Smartphones Take One-in-Four Photos, Videos

People are increasingly reaching for a smartphone to snap pictures, as mobile devices emerge as a popular choice for recording life's everyday moments.

A study from market research firm NPD shows U.S. consumers now take more than a quarter of their photos and videos with a smartphone. At the same time, sales of point-and-shoot cameras and camcorders are shrinking, revealing how camera-equipped smartphones are gaining a stronger foothold in the amateur photography market.

Top-selling smartphones, such as the iPhone 4S with its 8-megapixel camera, are now equipped with better photography capabilities. As a result, users are more likely to carry one device with them instead of two, capturing spontaneous moments with the mobile device they already carry in their pocket instead of toting along a camera.

Mobile use is also transforming the nature of personal photography. People no longer snap and print photos only to enclose them in dusty albums on a shelf. They e-mail pictures to family and friends, share them on Facebook, Flickr and other sites, and post them to blogs.

Smartphones enable users to snap photos on the go and share them instantly with a few clicks, and social media sites are supporting the trend. Facebook is expected to integrate photo and video editing with its mobile apps through its acquisition of video and image app developer Digital Staircase, and Google+ rolled out integrated photo editing tools soon after its fall launch, in effect turning users' social media profiles into digital photo and video albums.

Some mobile apps and editing tools let people produce high-quality videos and photos right from their phones, but others simply make the smartphone photography process more fun. Photo apps like Instagram for iOS and Vignette for Android allow mobile shutterbugs to play with their photos, easily adding filters and effects and experimenting with light exposure.

Even professional photographers like Annie Leibovitz are singing the praises of the iPhone's camera, and smartphone photographs are, in some cases, elevated to the level of art.

The NPD survey showed people still prefer a "traditional" camera for recording life's momentous occasions. But smartphones are increasingly the go-to device for capturing everyday memories.

Smartphones Take One-in-Four Photos, Videos originally appeared at Mobiledia on Fri Dec 23, 2011 2:13 pm.

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