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Thanks to the ever improving technology being put into smartphone cameras, most of us do always have a camera on us at all times, but smartphone cameras aren’t necessarily the most effective way to capture the shots we happen to see during our everyday lives. Sure, sometimes they are all that we need, but because we are so used to carrying them around and using them for other things, like talking on the phone or checking in on our social media accounts, I don’t always think about having a camera in my pocket 24/7. So I thought to myself, what would happen if I started carrying around a dedicated camera everywhere I went?
As it turns out, lot’s of good things happened–here’s seven things I noticed after pledging to bring along my mirrorless or DSLR whenever I left the house.
1. A Constant Reminder
Maybe it was the added bulk and weight I was lugging around in my bag or maybe it was some sort of mental connection, but, one of the first things I noticed was there tended to be a little voice in my head that served as a constant reminder letting me know I’m with camera and could totally stop and take a photo if I saw something that caught my eye. That led to me more actively looking for something to take photographs of rather than just waiting for something to jump out at me.
2. Practicing Became A Daily Habit
I started getting in a lot more practice sessions in without having specifically set aside time to do so. Practicing just became an ingrained habit in my everyday life because I was always on the lookout for photo opportunities and taking more photos than I was before. Of course, not all of them turned out to be keepers, but I did make a point to make sure I was learning something from each of these sessions.
3. My Personal Style Became Stronger
The more I began looking for photos and the more photos I made, I noticed my personal photography style really begin to strengthen and show itself. For me, this is one of the most beneficial aspects of my little camera carrying experiment. It’s hard, if not impossible, to teach yourself to have a photography style–in many ways it’s something that just has to unfold and develop on it’s own. That, of course, happens with time and experience behind the camera. As I looked through the photos I had been taking, I noticed clear patterns in my preferences when it comes to subject matter, composition, colors, and even my editing style.
4. I Became A Documentary Photographer
In short, I became a documentary photographer of my own life. While there’s a lot to be said for taking the time to conceptualize, plan, and create a photograph, the same can be true of a collection of photos that was made over an extended course of time that documents and tells the story of a person’s life in a candid and personal kind of way.
5. My Camera Became An Extension Of Myself
And as a result, I was able to fully embrace more opportunities. There were times when the only camera I had on me was a smartphone, which I would use because it was what I happened to have on me at the time, but I still didn’t get the shot I wanted because of the innate limitations shooting on such a device presented. One could argue getting a shot is better than no shot–and I would even agree to an extent–but getting the shot I envisioned is even better, and when I had a more powerful camera on me I was more likely to accomplish it. That resulted in me taking more photos that I was proud to put in my portfolio and offer for sale on a stock photography site.
Conclusion
All that being said, I do still carry my smartphone all the time and I even prefer it as a go to camera for photos that I want to take–especially when I just need to take a quick shot or just do not have the time to stop and pull out a big camera and go through the entire process. But, I do still carry around a small kit most of the time. I don’t notice the added weight much anymore, and the adjustment period it took for me to get used to packing it around , I find, was absolutely worth it. In closing, it’s not always feasible (or acceptable) to carry a DSLR with me, but thanks to the benefits I’ve mentioned above, I’m all about having one with me whenever the situation allows for it!
