Judging 4-H photography in Lac Qui Parle county was an eye opening experience for me.  Judging is based on 50% photo display and 50% judging interview so I had plenty of opportunity to visit with the 4-H photographers.  That’s my kind of day!

What surprised me was the quality of photos the kids were capturing with their phones.  The problem with phones is that you have no control over shutter, aperture, and ISO settings and that hinders learning the relationship between light, shutter and aperture.  But at least, it gets them started and they may continue to pursue this interest in photography and take it to the next level.  There is a saying in photography that the best camera is the one you have with you the most and this may prove to be correct.

I’m expecting the camera phones to keep improving and when searching found that the Samsung Galaxy 5 does offer some controls.  Although mobile phones can’t hope to offer the same level of customization as your typical digital SLR, they still come with a few manual settings which can drastically alter the way your photos look.

Click on the camera review link for a list of phones and reviews of their cameras:  Camera phone reviews

If you ever want to feel good about the future of our world, hang out with 4-H youth.  You will go home smiling…

I even used my phone to capture these images!