The Who
The What
The Why
The Lack of intro-friendly material to accustom people to the more complicated hardware alongside high costs and the convenience of smartphones nor there being a bridge for intermediate users.
Here are some interviews that could shed some further light on the matter of photography:
I: 17, Male, high school student, recreational photographer
Me: What's your experience with photography? Have you worked with actual cameras, with your phone, do you have a preference with either?I: I've worked with DSLR's to some degree, but stick to my phone for convenience. It's a lot easier to take pictures, edit, and post them on one device than mess around with SD cards and image formats.
Me: Do you feel any difference in quality between dedicated cameras and phones?
I: Mobile phones have reached a point in quality where under the right conditions they can be indistinguishable from DSLR's.
Me: Are there any limitations to photography on your phone that you wish could be brought over from DSLR's and such?
I: For some conditions, like low light or macro photography, mobile can fall behind because of smaller sensors. For my purposes which are mainly portraits and landscapes, those weaknesses don't apply.
Me: Have you ever looked into phone attachments designed to enhance or alter phone performance? add-on lenses and/or software to help with the photo taking?
I: Not really, but I've heard about that type of equipment used for advertisements that boost the performance of mobile phone cameras, and i could see myself using it. As far as software, I use Photoshop and Snapseed for editing and have looked into manual camera apps, but none have convinced me to switch over.
Me: What would be the biggest hurdle for you to invest in hardware right now? have you not done research or just put off the purchasing?
I: I just never considered it to be honest, most of the photography I do wouldn't really be improved by add-on hardware. Also, I'd need to invest in a mobile phone with a better camera first.
The Breakdown
With what I has said, there's a sense of contentment with current phone capabilities that make photo taking with smart phones worth their weight compared to investing in dedicated cameras like DSLR's, but theres also some intrigue surrounding the attachments that could come along for phones.
O: 16, Female, High School Student, more dedicated photography enthusiast
Me: What experience do you have with photography? have you worked with DSLR's, strictly phone use, used physical photographs like polaroids?
O: Phones mostly, Polaroids occasionally.
Me: Have you ever been interested in DSLR/dedicated cameras before? Is there any appeal to those or are you happy with whatever you currently have right now?
O: Yes, I'm actually planning on getting one in a few months.
Me: What are some of the positives that brought you the conclusion of buying one?
O: First I have an end of the year project for school that involves a photoshoot, so I want to have a good quality camera for that. Second, I enjoy taking pictures but am just frustrated with the crappy quality of the phone. Third, I'm starting a fashion photography blog and I figured I'm going to need a good camera for the projects I have in mind.
Me: Considering you already use your phone frequently, have you looked into any add-ons or attachments for your phone?
O: I did for a little bit, but because I'm really interested in photography, I thought it would be better to just get a more professional camera.
Me: Would you consider attachments for more recreational photography since professionally you've dedicated to the DSLR?
O: Possibly, but first I want to see if I can use my camera for more recreational purposes too, and if I feel like I'd rather use my phone because of ease or the camera might break. I might consider buying attachments then.
Me: Any hurdles besides time and money when tackling photography as a hobby or profession?
O: not really, just trying to find time between school and extracurriculars.
The Breakdown
There are still purchasers possible for attachments in a dedicated user, as well as othe target markets like blogging can take use of our possible product.G: 17, Male, High School Student, general media artist and competitive public speaker
Me: What experience do you have with photography? Have you stuck to phones, worked with DSLR or polaroids?G: My experience with photography is largely recreational. I stick to my phone since it's the most accessible tool I have even though I have used a polaroid camera my sister owns.
Me: If you wanted to further your recreational photography, would you see yourself investing in dedicated cameras or prefer to stick to budget alternatives?
G: I see myself sticking to budget alternatives, largely because photography is an expensive hobby to pursue.
Me: When it comes to expensive/advanced photography, what are some specifics that currently are lacking in budget friendly options that you wish they had?
G: I think there is a serious lack of diverse yet affordable options. Everything within an affordable price range is usually extremely similar, and everything that can go beyond that is expensive equipment and daunting to take out of fear of damage.
Me: have you ever heard or looked into phone attachments or add-ons? Are you familiar with the product or anything that proposes to bridge the quality gap besides attachments?
G: I'm aware of the add-ons, but it's usually easy to forget since they are overshadowed by the quality that photography companies advertise.
Me: Have you considered using or testing them to compare between current and the proposed outcomes they tout?
G: I have considered it but haven't gotten the chance to.
Me: What is stopping you from trying those products out?
G: A lack of familiarity since all my friends who know more about photography do not own them or know much about them.
Me: Would there be any other hurdle besides unfamiliarity that could make you hesitate?
G: Honestly not. I'm more put off by not knowing where to start than anything else.
The Breakdown
There seems to be a lack of competition amongst camera providers and phone attachment producers. He really hits home the issue of expense, something almost every consumer will touch uponM: 17, Female, High School Student, hobby photographer.
Me:What is your experience with photography? Are you a majority phone photographer, own or ever worked with a DSLR, have used or own polaroids or any other type of photograph taking device?
M: I've been into photography for a while, but good DSLR cameras are too expensive. Before I had a phone with a nice camera, I'd use my moms DSLR which is old and has pretty bad quality. Now, mainly I use my phone to take pictures and find that iPhone actually has a really good camera and you can mess with the settings a lot to get different effects which I love. I've used polaroids before and they're pretty cool, but in my opinion they are more trendy.
Me: Have you been interested at all in getting your own dedicated camera? are the positives of the phone more enticing than dedicated cameras?
M: I have been pretty interested in getting a nice DSLR, so I'm actually saving up for one right now. I wanted to get a Polaroid, but mainly because it was trendy. Phones and physical cameras both have their own unique advantages, but besides being easier to carry around, a phone to me isn't that much better than a physical camera.
Me: Considering your current situation, have you heard of and/or been interested in any attachments or accessories for phones to possibly enhance its capabilities?
M: I know they exist, but I have yet to find ones I like that are useful and affordable. But it's definitely a possibility.
Me: What are the biggest hurdles for you for those kinds of attachments? What do you consider an appropriate price range from accessory products and attachments?
M: Most of the attachments only do one thing specifically, so when you want to try different techniques or have different effects in photos, you have to bring them all along. I think the appropriate price range depends on the tool itself and the quality of it, but I definitely wouldn't pay over 35 dollars for a phone attachment.
The Breakdown
We have a solid number for what the product could possibly cost to an average consumer. The key point is how much utility a single object should be able to produce. maintaining utility and cost seems to be a good balancing point.
A: 19 year old, Female, College student, super interested but from afar.
Me: What's your experience with photography? Have you stuck to your phone, used polaroids, dedicated to DSLR?
A: I use polaroids on occasion but I don't personally own one, yet! I love them and I am so glad vintage looking pics are making a comeback. My phone is always on me so that is the most used, but from time to time I also have my dad's Nikon when it's a big occasion.
Me: What is the biggest obstacle to getting your own polaroid or even a DSLR if you were interested in in getting one? could you possibly pinpoint where it outweighs the decision your current position about buying it right now?
A: With the progression of the iPhone's camera and the editing capabilities on it, it's getting harder to justify it financially. Of course it isn't exactly a DSLR or a Polaroid but it comes pretty dang close. And for the cost, it's not worth it at all unless you're a legitimate photographer.
Me: Cool. Has there been anything in the mobile phone world that has interested you as a more recreational photo taker /selfie lover? Anything accessory wise that you think you'd get for yourself?
A: Honestly no. I've heard about phone cases that have built in lights to have better selfie lighting, but I haven't really thought about them. Being a person of color also changes this because it's not an easy thing for me to find.
Me: thanks for all the time you were able to give!
The Breakdown
People of color having difficulty with photography and the subsequent accessories can be an entire market group we can try and assist. One thing that almost across the board is showing up that A also mentions is price.
I feel like the idea is great. I feel like most of the youth today use their cameras and all we do is take pictures. If an accessory was available for cheap and it was easily portable than of course there is a market for it. I know personally living close to Disney there are a lot of people who want to take great pictures but they do not want to carry a large camera around all day and risk it getting damaged, but nearly everyone will bring their phones. Taking a portable accessory to improve the quality would be great!
ReplyDeleteThe key here I’m drawing from your interviews is that you are going to have to hit the tough middle of an expensive product (since it’s “just a phone attachment”), but they are going to have to have a meaningful impact on the photography experience to justify purchase and being carried around, while also being quite portable – as if they need a bag for this stuff a photographer will just bring along their DLSR, which just do to sensor physics will likely noticeably outperform smartphone cameras. If you can hit that point though, huge opportunity.
ReplyDeleteYour interviews do shed light on the situation, but I think it would have been better to ask more college-aged students. High school students may be willing to spend more because they have their parents paying for housing and food, but college students may prefer to pay less and not get a DSLR because they can’t afford one. For college students, phone attachments may be a more attractive option, or maybe if they are students in the art/media school they may be less likely to use phone attachments and would prefer professional equipment.
ReplyDelete