.
- Image quality is more consistent and flexible, especially in low light, fast action or when using larger sensors.
- Articulating screens on cameras allow high-quality selfies with the main sensor, unlike smartphones that rely on weaker front cameras.
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- The video is strong, but for Higher exam answers it’s worth noting that depth of field depends not only on aperture but also focal length and subject distance.
- Image quality also links to sensor size, dynamic range and bit depth, which could be highlighted for top-level understanding.
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Key points
Section titled “Key points”- Smartphones are compact, discreet and always with you – perfect for candid and street photography.
- Large, high-resolution screens make composition and reviewing images easier, especially in bright light.
- Smartphones can both capture and display HDR (high dynamic range) images, unlike most cameras.
- Instant connectivity makes sharing photos to social media quick and simple.
- Powerful in-phone editing apps (e.g. Lightroom Mobile, Magic Editor) offer creative control without a computer.
- Built-in lenses and computational portrait modes give realistic shallow depth of field at low cost.
- Excellent stabilisation makes video and vlogging smooth without needing gimbals or extra kit.
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- For Higher exam answers, remember that portrait mode blur is software-generated – real optical depth of field on larger sensors gives more natural results.
- Image quality from phones is impressive, but limited by smaller sensors – larger sensors in cameras give better performance in low light and more control over dynamic range.
- To get the best marks in your Project, you’re going to need to be very deliberate about your aperture choice. This is generally impossible with Smartphones.
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Key points
Section titled “Key points”- A camera works by controlling light through three main parts: the aperture, shutter and sensor.
- The aperture (hole or opening in the lens) controls how much light enters and affects depth of field (sharpness from near to far).
- The shutter acts like a curtain, controlling how long light reaches the sensor (shutter speed).
- The sensor is made of millions of pixels that capture light as electrical signals in red, green or blue, which combine to form the image.
- A pinhole camera is the simplest example: a small hole projects an upside-down image of a scene onto a surface.
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He’s so irreverent, there must be something to pick on - let us know when you find it!
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Key points
Section titled “Key points”- RAW files have a lot more editing flexibility
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Some of these images may be a little over-processed, and I’m not so keen on that tram sky colour, but for Higher Photography RAW is definitely the way to go.
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Exercise
Section titled “Exercise”- Set your camera & phone camera to shoot in RAW. Google “how to enable RAW on [camera model or app name]” if you don’t know how.
- Ensure you’re always shooting in RAW whenever your taking a photo that, even possibly, may be used in your Project or submitted as part of your Development evidence.
- Consider using two photo apps on your phone if you’re concerned about RAW photos taking too much space. One that you use to photograph things with zero artistic merit (like receipts), and one for your photography.
- Familiarise yourself with both your camera and your phone camera app.