iPhone 8 Plus, My New Creative Tool

Jon started talking about the new iphones that were coming out a few weeks ago.  I’ve been intrigued by the idea of the new camera and portrait lens that came out in last years iphone, but hadn’t thought too much about it recently.

Then I saw a photo my friend Suzy Fatzinger took of a mushroom on Instagram.

When I saw how she was able to get a close up of the mushroom with all its detail and how the background was out of focus drawing even more attention to the mushroom, I knew I wanted to be able to take pictures like that.  And I knew that the camera on my iPhone 6 Plus couldn’t do it.

It was seeing Suzy’s mushroom photo, and Jon’s insistent encouragement that the camera on the new iphone 8plus would be a great new creative tool, that made me want the new phone.

Jon did all the leg work.  He loves keeping up on and researching the latest Apple invention.  So when I told him I wasn’t interested in much else about the phone except the camera, we both agreed the 8plus would be the right one for me.

I had a mild version of my usual fear that I wasn’t worthy of a new phone, (We put a chunk of money down and will pay off the rest monthly), but it didn’t last long.

Partly because from the time I agreed to get the phone and it came was just a matter of days.  Partly because I decided, even if I didn’t really believe it, I would tell myself, again and again, that I was worthy of it.  And partly because whenever I thought of the beautiful photo Suzy took, my mind started spinning creatively, thinking of the pictures I would soon be able to take.

The iPhone came in the mail this afternoon.

I took it out of the box and it blinked on.  I didn’t even have to press and buttons.  Jon helped me get it set up (he’s better at that than I am) and the first thing I did was take his picture using the portrait lens.

I hardly knew what I was doing and never even imagined such a  picture.  I’d call it beginner’s luck, but it makes me believe that I can eventually take a picture like the first one I took of of Jon intentionally.

I experimented with the camera until it got dark out.  And now,  when I think of the possibilities, I feel a fluttering in my chest and a smile behind my eyes.