With the recent release of the Samsung S24 Ultra, North America now has three premium-priced phones that happen to compete in a very similar way against each other. The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max, Google Pixel 8 Pro, and Samsung S24 Ultra, all have state-of-the-art displays, HDR-compliant photos and videos, and a 5X telephoto lens to compliment the main and ultra-wide cameras.

In Canada, there are very few major players in the mobile phone market beyond the big three. Samsung, Apple, and Google, easily dominate the field, leaving a few scraps to companies such as Motorola or LG. In the U.S. market, the story is similar although quite a few more companies are jockeying for the remaining customers. Still, these brands sit at the top, so we decided to test them out based on criteria focused on photographic and videography applications.

Of course, the efficacy of a smartphone goes well beyond the confines of its photographic capabilities, but creators do rely on smartphones for a lot of their visual work nowadays, and the image quality only gets better and better. A phone needs to deliver sharp images, good performance in low-light situations, and convincing AI tools for portraits and editing purposes. So with that being said let’s get right into the cameras themselves.

The Ultra-Wide Cameras

The ultra-wide cameras on all three of our smartphones deliver similar results and can be used for some startling close macro shots. However, they do have some differentiating factors worth noting.

In second (or third, depending on how you look at it) place, we gave a tie between the Samsung S24 Ultra and iPhone 15 Pro Max. With both cameras sporting a similar 13mm full-frame equivalent focal length, 12-megapixel resolution, and the same f/2.2 aperture, there is no clear winner here. Both are fun to use for close-ups and both give middling results in darker conditions.

The real winner goes to the Google Pixel 8 Pro. Google has improved the camera hardware across the board in its latest handheld, and the ultra-wide camera is wider at an 11mm full-frame equivalent, with a brighter f/1.95 aperture, and a whopping 48-megapixel sensor. More light and more megapixels with an even wider field of view make Google stand out from the crowd.

The Main Cameras

The main camera of a smartphone will be its best one and is relied on heavily to create detailed depth maps for portrait work as well as provide data to up-res other cameras and create digital lenses that fall in between the phone’s other physical cameras. It’s also your best option in low-light situations and when higher megapixels are desired. With all this responsibility, it better be a good one.

In third place, we found the Samsung S24 Ultra as having the weakest of the main cameras. Don’t get me wrong though, it’s an excellent camera overall. However, it does tend to have an overly processed look to its images, something which S23 owners also complained about. Colors sometimes look pleasing but sometimes look overly vivid or harsh in tone. Lastly, the 200-megapixel mode, while unique, goes largely unused. The high megapixel mode only works for taking JPEGs, takes up a fair amount of storage, and gives only a minor increase in detail that will go unnoticed in most situations.

In second place we like the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max for having a soothing warm tone to its images and good performance overall. It has a similar amount of detail to the Samsung S24 Ultra but without the harsh over-sharpened effect baked in. If you want a bump in contrast, you can always add it later.

Our winner in this category is again the Google Pixel 8 Pro thanks to a main camera that seemed to capture more detail and finer detail than its competitors.  Although the specs tilt only slightly in Google’s favor, the results tend to be the best, and the overall color is natural and balanced which allows the user to have a neutral starting point from which to make further edits. The physically larger sensor also delivers shallower depth-of-field than its rivals.

The 5x Telephoto Cameras

With the Samsung 24 Ultra making a controversial move to a 5x lens instead of its storied 10x, all three smartphones now have a similar range. While there are still additional levels of zoom across all the cameras, we wanted to stick to the physical lenses present. It’s worth noting that the S24 Ultra does have a 3x lens as well but it is fairly low spec and isn’t as useful to fill the smaller gap between the 1x and 5x on the new phone.

At the bottom of the pile, the iPhone 15 Pro Max debuted a new compact 5X lens but one that has a relatively low 12-megapixel count. In social media applications, the low megapixels are invisible but when used for printing, cropping, or to display on larger screens, the iPhone shows its weakness with noticeably less detail than its competitors.

Second place goes to the Samsung S24 Ultra with its very well-stabilized 5x lens that delivers sharp results. The only draw against it is thanks to the slower f/3.4 aperture when the other phones are pushing f/2.8. Regardless, I applaud the new 5x lens in the Samsung, and thanks to its 48-megapixel sensor a 10x cropped lens is still available with similar results given to the 10x lens in the S23 Ultra.

That means the Google Pixel 8 Pro, again, is the winner. The recent updates to the hardware in the 8 Pro are paying dividends. The 5x lens is a 48-megapixel, 112mm full-frame equivalent lens with an f/2.8 aperture and delivers well-stabilized images. It sneaks a minor win over the S24 Ultra thanks to its brighter lens.

Portrait Modes

Portrait mode is something I use often on whichever phone is in my pocket. Thanks to a combination of depth maps, multiple lenses, and multiple points of focus, all three smartphones can deliver a shallow depth-of-field look to images. This is especially useful for classic portraits but I also use it to give a soft background to product shots and macro shots too.

All three phones can also apply a portrait mode effect to images after the shot is taken, and the level of blur can be adjusted to the user’s taste. Oddly, the Google Pixel 8 Pro cannot use portrait mode with its new 5x lens so any adjustments to the depth-of-field have to be done after the image is taken.

The Google Pixel 8 Pro is going to take last place when it comes to portrait mode. Google has long struggled with seamlessly blending the subject into the background and that doesn’t change here. Portrait mode often leaves a noticeable halo around subjects and areas that should be out of focus are still sharp. The transitions from sharp to soft areas are the least natural out of the Google Pixel 8 Pro. It’s worth pointing out that the Pixel also shoots portrait mode as a 1.5x focal length rather than the 1x on the other phones.

In second place the Samsung S24 Ultra handles what should be in focus and what should be out remarkably well. It also does better with hair than Google does, however, it tends to deal with errant hairs and flyaways by simply cropping them out or blurring them out unnaturally. This still tends to be more convincing than obvious halos, but it is better suited to people with short, close-cropped hair.

The winner, despite the lackluster detail on the 5x lens, is the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Apple based the look of the bokeh in the 15 series on famous photographic portrait lenses and the results are convincing. Not only do subjects blend naturally with their environments, but they also seamlessly fall off from in-focus to out-of-focus areas. Hair has a more natural rendering, and the iPhone simply has the most “traditional” camera look to its portraits.

Night Photography

One of the big downsides to any phone is its relatively small sensor size, which is a real problem as far as low-light photography is concerned. Phones counteract this by shooting multiple frames and combining them as well as applying noise reduction to the images. In most cases, this allows for decent handheld shots to be achieved, even in fairly dark situations. Tripods can be useful but are rarely utilized on phones due to the inherent inconvenience of using one.

The iPhone has a good night mode setting but it’s the least useful of the bunch. Limited to 12 megapixels, it also shows the most noise in the images although it does maintain good color rendition in low-light scenes. The night mode is also automatic in the sense that the iPhone decides when it is appropriate or not. We far prefer to be able to use it when we want to, to force longer shutter speeds and gather more light, or deal with harsh contrast and boost shadows ourselves.

Second place goes to the Samsung S24 Ultra. Like the iPhone 15 series, the S24 is locked at 12-megapixels maximum. However, it applies a fair amount of noise reduction and sharpening that causes some loss of subtlety in between tones. Samsung’s “Nightography” processing may be heavy-handed but is surprisingly effective in dark scenes and delivers detail that punches above its weight.

The win goes to the Google Pixel 8 Pro which builds on the already excellent reputation earned by its predecessors. You get 50-megapixel images stacked from multiple shots that have good noise control and plenty of detail. I like the color and quality of shots out of night mode, and the Google Pixel 8 Pro can even rival larger-sensor cameras with a tripod.

Videography

The smartphone has become a primary camera for a content creator’s main work and nowhere is that more true than in the realm of video. With reels and short-form videos taking over, the smartphone is a convenient and effective tool that you always have with you. But it doesn’t just have to be a point-and-shoot affair. Modern phones have very capable video recording to go with their take-it-anywhere convenience.

The Google Pixel 8 Pro needs some work, however. The 4K video lacks detail and relies on an over-processed look to wow you. Casual users might be fine with this, but content creators can find better elsewhere.

The Samsung S24 Ultra is more feature-rich with its 8K record modes and excellent manual controls. As Android phones go, the S24 Ultra is the best you’ll find, and third-party apps can unlock even more potential.

The Apple iPhone 15 Pro has run away with the video market. Its log profile is more malleable and can deliver natural-looking tones, and wider dynamic range to boot. You’ll have to download apps like Black Magic’s highly capable video software, but the results are worth it. Apple also gives proper locked-off frame rates and an HDR profile which is better processed and universally accepted.

The Battle of the Big Three Smartphones: The Tally

Due largely to the updated hardware in the Google Pixel 8 Pro and with a lot of weight given to individual lenses, the latest Google phone has a lot going for it. I love the raw file quality and overall color of the Pixel, but I wouldn’t rely on it for advanced video applications. As a photographer though, I feel that it delivers the best image quality out of the three phones we tested.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max comes up second with the best video quality and most convincing portraits. I love the images, and although Apple shields its more casual users from any scary manual controls, third-party apps can be used to unlock advanced photo control if desired.

Now the S24 Ultra may have scored last but it has the most second-place finishes owing to its versatile nature. It can handle almost anything well and might be the easiest choice for many users. I also appreciate the full-featured camera interface although some owners might find it a little intimidating.

It’s worth noting that both the Google and Samsung phones have additional AI editing tools that even utilize cloud-based servers to do the heavy lifting. I have to say though, that as important and exciting as the new technology is, the results are disappointing. As the databases get more complex we should see some real performance gains which will add weight to future evaluations, but as it stands now, I would personally use them only sparingly.

Ultimately, most users will stay in the Apple ecosystem if they already are, but Android users have more freedom to dabble in different brands. We hope we’ve shed some light on which phone might be best for you.

“Blue for me is the colour of blockade, hunger and war …” said the Ukrainian artist Boris Mikhailov about the project he made in the early 1990s, the period that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union.

At the core of this cycle of PhotoBrussels is the story of Ukraine told both conceptually and literally through the eyes of three generations of photographers. Generations of Resilience reveals an artistic act of defence that opens with Mikhailov’s atmospheric and unsettling series At Dusk.

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Each image made in his home town of Kharkiv, is tinted with a cobalt blue wash, conjuring up a sense of cold hardship, a place where society is in a state of disintegration. His commentary at the time was not unilateral. From the oppression of the Soviet state rose a collective of artists and photographers sharing a visual language of protest, a distinct movement of opposition that became known as the Kharkiv School of Photography. They used their artistic expression to challenge the systems of the state, censorship, propaganda. Hand colourising images to give a sensational view of society for the greater good was a technique regularly used by Soviet state media to enhance their message. Mikhailov and his colleagues subverted the act to create satirical scenes that mocked the state, making a pantomime of their methods.

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They took risks to state their challenges to society. Among them at the time was the young Yevgeniy Pavlov. He and his friends were self confessed hippies during the 1970s, a time when Soviet convention frowned upon men wearing their hair longer, let alone public displays of affection or aspects of nudity. In an act of joyful defiance for which they could easily have been detained by the authorities he and his friends made their way to a local lake in the dead of night and there they gleefully removed their clothes, accompanied by the sounds of the violin while Pavlov photographed them creating an unparalleled series at the time that revels in freedom.

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Documentary has played a significant part in recording a country emerging from Soviet rule. In the mid 1990s a young Alexander Chekmenev was hired by Ukraine’s social services to take passport pictures for public records of the ill and elderly who were unable to leave home to do this for themselves. Witnessing how people were living made a strong impression him, now a globally recognised and awarded photojournalist, his practice is always to put ordinary people at the heart of his stories.

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Much of this early work from the Kharkiv School of Photography has been rescued from the recent bombing of the city. Teams of volunteers organised the safe passage of boxes of archive material in the empty holds of aid lorries leaving the country after depositing supplies.

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The protection of Ukraine’s cultural heritage in the time of war has been a primary concern for many including Elena Subach who has made a striking series showing the measures taken to protect sculptures, artworks and artefacts in Lviv, a city that is over 700 years old and is one of the major cultural hubs in the country.

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“Since the beginning of the war, we have all changed, searching for a role where we can be as effective as possible”, says Subach. “Before the war one of my favourite mottos was ‘if there is no magic in art, then it is just media’ … But now my approach to photography has become a clear documentary. I document the present, because history in its concentrated form is unfolding here and now.”

Finding a sense of purpose for the younger generation of photographers in Ukraine is a genuine concern when many of their peers have been displaced by circumstance or made the decision to step out of civilian life to join the fight on the frontline. Daria Svertilova finds purpose in creating a sincere and subtle portrait of her generation.

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Her work goes on to explore the new reality of living in a time of war and how it is shaping her destiny and that of her companions. “I look around and I don’t recognise anything … I see a great resilience and bravery while the world around me is collapsing.”

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Photographer-turned-author Julia Boggio is on the verge of completing a trilogy of books which began with Shooters – a ‘sassy, sizzling romantic comedy about wedding photographers.’

Julia once ran one of London’s top family portrait studios, but decided to make the switch to writing novels about photographers instead. The first novel deals with the trials and tribulations faced by a new wedding photographer (Julia’s own wedding made its way onto The Oprah Winfrey Show thanks to a stunt she pulled, but that’s another story). 

I met Julia, incidentally, at a trade show where she was signing books – it’s always worth attending real-life events. (FYI the next big event in the industry is The Photography and Video Show, in the UK). Anyway, I find myself compelled to ask what led her to make such a big life change and perhaps the question we all want to know most now – whether photographers really are as sexy as she writes them.

Tell the photographers that read DCW how you first found your way to photography

I’ve always had photography in my blood. Both my great-grandfather and grandfather were photographers in Italy. I discovered my own love of photography while I was travelling in South America in 2000. It’s hard to take a bad photo in South America; it’s so colourful and both the landscape and people are so photogenic. Then I met a man on the Inca Trail who had a Canon SLR. It was the first time I considered buying a camera that wasn’t a point-and-shoot. When I returned from that trip, I bought the same camera, enrolled on a photography course on weekends, and my journey began. By 2005, I had quit my job as an advertising copywriter and I was a full-time photographer.

…and, with gigs like Queen and the Queen, what would compel you to turn to writing?

I am so lucky that photography has led me to meet some pretty amazing people over the years. It’s also led me to meet some not-so-amazing people. I am the kind of person who buys bottled milk and recycles the foil lids, and there I was working with people who would hire a private jet to go to Harrods and then haggle with me over price. Something just wasn’t connecting for me and I burned out. I remember the moment I decided to walk away for good. I was on a call with Jerry Ghionis and he said, “It’s okay to be tired of the hustle.” And that sort of described it for me in a nutshell: I was tired of the hustle.

So what made you decide to turn to writing stories about photographers?

I’ve always wanted to be a writer. I was an advertising copywriter for years and everyone knows copywriters are just frustrated novelists. I was just waiting for the right story. In 2019, I already knew that I wanted to walk away from my photography business and try something else. I was having coffee with Sarah Edmunds and I told her how I wanted to write romances about photographers and she said, “Sort of like the Jilly Cooper of photography?” And in that moment, the title Shooters, the characters, and the story came to me. That was that!

Shooters does “for wedding photography what Jilly Cooper’s ‘Riders’ did for equestrianism,” said BookBrunch (publishing industry mag) – so, er, what did Jilly Cooper do for horse enthusiasts and was it a good thing?

It was most definitely a good thing. Have you read Riders?? Aside from being a British institution, Jilly writes with wonderful wit. You feel like she has her tongue firmly stuck in her cheek with every word she pens. Many women consider Rupert Campbell Black to be their first fictional crush with his roguish, villainous ways and devastating looks. Her books also held such veracity because Jilly knew that world in the same way that I know professional photography. Shooters, my first book, is definitely my love letter to photography. One of the things I aimed to do in the book is to educate readers about how hard photography is. It’s not just pointing a camera at a subject. There’s so much more to it. From the number of readers who say they learned something from the books, I feel like I hit my mark.

In your words, what is a “bonkbuster”?

Bonkbusters are big thick books full of sex and bonkers shenanigans that were incredibly popular in the 70s and 80s. The queens of the Bonkbuster are Jilly Cooper, Shirley Conran, Jackie Collins, and Judith Krantz. Anyone who’s read Conran’s Lace will not forget the infamous Goldfish scene in a hurry. Bonkbusters differ from romances in that romances are defined by the “happily ever after” at the end and usually involves just two protagonists.

The bonkbuster is much more sweeping and epic, with multiple points of view. And they’re long—700-900 pages easily. I spoke with Dr Amy Burge and Dr Jodi McAllister who have studied the bonkbuster in depth for my podcast, . I’ve even created a bonkbuster quiz.

Is there something especially sexy about photography—and photographers?

Photographers are generally very interesting people. We are creatives. We are passionate. We are ambitious. All of these things make for great drama. Now that I’m writing books, it’s funny how many photographers seek me out to tell me their own stories. And there are some doozies! On page one of Shooters, I write: “Claudia had warned Stella that these photography conventions were a hotbed of sexual activity.” If that doesn’t gel with your experience, then you haven’t heard some of the stories I’ve heard. Ha!

You’ve opted to stay in control of your publishing; is that consequence of being a photographer and (by extension) businesswoman, or is that just common sense these days?

Timing and luck are incredibly important when going for a traditional publishing deal, and unfortunately, I had neither. All I had was a really great book and, believe it or not, that’s not enough to get a deal anymore. I was also told that they were looking for younger writers with a better chance of going viral on TikTok. When my agent told me this, I thought to myself: “I’ve been running my own business for 15 years. I can do this myself.” My agent agreed with me, so I decided to launch my books as an independent publisher.

More soon…

We’ll follow up in a few days with some insights into the experience of writing and promoting her books (and more brilliant pictures). 

First, Julia reminds me: “I’m now working on the final book in the Photographers Trilogy, called Exposure! which takes place in Las Vegas at a huge photography conference. My next book, Camera Shy, is out in paperback on January 30 and on February 6 on ebook—all available to order from Amazon.

Renowned British photographer and Depeche Mode collaborator Brian Griffin has died, aged 75.

News of his passing was first announced yesterday (January 29) and later confirmed by  multiple media outlets, stating that he died peacefully in his sleep.

Born in Birmingham, Griffin was raised in the Black Country and spent his early career working in a variety of industrial jobs, before taking on photography as a hobby and later making it his profession.

After joining a local camera club, Griffin went on to graduate from Manchester’s School Of Art in 1972. He later moved to London and helped capture the British pop scene of the 1980s.

Throughout his career, he famously worked with artists such as Siouxsie Sioux, Kate Bush, Ultravox, R.E.M., Billy Idol, Iggy Pop, Ringo Starr, Queen and Peter Gabriel. However, he was most widely recognised for his work with Depeche Mode.

Griffin’s photography was used on the first five studio albums shared by the synth-pop legends, and the image used for ‘A Broken Frame’ was later named Photograph Of The Decade by Time magazine in 1990.

In 1989, The Guardian named Griffin “photographer of the decade”, and later that year he left still photography behind to focus on TV commercials, music videos, and films. He also went on to acquire a production company, where he worked as a commercial director.

He returned to still work around the turn of the century, and famously directed a documentary for Sir Paul McCartney.

Following news of his death, various figures from across the music industry have come forward to share tributes to Griffin.

“Brian Griffin, the amazing photographer behind the first 5 covers of Depeche albums, as well as albums from Psychedelic Furs, Echo & The Bunnymen, Siouxsie, and many more passed away in his sleep yesterday. RIP Brian,” wrote DJ Kenny on Facebook.

Bill Brewster also shared a tribute online, writing: “Sorry to hear about the death of Brian Griffin. When I interviewed fellow snapper Peter Ashworth, he said he was a source of inspiration: He’s a stunning photographer. I learned how to light by seeing Brian’s pictures and thinking, ‘These excite me’.”

Sorry to hear about the death of Brian Griffin. When I interviewed fellow snapper Peter Ashworth, he said he was a source of inspiration: He’s a stunning photographer I learned how to light by seeing Brian’s pictures and thinking, “These excite me”. pic.twitter.com/Xc4NUHInjf

— Bill Brewster (@djhistory) January 30, 2024

Rough Trade shared a similar sentiment, penning: “We are saddened to hear about the passing of Brian Griffin… A uniquely talented artist whose creative vision upended the world of music photography and videography.”

Professional photographer Linda Wisdom recalled meeting Griffin, describing him as a “lovely human being [and] legendary photographer”.

Find more tributes to the photographer below.

We are saddened to hear about the passing of Brian Griffin, the photographer behind the iconic album art for Depeche Mode, Echo and the Bunnymen and more.

A uniquely talented artist whose creative vision upended the world of music photography and videography. pic.twitter.com/CxFffVzcvV

— Rough Trade (@RoughTrade) January 30, 2024

RIP Brian Griffin.
I met Brian during the Hull international photography festival in 2018. Lovely human being, legendary photographer. pic.twitter.com/mJzRhG0yMt

— Linda Wisdom Photography 💙 (@CreativeWisdom_) January 30, 2024

It is with a heavy heart that I announce that my dear friend and business partner Brian Griffin passed away peacefully in his sleep. I am heartbroken but I will cherish every conversation, the time we spent together and all the wonderful experiences. Rest peacefully my friend. pic.twitter.com/YW5dYgsgR5

— Vaughn George (Vaughty) (@VaughnGeorgeV) January 30, 2024

It’s very sad to hear that photographer and Depeche Mode sleeve designer Brian Griffin has passed away. In 2016, I interviewed him as part of a month long Black Celebration special. Here is that interview. RIP Brian.https://t.co/ZzKeBdeVRf#DepecheMode pic.twitter.com/uV4Urkg1Vb

— Davïd (@davidjmcelroy) January 30, 2024

Sad to hear photographer Brian Griffin has died. His images helped to define Echo And The Bunnymen’s uniquely romantic weave of sound and vision. RIP pic.twitter.com/djrHhL7c0r

— Keith Cameron (@KeithCameron2) January 30, 2024

Depeche Mode are currently embarking on a run of arena shows in the UK, Ireland and Europe, and recently performed ‘Before We Drown’ live for the first time in London.

They also used the gig to play ‘Behind The Wheel’ for the first time in a decade – dedicating it to late keyboardist Andy Fletcher – who died in 2022.