HTC EVO 4G as a Camera

The image above was taken at Oxbow Bend in Grand Teton National Park with the HTC EVO 4G.

I mentioned in our previous post, "Yellowstone Gear" that I would be bringing my HTC EVO 4G. I said, "Yes phones count these days!" The reason they count these days is because I believe some phones have a legitimate camera built in.

In my opinion, the EVO's 8 megapixel camera has good enough image quality that I no longer have use for a small point and shoot camera. It has effectively replaced my CoolPix. 8 megapixels is more than enough for the type of work that I requre out of it. There tends to be a fair amount of noise, but can quickly cleaned up in Lightroom 3.

With any camera or piece of gear, it is important to work within the abilities of the gear and work to strengths of it. The obvious strength of having a phone with a quality camera is you always have it with you. This seems obvious, but it really applies to how I got this shot.

My DSLR camera was set up on a tripod at Oxbow Bend. While we waited for the sun to come up we were joined by several other photographers. I walked around to look for other angles and opportunities. As I did, I noticed a beautiful silhouette scene in the opposite direction.

Since my camera was on the tripod pointed at the snake river, I used my EVO to take the photograph. I ran the image through Lightroom 3 for noise reduction and sharpening.

One reason this photograph is able to work with the EVO is because it's a silhouette. Since it's a silhouette I was really able to crank up the noise reduction without worrying about loss of detail. I sharpened the edges and the result is excellent image quality.

Whatever piece of photographic equipment you own, it has it's strengths. If you work to the strength of that gear you can make some great images too. It also keeps you shooting despite the gear you wish you had. Trust me, you can make some beautiful images with the gear you already own.