iPhone Photos Published in National Press

A photographer has had images taken with an iPhone published in the UK's Daily Mirror newspaper. The photographer, writing for Amateur Photographer, argues the phone's ubiquity and image stabilization make it a capable tool for press work within a ten-foot range.

The journey began in St James's Square, Grimsby, in February 2022. Grieving a close relative, the photographer had left all cameras at home. While walking from the car park, they heard what sounded like karaoke and then encountered a street performer known as Elton Wrong singing Elton John songs from a converted mobility scooter with a fake piano and candelabra. Visually stunned, they instinctively reached for a camera but only had a battered old iPhone. Until that day, the phone had been just a phone, as the photographer was a dyed-in-the-wool DSLR user. This moment taught them the value of the camera you have on hand.

From Reference Shots to Front Pages

By 2024, having upgraded their phone and while working for the local weekly newspaper the Louth Leader, the photographer began using the iPhone for quick reference shots, social media images, and videos. Out of the blue, the Daily Mirror commissioned them to photograph a paramedic in Hull. The photographer took a quick phone shot as a record before switching to a DSLR and flash. Back home, they shortlisted half a dozen images including, unknowingly, the iPhone shot. When the story appeared, the Mirror had run the iPhone photo, using three-quarters of a page for it. This was the confirmation that an iPhone was more than capable of being used for newspaper work.

Capturing a Future Lord

In March 2025, again commissioned by the Mirror, the photographer was tasked with photographing Jason Stockwood, owner of Grimsby Town Football Club and a candidate in the Lincolnshire mayoral race. Wanting to capture him within his community, they chose Cleethorpes Promenade as the location. The day was bright but with a bitterly cold onshore wind. It was so cold that handling the heavy DSLR made the photographer's hands begin to freeze up. Switching quickly to the iPhone, they had the shot that eventually ran in the paper within two minutes, managing to include Cleethorpes Pier, a local landmark, in the background. Six months later, Stockwood was appointed Minister for Investment and elevated to the House of Lords as Baron Stockwood of Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes.

The Phone's Photographic Advantages

The photographer cites specific benefits of using a phone for press photography. They believe subjects tend to relax and look more natural when faced with a common phone rather than hiding behind a conspicuous DSLR and flashgun. The built-in image stabilization is noted as a plus for marginal light situations. The article concedes phones are not perfect for distant subjects, but asserts they are a powerful, pocket-sized camera for anything within ten feet. The entire account is based on the photographer's personal experience, as stated in their Amateur Photographer column.