You’ve always shot with your phone?
"Yes. I’ve been using the phone camera since they started with the little Motorola and tiny 1.2MP cameras! The funny thing is, I was talking to another friend, a photographer of 55 years, really old school photography film guy, and he was saying it’s not about the camera you have and whether it’s good or bad. it’s knowing how you use it. Whether it’s a 50MP pro camera or a 2MP phone if you know the tool, you can get a stunning image. If you take advantage of that cheap lens or that bit of plastic in front of the lens you can do weird things you can’t get with a pro camera. It’s all about taking advantage of the tool."
What tool are you using now?
"My phone is an iPhone 6. It has a pretty dynamic range which allows you to tweak the photo and there’s also a really cool stabiliser on the lens. You can also take advantage of low light situations which are the most dramatic moments. For fashion and lifestyle – and moving images – I use a Sony A7R Mark II. It’s mirrorless but full frame. But I use my Canon DSLR mostly for action sports, shooting surfing and bike, BMX, skate. For that, it’s the camera!"
Do you use your iPhone professionally?
"I use the Sony a lot to shoot with. It has that WiFi thing so you can see the image right away on your phone. The screen on the phone allows me to zoom in more and see if it’s as sharp as I want, just to check. I just got back from Puerto Rico where I’m doing this project for Adidas. I’ve been following these girls with big Instagram followers at these running events on a daily basis, training, the clothing eating, everything. I take the photos with the Sony which allows me to use a cinematic style and send those to my phone and share via airdrop to all the girls so they can post right after the picture’s been taken. So my iPhone really helps with my job."
Any advantages of shooting with one?
"If you’re taking a portrait of someone you don’t know, you get a very nice look on the phone. It’s not the same if you pull out a huge camera with a 40-70mm lens with a lens hood. The person is relaxed – that’s one of the advantages of cellphone photography. Now, the new phones have pretty much got everything you need for a web job."
What apps do you use?
"I like Snapseed for fixing photos. There are some nice time-lapse apps. You can now get those devices where you stick on your phone and it tilts so you can now have time-lapse with motion and that costs like 50 bucks. It’s awesome. Another app is a dimmer for the flashlight so you can get a portrait with a lower or higher power. I also have the Red Dot Camera app, which gives you the look of a rangefinder camera. One of the things I like to do is put my sunglasses in front of the camera. It’s like a filter. It’s an organic filter – not the same as Instagram!"
What are you working on right now?
"I just came back from Hawaii and saw some of the best surf I’ve seen in my life. I’m releasing now a magazine: Lineup Magazine. It’s going to be an App. It’s pretty cool, a lot of lifestyle, not just pro surfing."
Any tips for shooting with a phone?
"Don’t use the flash that comes with the phone and don’t use the zoom – treat it like a fixed lens. If you zoom in you lose a lot of quality. No flash, no zoom!"
For more of Agustin’s work, head to his website and Instagram.
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Agustin Muñoz shoots mobile
Agustin Muñoz is best known for his work in the water, but the former Red Bull Illume finalist is also a fan of mobile photography. He tells us why.
© Agustin Muñoz