The rise of the smartphone as a camera has been attributed to the adage that "the best camera is the one you have with you," and it seems like everyone has a smart phone and every smartphone has a camera. Thus the rise of Instagram, Facebook, and the ubiquitous Selfie. I love my smart phone, and it is almost always with me, but so is my camera! There are things that I can do with my camera that I just cannot do with my smart phone. I will admit that I have seen some incredible pictures taken with smartphones, ones I am jealous of, because I wish I had taken them. But my smartphone just does not rival my camera when it comes to picture quality and versatility.

My smartphone does not:

1. Have the sensor pixel count of my camera.

2. Allow me to adjust all the variables my camera does (ISO, Shutter speed, lens aperture, finely select my focus point, or the focal length of my lens).

3. Allow me to capture the image in a file format that can be both easily and extensively adjusted (often refereed to as "RAW" format).

The creative possibilities with my camera are so much greater than with my phone. I love my phone, and it is great for a quick snap shot, but if I see something that I really want to capture in all its glory (or improve upon via digital editing), then I take out my camera.

This picture was taken when I was driving home from an all day meeting. The storm was coming on fast, and I pulled over and snapped a quick picture, one that would not have looked as good with my smartphone :)