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"I need some opinions but no attitudes please. Just trying to figure this out. I absolutely love photography and I’ve always had a passion for it. The camera itself I want is a Nikon product absolutely. Just putting funds together for it. My question is .. until I get my camera can I just get away with using my cellphone for now for taking professional pictures? Just curious on protocol and etiquette and if you’d rather have a cellphone or a Nikon camera taking your keepsake photos."

Yes. It's the composition and the quality. As a full time Nikon professional I have lenses that cost 12K alone but I am baffled by the quality of some of the high end phones of today. The latest Apple, Samsung and Oppo phones for example are amazing even in low light.

There are certain areas where dedicated cameras have an advantage, such as high speed sports, wildlife or other super telephoto events or night time long exposure phorography for example. Heat dissipation in phones is worse than in cameras so a full 10 minutes ultra long exposure I wouldn't recommend on a phone, because it might kill your sensor, if it is even possible at all.

BUT cellphone photography is in no way an obvious measure for professionalism in general though. If you're known as a cellphone photographer and you manage to deliver good quality images, that are in focus and in case of portraits have nice background separation, then in my eyes your just as professional as I am.

It CAN however present a potential problem with professionalism indeed. I don't have expensive gear because I can flash it around but it often does open certain doors that would've started closed otherwise. People DO take me more seriously with a D500 + 70-200mm f/2.8E FL or Nikon 180-400mm f/4E FL attached to it when shooting a concert or a sporting event for example.

It depends on the crowd also I guess. More traditional clients often expect a certain look and feel when they think of "the photographer". But in the end it's about the photos you deliver. If the quality is on point and superb, nobody will and can dismiss you on being a cellphone photographer. Then again showing up with only a phone requires a certain confidence as well. They have to trust you that you're the photographer and that you are going to get it done.

I hope I took away some of your doubt.

Feel free to ask me anything!

TPJ Verhoeven Photography ∎