Blogging is what started my love for photography and when I look back at the photos from my early posts, I can see just how far I have come. The cluttered backgrounds, odd angles and blurry limbs of a little Dylan feel like a lifetime ago and taking photos has become not just something I do to illustrate a blog post, but something I do because I love to. I love taking the perfect shot, capturing just the right moment and learning more about using my camera.
My DSLR is usually my camera of choice, but it is big and bulky, a pain to carry around and I can look quite odd when I pull it out my bag and start snapping away. I need a phone that can take a good photo, photos that I want to share on social media, display on my blog and capture all those imperfectly perfect moments that aren't going to wait for a big camera.
We are testing the new Sony Xperia XZ1 which boasts brilliant camera techology alongside easy to use android technology (I am most definitely an android girl). It has lived in my pocket and my hand this last week whilst I get used to the camera, the features and the fun slow-motion videos you can make.
We recently visited a little local soft play which has a (closed) theme park behind it so I stopped to take some photos of the little two running around outside. It was a bright place but the day was dull and the sky was dark. I love how well the camera captures the colours and more importantly how well it captures the moment.
One of my favourite features so far is the predictive photo taking. Before I have even pressed the shutter the phone has taken a couple of photos and when I browse back through I can choose my favourite from the bunch. It means I am less likely to miss a sweet cuddle or the way they hi5.
The phone camera can be used in either auto or manual, and this coming week I am going to be playing with the manual features a bit more. These photos are all in the automatic setting so I just point and shoot, and they haven't been edited at all.
Having a phone with a great camera is important to me as it allows me to get in the photos more too. Whilst most people are a little scared when I hand over the 'big camera', they are confident to point and shoot with a phone and it means I can get in the photos more too. I want my children to be able to look back and see me in their childhood and I love these photos of me and my baby girl that my sister took on the Sony Xperia XZ1
What I really wanted to see is what makes this phone better than my other one, which is also a top of the range model of another brand. Pretty much all phones now can call, text, browse the internet and host a huge range of apps and games. Most of the features that get updated are things that I would be content having an older model of, but the camera is really important to me and the reason I upgrade every time I am able.
In video mode on the Xperia XZ1, you can tap a little icon above the stop/start button which adds a slow motion clip into the recording. It makes a tiny moment expand into five seconds worth of footage as it records 960 frames per second and you can do this as many times as you want during one clip. I have so many ideas to try with this, but here is our very first go. Again this video has not been edited other than the very start being cut off and I have uploaded it directly from my phone.
So far I am really impressed with the Sony Xperia XZ1 and whilst I won't be hanging up my DSLR, I am enjoying having a great little camera in my pocket.
I will be writing a full review of the phone next week!
I am working with Sony on a paid collaboration but all thoughts and opinions are completely my own.
Your photos turned out amazing! So crisp and clear! I'm excited to see how you get on with the phone. x
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