Julie runs her smartphone photography sessions in and around East Kent, with the stunning seaside towns of Margate, Ramsgate, Broadstairs, Deal and Folkestone right on her doorstep. This beautiful landscape has provided Julie with endless inspiration for her own photography, which led her to join Jet Black Squares last year so she could offer group and 1:1 sessions in her local area. We chatted with Julie to find out more about her passion for smartphone photography.
What first interested you about smartphone photography?
I am a photographer - I love everything about photography and have been taking all kinds of images for over 40 years. Over the years, my cameras and lenses have become more and more sophisticated and expensive! I didn’t really think much about the phone camera in my pocket because I believed that the image quality would be rubbish and it wouldn’t be anywhere near as good as my ‘proper camera’. I also found myself in situations where I wished I had my camera to hand to get a shot to then realise I did have a camera right in my pocket.
So, I started to learn about the camera in my pocket. I was amazed at the quality of the images I was producing. I was even entering phone images into club competitions and doing very well with them! As the phone cameras became more sophisticated, I was able to take my images in a format which enabled me to edit them on my computer in the same way as those from an SD card. Now I use my phone camera for most of my photography. I find I can be so much more creative, and don’t need to keep switching lenses for the shot - I can do it all on the phone camera.
What phone do you use and what are your favourite features?
I have an iPhone 15 Pro and I absolutely love the portrait mode. I use it all the time and not just for portraits! It allows me to adjust the depth of field so that the background is blurred out. It also has special features that give different looks during the photo-taking stage. Best of all, I can edit the image taken in portrait mode and make changes to the background blur, the point of focus and the photographic style after the photo has been taken. It’s amazing!
What’s your favourite location for photography?
I don’t really have a favourite location because it depends on what I am photographing. But wherever I go, I will check the weather to ensure I will get good light. The best light is early morning or late afternoon/evening. These hours in the day are known as the ‘Golden Hour’ and it’s because of the effect of the low sun and soft light. I am fortunate enough to live near the Isle of Thanet, where Turner painted. He did so partly because of the exquisite light there. And that’s why I run smartphone photography safaris in Margate (also for the fish & chips and the beautiful sandy beaches!).
What is one of your favourite images?
I took this image on a smartphone safari in the beautiful city of Canterbury. It had rained heavily the night before and I took full advantage of the abundance of puddles to play with! Dropping down on my knees, I turned my phone upside down and took this photo. I love the colours and the perfect symmetry in the reflection.
Find out more
Julie runs group, family and 1:1 smartphone safaris all around East Kent. To take a look at the tours she offers and to book, please click below.