Talk us through that shot on Table Mountain…
“I think, like the Table Mountain shot, if the conditions are right – light-wise, scenery-wise – it doesn’t really matter what camera you have. For that shot, it was super convenient to have a mobile phone. I think that having something that’s super lightweight and easy to use is always handy. That was an opportunity, the mist was rising, it was only like 5 minutes of light with the mist lining up like that – and it was gone.“
No DSLR?
“I didn’t want to take a heavy camera to run around with. That’s the beauty of mobile.“
When else do you shoot on mobile?
“One, when I’m scouting. Mobile phones store a whole lot of metadata on the image – location, time of day – it’s super nice to get references. And two, when I don’t have the option to lug heavy equipment around like when running or hiking.“
Any other advantages?
“I also think, because it’s so inconspicuous, it often becomes a great way to photograph people, especially when travelling. Because mobile phones are so discreet, you’re not shoving a big camera in people’s faces. It’s a convenient way to convey as situation where people are not put off by the camera. So often you get more authentic content.“
Social media also plays an important role, no?“
It’s obviously become hugely important. The ability to upload your images immediately and share them with people is important. We’re so bombarded with really good content though – the challenge is to try and produce something different. More and more there’s a need for personal content – sharing who I am as a photographer, rather than just these amazing images. That’s were a mobile phone becomes really useful. You end up capturing these little behind-the-scenes pics and little videos. And then through sharing that content your audience starts to relate to you as a person.”
Do you own a selfie stick?
“Cringe, no. Selfie sticks can be useful. Getting closer to action you can’t reach can be useful. But I’ve got long arms – I don’t need a selfie stick. [Laughs]”
Any advice to take better mobile pics?
“The conditions have to be pretty good. You’re limited in terms of light. With mobile photography, the tradeoff is image quality, but you have something that’s really simple and easy to use. In terms of the principles of mobile photography, it’s pretty much the same as using a DSLR. They use all of the same rules.”
Any exciting projects coming up?
“I’m leaving for this expedition following a lady who’s planning on running 40 marathons in 7 weeks. That equates to 6 marathons a week. She’ll spend one week in the desert on 7 continents. It’s a pretty ambitious schedule. I’m sure I will be using my phone a lot. Especially pushing out little 15-second video clips.”
Check out the gallery below for Kelvin’s mobile shots and head to Facebook and Instagram for more of his work.
The world's greatest action and adventure sports photography contest is back and better than before with the addition of a new mobile category. Submissions close March 31, 2016.
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Kelvin Trautman freezes the action on Mobile
South African action and adventure sports photographer Kelvin Trautman talks about the advantages of shooting on mobile and why social media has become so important for photographers.

© Kelvin Trautman