One of the advantages of having a camera with a small sensor is that it’s cheap and easy to make lenses that focus to very close distances.

Combined with the increased depth of field that the very wide lenses have (and the slower shutter speeds mean you can handhold them), the result is that that they are really good for macro-style shots. Can you think of any camera that might fit these descriptions? That’s right — webcams and mobile telephones!

When photographing children especially, it’s a lot easier to point a mobile phone or small camera at them, rather than a digital SLR with a great big lens on the front (although most children eventually warm to the idea of having cameras pointed at them, and ultimately just grow bored with the attention, allowing you to catch some seriously lovely spontaneous portraits).

Anyway, this means that mobile phones, and small compact cameras are really good for close up macro style portraits (or still life, or whatever). The photo used above, for example was shot with a K800i with no flash (in fact, 1/20s, f/2.8 at ISO 200).

What are your experiences with using mobile phones / camera phones / for photography purposes? Personally, I’ve seen some incredible shots done with mobile phones. Theederv over on DeviantArt, for example, recently posted some photos of his motor (seen to the right, check out a higher res version on DeviantArt), which look pukka, despite being with a mobile.

Is the age of mobile telephone photography upon us?

(thanks to Ed for contributing the bulk of this article!)

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