I’m invisible with my iPhone, but I get rumbled when I use my other camera for street photography

(Image credit: Getty Images)

I’ve spent the past few weeks shooting primarily street photography, and what’s really stuck in my mind is how differently people treat camera phones compared to your standard mirrorless, DSLR, and compact cameras. You can stand in front of people with a camera phone, point it right at them, and they’ll often not give a darn. But the moment you pull out a dedicated camera, you’re rumbled.

And by that I mean they react. Some people speed up, duck in front of you, or literally dive out of the way, not wanting to ruin (or be in) your shot. Others will approach you to enquire as to what you’re doing or ask questions about your camera, or simply chat. You get the bashful types who feel instantly embarrassed; they might smile, giggle, or turn away, and then you get the opposite, those who love the limelight. They might pose, pull a silly face, or even flip the bird! And then you get the most subtle subjects of all, the ones who simply pay your camera a glance, and look down the barrel of the lens, sometimes with a brief smile, scowl, or virtually no expression at all.

Two people read a menu outside of a pub, while another person walks past in the foreground — People tend to pay little to no attention to camera phones (Image credit: Future / Mike Harris)

But when I pull my iPhone out, it’s almost completely invisible. At most, somebody might duck a little as they rush by in a polite attempt to get out of my frame. The next time you visit a bustling city, stop for a moment and observe how many people are taking photos or video with their smartphone. Some of them might even be engaged in a video chat. And for that reason, hardly anyone cares.

Some street photographers like to directly engage with their subjects and search for eye contact or gesticulation. But if you’re a photographer who prefers candid captures, it might be worth experimenting a little with your phone.

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Want more phone-related articles? This year, I have shot more photography with my phone than with my camera. Also, check out my landscape photography phone tips. Here's Digital Camera World's ultimate guide to street photography.

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Mike studied photography at college, honing his Adobe Photoshop skills and learning to work in the studio and darkroom. After a few years writing for various publications, he headed to the ‘Big Smoke’ to work on Wex Photo Video’s award-winning content team, before transitioning back to print as Technique Editor (later Deputy Editor) on N-Photo: The Nikon Magazine.

With bylines in Digital Camera, PhotoPlus: The Canon Magazine, Practical Photography, Digital Photographer, iMore, and TechRadar, he’s a fountain of photography and consumer tech knowledge, making him a top tutor for techniques on cameras, lenses, tripods, filters, and more. His expertise extends to everything from portraits and landscapes to abstracts and architecture to wildlife and, yes, fast things going around race tracks...

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