Mobile photography

[Lord Ba'al]

Instead of just posting a bunch of stuff in the thread I had made to discuss various smartphones in regard to their photographic capabilities. I thought it'd perhaps be better to have a specific thread for posting photos and/or videos made using mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. (no, actual camera devices though they may be carried around do not count as mobile devices in the sense intended here)

@Overmind One, how are you on storage space here, good to go?


Here's a list of the picture takers in this thread and the devices they used. Specs copied from https://www.gsmarena.com/.


@Lord Ba'al using a Google Pixel 2
Main camera specs:
Single: 12.2 MP, f/1.8, 27mm, 1/2.6", 1.4µm, OIS, dual pixel PDAF & laser AF
Features: Dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama
Video: 2160p@30fps (gyro-EIS), 1080p@30/60/120fps (gyro-EIS), 720p@240fps (gyro-EIS)


@Overmind One using a Huawei Honor 6x
Main camera specs:
Dual: 12 MP, 1/2.9", 1.25µm, PDAF 2 MP, depth sensor
Features: LED flash, HDR, panorama
Video: 1080p@30fps


@Tripler using an Apple iPhone 6
Main camera specs:
Single: 8 MP, f/2.2, 29mm, 1/3", 1.5µm, PDAF
Features: Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR
Video: 1080p@60fps, 720p@240fps


@Atlantis using a Samsung Galaxy S7
Main camera specs:
Single: 12 MP, f/1.7, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS
Features: LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama
Video: 2160p@30fps, 1080p@60fps, 720p@240fps, HDR, dual-video rec.

 

[Lord Ba'al]

When I'm outside at the smoking area at work during my breaks, I find myself strangely drawn to the bumblebees whom I have seen flying off and on for the flowers in the area. They really are a hard-working bunch of creatures. Many a human being could take an example from them. They hop from flower to flower constantly, and I mean fast. I bet they visit about 15 to 20 flowers per minute at the rate they are going. They land, immediately do their thing and then "jump" straight to the next one. And when they're not flower-hopping they're busy hauling their heavy ass back and forth between their hive and wherever the flowers are, which could be miles apart from each other. I do not know of course what they do when they're at the hive, maybe they're just "chillin' 'n maxin' relaxin' all cool" and they don't go back out for a week and it only seems like they're very busy because we can't tell them apart from one another, tricky bastards. But no seriously, I suspect they do nothing else but work, work and work, because that's probably what they're genetically programmed to do in order for their colony to survive. Until they die of course and the new batch will take over next year. Not sure whether that's true, I'm not an entomologist.

I have found that it is quite difficult to capture the bloody buggers on a picture or video, because they move on to the next flower before you've been able to point your camera at them. Wide angle shots where they're only a small part of the picture don't count of course, that'd be cheating. Subsequently I've had to make a lot of attempts at taking pictures and video of them. I found it's best to have the camera pre-focused on a section which has a bunch of flowers together which appear to be frequented regularly and then just try to hold still and start recording when you think one might be approaching or be ready to take the snap in case you're taking a picture.

Here's a few snaps I've managed to take so far. I'll also try to post video if I can, but I'm hoping to be able to embed those anonymously using a link from my private Google account, though I'm not sure whether that's possible. I'll have to go for a trial and error routine for now I guess. Here goes.

 

[Overmind One]

When I'm outside at the smoking area at work during my breaks, I find myself strangely drawn to the bumblebees whom I have seen flying off and on for the flowers in the area. They really are a hard-working bunch of creatures. Many a human being could take an example from them. They hop from flower to flower constantly, and I mean fast. I bet they visit about 15 to 20 flowers per minute at the rate they are going. They land, immediately do their thing and then "jump" straight to the next one. And when they're not flower-hopping they're busy hauling their heavy ass back and forth between their hive and wherever the flowers are, which could be miles apart from each other. I do not know of course what they do when they're at the hive, maybe they're just "chillin' 'n maxin' relaxin' all cool" and they don't go back out for a week and it only seems like they're very busy because we can't tell them apart from one another, tricky bastards. But no seriously, I suspect they do nothing else but work, work and work, because that's probably what they're genetically programmed to do in order for their colony to survive. Until they die of course and the new batch will take over next year. Not sure whether that's true, I'm not an entomologist.

I have found that it is quite difficult to capture the bloody buggers on a picture or video, because they move on to the next flower before you've been able to point your camera at them. Wide angle shots where they're only a small part of the picture don't count of course, that'd be cheating. Subsequently I've had to make a lot of attempts at taking pictures and video of them. I found it's best to have the camera pre-focused on a section which has a bunch of flowers together which appear to be frequented regularly and then just try to hold still and start recording when you think one might be approaching or be ready to take the snap in case you're taking a picture.

Here's a few snaps I've managed to take so far. I'll also try to post video if I can, but I'm hoping to be able to embed those anonymously using a link from my private Google account, though I'm not sure whether that's possible. I'll have to go for a trial and error routine for now I guess. Here goes.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/onoz2PKnbYywwQFbA

You have an excellent eye for photos. Try taking video instead?

 

[Lord Ba'al]

You have an excellent eye for photos. Try taking video instead?

Thanks. And yes, I've been trying video and those bumblebees are as I mentioned very hard to get on video properly. I must have recorded at least 30 short videos during my short breaks and maybe two of them are any good I think. I have to look into how best to post them here. Don't want to upload them due to the large file size of course. So embedding them through a link would be the best solution. But I would prefer to do that in a way that doesn't reveal my identity, if you know what I mean. I may have to setup a specific account for that somewhere so I can remain anonymous and my personal accounts are not out there in the open. Perhaps we could discuss this in PM? I would hate for this thread to right away slip into a page long discussion about something which does not actually contain any photos.

 

[Lord Ba'al]

Butterflies are perhaps even more difficult to capture on film than bumblebees. They flop about so much and land on flowers a lot less and unlike bumblebees (which appear to be sensible about hopping from one flower to the one right next to it) they go to another flower which is several or many meters away, so by the time you get there they'll be long gone. Do to appear to be taking a bit longer to investigate each flower though. That's probably the only reason why I was eventually able to take this shot. There were far less butterflies in the area than bumblebees by the way, so that was a factor as well.

 

[Lord Ba'al]

I spotted this fly landing on the edge of the fence and was surprised to find it allowed me to get quite close in order to take a picture. It didn't even fly away after I took it.

 

[Lord Ba'al]

This little plant just caught my attention because of its bright green color and its intriguing configuration. It has symmetry to it and sort of like a fractal like concept. Plus it is clearly in a process of growth and about to become... something. It also looks like it has balls, which is something @PussyGalore will perhaps appreciate. I have no idea what type of plant this is or what it will look like in the future. I'll try to keep an eye on it though and hopefully the grounds keeper won't eradicate it. There's several more smaller ones of the same type near it, I guess it's some kind of "weed" as in that it's an unwanted plant. If I had a shovel and a pot with me I would have liked to take it home, but that sorta stuff is just too inconvenient to take to work.

 

[PussyGalore]

This little plant just caught my attention because of its bright green color and its intriguing configuration. It has symmetry to it and sort of like a fractal like concept. Plus it is clearly in a process of growth and about to become... something. It also looks like it has balls, which is something @PussyGalore will perhaps appreciate. I have no idea what type of plant this is or what it will look like in the future. I'll try to keep an eye on it though and hopefully the grounds keeper won't eradicate it. There's several more smaller ones of the same type near it, I guess it's some kind of "weed" as in that it's an unwanted plant. If I had a shovel and a pot with me I would have liked to take it home, but that sorta stuff is just too inconvenient to take to work.

View attachment 34295

Pick some and eat it dude.

 

[Lord Ba'al]

Pick some and eat it dude.

Are you trying to tell me it's a herb or are you trying to poison me or just pull my leg?

 

[PussyGalore]

Are you trying to tell me it's a herb or are you trying to poison me or just pull my leg?

If you're not going to eat it you should, at the very least, pick it, dry it and smoke it. What's the worst that could happen?

 

[Lord Ba'al]

If you're not going to eat it you should, at the very least, pick it, dry it and smoke it. What's the worst that could happen?

You must not have seen the movie Into the Wild.

Anyway, does anyone perhaps have a pic of their own to share? Taken with a mobile device of course.

 

[Overmind One]

You must not have seen the movie Into the Wild.

Anyway, does anyone perhaps have a pic of their own to share? Taken with a mobile device of course.

Are you uploading directly from your phone to the forum?

 

[Lord Ba'al]

Are you uploading directly from your phone to the forum?

No, not this time at least, sometimes I do. The pictures I take with my phone are automatically uploaded to the Google cloud (completely free since I paid a lot of money for this expensive Google phone). In this case I've downloaded onto my laptop from my Google account and I've been using my laptop to post these here. It's just easier to type on a laptop than a smartphone. But I have uploaded other pics a few days ago in the other thread straight from the smartphone. There's really no difference to it.

 

[PussyGalore]

You must not have seen the movie Into the Wild.

Anyway, does anyone perhaps have a pic of their own to share? Taken with a mobile device of course.

What kind of pic you lookin' for, sailor?

 

[Overmind One]

Butterflies are perhaps even more difficult to capture on film than bumblebees. They flop about so much and land on flowers a lot less and unlike bumblebees (which appear to be sensible about hopping from one flower to the one right next to it) they go to another flower which is several or many meters away, so by the time you get there they'll be long gone. Do to appear to be taking a bit longer to investigate each flower though. That's probably the only reason why I was eventually able to take this shot. There were far less butterflies in the area than bumblebees by the way, so that was a factor as well.

View attachment 34290

In that photo, I love the way the butterfly does not jump out right away, then BAM! Hey! There is a butterfly in the center! He blends in well.

 

[Overmind One]

Taken just now...

 

[Overmind One]

My little succulents planter.

 

[PussyGalore]

My phone takes lousy pics and I'm too lazy to find my good camera. (I'm pretty sure it's in my downstairs bar on a shelf next to a bottle of Makers Mark bourbon. I only ever get creative with pics when I'm entertaining for holidays and social gatherings here. Other than that my cheap ass phone cam suffices for my needs. After all, not all of us want to be Ansel Adams. )

 

[Lord Ba'al]

What kind of pic you lookin' for, sailor?

I'm not looking for dick pics if that's what you were thinking of.

My phone takes lousy pics and I'm too lazy to find my good camera. (I'm pretty sure it's in my downstairs bar on a shelf next to a bottle of Makers Mark bourbon. I only ever get creative with pics when I'm entertaining for holidays and social gatherings here. Other than that my cheap ass phone cam suffices for my needs. After all, not all of us want to be Ansel Adams. )

Hey no cheating by using a real camera! That'd be unfair.

Even though your phone takes lousy pics, try taking one if you spot something to take a snap of. Or post one you already have. It'd still be interesting to see.

Thanks for posting some pics @Overmind One. What type of device did you take those pictures with? It might be interesting for me to edit the OP with that sort of information.

 

[Overmind One]

I'm not looking for dick pics if that's what you were thinking of.



Hey no cheating by using a real camera! That'd be unfair.

Even though your phone takes lousy pics, try taking one if you spot something to take a snap of. Or post one you already have. It'd still be interesting to see.

Thanks for posting some pics @Overmind One. What type of device did you take those pictures with? It might be interesting for me to edit the OP with that sort of information.

My Huawei Honor 6x: