As someone who does professional photography and also takes pictures as their main hobby, I was compelled to undertake a bold experiment: ditch my camera and just use my smartphone. After testing this approach for a week, here's what I learned.

1. You Don't Need a Proper Camera to Take Good Photos

I've said for years that gear does and doesn't matter, and I stand by that opinion after running this experiment. It's easy to get caught up in marketing campaigns and listen to manufacturers say that you need something. The truth is that while cameras can help you upgrade your photography, you don't need one to take good photos.

When I let go of my camera for a week, I was initially worried about not being able to capture shots that I liked. But photography is primarily about the story you tell, and you can do that with a smartphone. I also found it quite easy to adjust the colors and such using Apple Photos, and I also think that I know more about what does and doesn't work now.

I actually took photos exclusively on my smartphone for two years before deciding to get my first camera. If you're still figuring out whether you want to take photography more seriously, I suggest doing the same. And if you're just a casual photographer, you can get away with only using your smartphone.

2. But Smartphone Cameras Still Have Their Limitations

The other side of the coin here is that smartphone cameras are still limited. I don't think I'd ever use a smartphone for professional work, and I also didn't like using my smartphone for capturing objects farther away. For example, the image quality is—in my opinion—not as good on a smartphone when photographing cityscapes or landscapes.

these are the features that I think smartphones need to compete with cameras. The zoom quality on smartphones is nowhere near the standard I'm used to on my mirrorless camera, and even if I use smartphone camera apps, they don't give me anywhere near the flexibility of a purpose-built camera.

Every device has its limitations, and this also goes for cameras. I'm sure that I will need to upgrade my device at some point; your smartphone can be a stepping stone if you later want to further pursue your photography.

3. Using My Smartphone Forced Me to Get More Creative

Despite the drawbacks of using a smartphone camera, I have to say one thing for sure: it forced me to get more creative, and I liked the challenge. When I use prime lenses and smartphone cameras, I often find that the limited flexibility from not being able to zoom actually brings out more of my creative side. That was also the case with this experiment.

Because I had to think more carefully about taking good pictures, my smartphone forced me to think outside the box and seek interesting angles. I found myself observing my surroundings more for different objects that I could leverage, which ultimately led to more interesting shots.

If you want some ideas to start with, check out this guide on getting the perfect composition in your smartphone photos.

4. Organizing Your Photos Is Even More Important on a Smartphone

I always keep my camera pictures organized in different files and folders, but admittedly I sometimes slack a little in this area. However, when taking pictures on my smartphone, I quickly realized the importance of keeping my camera roll in shape. Your smartphone camera roll features screenshots, videos, and various other things, and not organizing them will quickly become confusing.

To stop my camera roll from becoming cluttered, I made an effort to delete pictures that I knew would never be put to use. You can do this by first marking the images you like as favorites; once you've done that, go through the others and decide whether they're worth using or not. If they aren't, there's no point in keeping them.

5. I Took More "Everyday" Photos With My Smartphone

Another big insight I got when ditching my camera for my smartphone is that I took more "everyday" pictures. For example, I was more likely to capture shots of things that I thought looked nice at home. This is mainly because taking pictures with a smartphone requires less effort than taking my camera out of my bag, turning my device on, changing the aperture, and then getting the shot.

Since my mood is always better when I take photos, this was a very nice byproduct of only using my smartphone. It's also something that I would like to continue, even though I now use my proper camera again. If you're thinking of doing the same, make sure that you tweak some essential settings before posting your smartphone photos.

6. Smartphones Are Excellent for Learning the Basics of Photography

As I mentioned earlier, I used a smartphone to learn the basics of photography for two years before getting my camera. One could argue that I would have learned more if I'd bought the camera first, but I don't think that's true. Why? Because if you can't use a tool, it's ultimately useless—regardless of the specs.

If you're totally new to photography, I suggest using your smartphone to learn basics like composition and lighting. Once you're comfortable with the core components of taking a good picture, you can upgrade to a camera. It was nice to have this reminder when ditching my camera for my smartphone.

7. You Care Less About the Technical Aspects When Taking Photos With a Smartphone

I've made a conscious effort to care less about the technical aspects of photography over the past years because it felt like I was stifling my creativity. In my opinion, you become an expert at something when you learn the rules and then know how to break them. When you look at a great photo, you probably don't think too much about the aperture it was taken at or what ISO the camera has.

When I took photos with just my smartphone, I cared a lot less about the technical aspects than on my camera. The main reason behind this was that I had less control, so I focused more on what to photograph instead. My key takeaway here would be this: learn the technical aspects, but once you're experienced enough, use them as a guideline and not an absolute rule.

I Won't Ditch My Camera Forever, but I Learned a Lot From This Experiment

Having a week away from my camera and focusing just on smartphone photography was quite nice, and it was good to get back in touch with the basics of photography. I wouldn't use my smartphone for professional photography, and to be honest, I was quite happy to start using my mirrorless camera again. Nonetheless, it made me realize that it's not essential to have your camera if you want to take good photos.

I would actually suggest using a smartphone to learn the basics of photography before upgrading to a camera later. However, you'll also need to understand the limitations of your device.