ChicagoScope Podcast

Three people stand at the train station in Lamy, New Mexico, awaiting Amtrak's Southwest Chief

Choosing a camera to bring along on vacation often is a problem for me. Should I choose a small, automatic camera that’s always handy -- or should I opt for a large, manual-operation one?

I fell in love with the images from my Lomo LC-A+ and am probably going to bring that Russian lovely along next month when I ride Amtrak’s Southwest Chief. The LC-A+ is largely automatic, but still lets you exercise a bit of creative control. Whether loaded with ISO 400 drugstore house-brand color negative, E-6 ISO 100 for cross-processing, or, may favorite, ISO 100 redscale, my LC-A+ always helps me create memorable images.

Lately, though, I’ve come to realize the power of iPhone photography. My 3GS has a 3 megapixel camera, and by the time of my trip I’ll have upgraded to the iPhone 4.

The iPhone always has been capable of good photos -- and the latest version gets a good look-see by Ars Technica.

Even the 3GS images I’ve shot have pleased me on many occasions. Back in February, I took a quick trip on the Southwest Chief and was sitting in the lower-level snack bar in the Sightseer Lounge when the train pulled into Lamy, New Mexico, for a brief stop. I didn’t have time to run back to my sleeper and grab the Lomo, so I shot the above photo with my iPhone. I have to admit I’m rather pleased with it.

L.T. Hanlon takes a self-portrait of himself in a black Stetson looking into a roomette mirror aboard Amtrak's Southwest Chief Even when the iPhone doesn't work as well as a dedicated camera might, the results still can be pretty good. While on the Southwest Chief earlier this year, I snapped a photo of me just before getting out to stretch my legs during a brief stop in La Junta, Colorado. The photo is a more than a little grainy and noisy, but I like it, too.

I’ve become further impressed with iPhone photos after seeing what other photographers have done -- especially in print. I recently visited MagCloud.com, a service by HP that lets anybody created their own magazine and sell it as a print-on-demand publication.

I bought a magazine from the site called iPhoneography, in which photographer Claire Sambrook demonstrates with 100 pages of photos that the iPhone can be a serious -- and creative -- instrument.

I had been tempted to only bring my iPhone this trip, but I’m sure I’ll also bring my Lomo LC-A+ along, too. I’m still a sentimentalist when it comes to film.

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