I left my proper camera at home while I went on vacation – my iPhone was all I needed

For the past 25 years, I've always taken a 'proper camera' on every holiday or trip. Some of these include the Canon G5 in Switzerland, the Olympus E-420 in Tokyo, and the Nikon D7000 during my journey from Las Vegas to San Francisco. These cameras were always accompanied by a tripod, a large number of lenses, and a lot of good intentions.

However, on a recent trip to Dubrovnik, I left behind my current Nikon Z8 and opted for my iPhone 14 Pro. There were several reasons for this decision. Firstly, I had visited Dubrovnik before in 2016 and didn't feel the same urge to capture numerous images for articles and reviews. Secondly, being over 50, I found carrying additional equipment burdensome.

Lastly, I simply wanted some time off from the constant pressure associated with using a proper camera. My experience with the iPhone 14 Pro was vastly different from using my Nikon Z8. Despite using it for most of the time, I ended up shooting more than I would have with the Z8. The iPhone's physical characteristics also played a role in my decision.

Its age and visible wear made it feel lighter and less intimidating to drop. The three lenses provided decent options for various scenes, and I found the 50mm setting particularly useful. Additionally, learning how to lock focus and exposure on the iPhone proved beneficial for highlighting specific areas in my photos. Lastly, using the larger, higher-resolution screen of the iPhone allowed for more intuitive composition, especially considering my aging joints.