Of Smart Phones and Cameras

If ever I get a smart phone, it will not be because I need to be able to make a phone call at any time or any place.  It will not be so that I can watch streaming material on a tiny screen.  I won't want to text or read my e-mails.

No, if I get a smart phone, it will be for the camera. In fact, I wonder if there's a way to get that camera without all the other technology attached.  I've done a bit of research, but if it's out there, I haven't been able to find it.

I have what once would have been a fairly expensive camera, at least for my budget.  But I can't figure out how to make it take the same quality of picture.  And it's big and heavy.  I envy the folks who have a camera that fits in a pocket.  It needs to be a large pocket, but I'll never have a pocket big enough for my fancy camera.

Last week I made my way to the AWP bookfair to meet the writer Jeannine Hall Gailey in real life.  We've been communicating online for years--we think it's at least 10 years.  We're Facebook friends and blogging friends and we've even sent each other long e-mail exchanges.  In short, there's a depth to our friendship that I don't have with all of the poet/writer friends I've met online.

Her spouse took pictures, both with the smart phone and with my camera.  My picture prompted a response that I usually have:  despair and the thought of teeth whitening, hair lightening, more sleep.  Here's the picture with my camera:

Later, Jeannine posted the picture from the phone.  It's taken a minute before the one above.  Same lighting, same people, same time, same location, but what a difference:

I know that people who post on Instagram have a variety of filters to make their pictures look beautiful.  But having a better quality picture to work with must help too.  I must remember this as I'm looking at the pictures of others.

Later, on Saturday, my grad school friend and I went to the Chinese gardens--it's a beautiful oasis in the middle of Portland.  Sure enough, we just happened to see Jeannine there.  Again, her spouse took a picture, which she posted later:

We chatted for a few seconds and then went our separate ways.

I've had a lot of serendipitous running into people at AWP, but this one may be the all-time winner, just happening to see each other at an off-site attraction, one as beautiful as the garden.