Point and Shoot: Art in an instant

In the short documentary Take Us to Jozi, local photographers and photography enthusiasts speak about how and why the City of Gold inspires their works.

For five minutes, you watch them going around the city, setting up mini-tripods in search of the perfect shot, be it of a building or a sunset. But they are not using the traditional digital camera. They are using their smartphones.

Once upon a time, mobile photography referred simply to pictures taken using a camera phone. As more and more people turned to their phones to capture moments in their lives, taking a photo no longer meant using a camera. Last September Facebook said 350million photos were being uploaded each day.

With its acquisition of Instagram, the go-to photo-sharing platform for most social media users, Facebook has ensured it is at the top of the mobile photography food chain.

Much has been made of the hatred of mobile photos by some photographers, but many professionals are on Instagram, often using smartphones.

A quick survey of photographers in The Times newsroom reveals that attitudes are changing: mobile photography is great, Instagram is fun, but it doesn't make you a photographer, any more than owning a Porsche makes you a racing driver.

But mobile photography has become an art form: galleries host exhibitions of smartphone pictures and there are competitions held around the world. Locally, our official Instagram community, @igersSouthAfrica, was founded by Gareth Pon, whose personal Instagram account has 126000 followers. He holds regular "Instameets" around South Africa, where Instagramers get together, hang out and take photographs.

Pon was a speaker at the recent Epson develop yourself mobile photography and printing workshop. He gave 10 tips:

• Get lost. Wandering around can sometimes get you unique images.
• You can get away with a lot more and get into more restricted places with your cellphone because people usually aren't threatened by it.
• Light is your friend. Mobile camera flashes aren't very good so use natural light.
• Get closer. Don't zoom in because the image quality won't be great.
• Shoot before you think. Shoot first and then ask questions.
• Think before you shoot. Consider the angle, subject and distance.
• Wear good shoes. Be comfortable because you will do a lot of walking.
• Align yourself with your environment. Not every photo has to be at eye level. Choose the best angle for the best picture.
• Know what you're looking for. Find a theme and explore it.
• Think in squares. Stay true to the medium if you're taking pictures for Instagram.

It is not only about good equipment but being creative, too.