Yes, Cell Phone Photos are Important
Ansel Adams once said that "The single most important component of a camera is the twelve inches behind it."
A while ago, I posted a reel on Instagram showing what my phone captured vs the final photo from my camera I delivered for my client. (There's actually a few phone vs camera reels if you scroll through.)
And although I agree with Ansel - that it's the vision, not the gear, that makes the image - the truth is that even those of us who do this for a living have phones full of nothing-special snapshots (17,849 at last count).
I wouldn’t trade these images for anything even if they are a bit blurry, poorly composed, and very blue. But, they also aren’t images I’ll be hanging on my walls.
There's something different about what happens when we step into the headspace of “the real thing”—when we plan for a professional session. And it's not just me as the photographer... it's you and your pet, too.
Here's what makes it different:
We've planned the perfect time of day for beautiful light.
Your dog's had a bath—or maybe even a trip to the groomer.
We've chosen intentional locations and outfits.
We've made space—free of distractions—to focus on what really matters.
That's when the magic happens.
Snapshots have their place, and I love how technology lets us capture those everyday moments—the silly antics, the cozy naps, the random zoomies.
But the danger in having all those snapshots is our false sense of security, thinking we've "got it covered."
Maybe they get posted to social media, but here's the truth: most of those phone photos stay trapped on our devices, overlooked, forgotten, and eventually lost.
Professional photos are different… not just in how they look, but how they make us feel.
They're created with intention, artistry, and the goal of preserving a moment in a way that lasts forever.
They're the ones we print, frame, and revisit now - and in 15 years.
So here's my reminder for the year ahead: keep making snapshots every day, grabbing those images of them playing with their favorite toys, those hundreds of photos of them sleeping, and 1,000 other moments.
But also…
Let's set an intention - even a date! - for photos that will be on our walls.
