a rocket in your pocket...

The saying goes..."The best camera is the one you have with you."

You can't have a professional photographer in tow all the time, and a DSLR is a bit clunky (and expensive) to drag around in your purse. (Of course, that doesn't prevent me from doing so, but I'm kind of crazed about photos! What can I say? I love a good shot.)
You could throw a point and shoot compact camera in your purse for those candid catches, too, but let's be honest - not many people want to carry that around, either. Or, worse, when you finally encounter the masterpiece moment, the mommy memory of your first born's first [fill in the blank], you grab the point and shoot from the bottom of your bag, and, yup, the battery is dead after spending two weeks with no love in there.

So, by default, the best camera you've got ends up being your iphone's or another phone camera, 95% of the time.

Knowing that, you may be inclined to brush up on your iphone camera skills. You can take phone photos with it, good photos, or great photos. The great thing about an iphone is, that the difference  between good and great photos does not require an exorbitant investment in photo or studio equipment. The difference lies in knowledge. So, if you're considering sharpening your skills and increasing your knowledge about what that iphone camera is capable of, how to make sharp photos, how to print them, and what apps to buy to experiment and improve your budding artistry...you're in luck!

I learned a great deal about iphoneography last year with Scout Photo Expeditions. Cindi is a wealth of knowledge about this medium  and her energy and enthusiasm for it are contagious. The expeditions she holds are right in our backyard and range from beginner skills to those who wish to master it as an art form. You can see her page, class offerings, and some of her breattaking images here. http://www.scoutphotoexpeditions.com/

A less personalized, yet still informative option is Photojojo.com's new Photojojo University. I love these guys for fun, useful camera and iphone camera accessories - not to mention the amusing tone of their content. They make buying a camera strap sound better than winning the lottery. Woot!

In their own words, the new university entails, "No homework, no class, just a basket of kittens and a series of bite-sized lessons delivered to your inbox. Learn the basic principles of photography in the funnest four weeks ever."

Well, there you go. With these two options at close hand, there really is no reason not to jump in and learn a little more about that block of metal you drag around all day. Right?