iPhone vs. "Real" Camera
Two Separate Visits to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens
It’s the eye that makes a photographer, not the gear.
The gear tends to accumulate in tandem with your passion.
Now… this post is mostly photos, meant for comparing two different visits to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. The first year I flew into Atlanta with only an iPhone 12 Pro and a clip-on macro lens. The next year I was able to drive down with my Canon 80D and a full camera kit.
If you want to see some of what I’ve used and my tips for building out your own kit (at your own pace), you can visit the post linked below.
Trips like these remind me that photography, no matter the gear, changes how you move through a place. It slows you down and sharpens your eye, making the small moments feel as extraordinary as the sweeping views.
Taking photos isn’t about getting the shot. It’s about the joy of finding it.
To keep the comparisons fair, I edited all images as little as possible. My raw camera files were exported as TIFFs, then I lightly adjusted the colors using Apple’s native photo editor, just like the photos taken on my phone. Nothing fancy, just enough to stay true to what I saw.
If you’ve ever hesitated to start because you don’t have the “right” equipment or software, let this be proof that you don’t need it. Start with whatever camera you have, even if it’s the one in your pocket.
The art of seeing is what makes you a photographer and an artist.
Every photo can teach you something, even the bad ones… maybe especially the bad ones. Keep that in mind and give yourself grace as you grow.
These are a few reminders I keep close when I start to overthink it:
This is my To Don’t List. Feel free to keep it on your phone (right click or press and hold) for when you need a gentle nudge to look, hit the shutter button and most importantly, enjoy the process.
