Image by ♥ China ♥ guccio via Flickr

Last week I was taking photographs for the social media photomarathon. (This is now over – and I will shortly be posting my closing post on this event over at Shared Creation.) My final picture was a representation of cosy using a wine glass and a gas fire. I had the idea and then tried the shot out immediately using my mobile phone. This reminded me that at times I have used my phone to take pictures when I haven’t had a larger camera about. Some of these shots I have worked up significant images.

This got me thinking about the camera on my phone. Its always with me. I use it to take pictures or to record picture ideas. In effect its become a both a photographic tool and the equivalent of carrying a sketchbook. Artists have long carried and used sketchbooks for the very purpose of exploring the idea of a picture before it is committed to canvas. My phone now does that – taking odd pictures, capturing textures or small and useful images if I do not have a larger camera about. Its useful to do a quick and unsophisticated capture. After all it is impossible to guarantee remembering all ideas, but a phone with a gallery does a good job of being a concept list.

Of course you can always add to that.

I also use the mobile version of Evernote to jot down ideas and add context to what I have been taking.

So never forget – in your pocket is a small device that can record ideas.

Here is the picture that started this train of thought