Over the last 3 years I selected, titled, tagged and, sometimes, edited 2,844 photos from my Pixel 4a and Pixel 8 for my private hike/run/adventure log. I tried workflows with Lightroom Mobile, Dropbox, Onedrive and tried various apps for taking photos.

What did I learn? Mainly that I don't like taking photos with a phone. I don't enjoy the largely touch screen controls, I don't enjoy the way the phone processes photos, I don't enjoy the limitations of the raw photos or the color or the process of editing.

Of course I enjoy the convenience and it is amazing in all kinds of ways to catch moments of life with the camera always in my pocket - I'm not taping over my phone camera lens... And the size, weight and overall functionality (mapping, communications, weather, internet browser....) are amazing. But as a way to try to make beautiful, meaningful, interesting, unique images that hold up when viewed on a large monitor or printed to more than polaroid size? For me phone cameras are not the way.

Fair criticism to think that I didn't have the right phone/camera, the right app or the right process, I didn't embrace the medium or that age and old habits are dragging me down. Regardless, I can tell you that my 3 years and 2,844 photos is an honest try.

So.

Next.

Over the last 3 months I selected, titled, tagged and edited 156 photos from my OM SYSTEM OM-5 camera with M.Zuiko Digital 17mm F1.8 II lens for my private hike/run/adventure log. My workflow includes software that I have written myself to manage file names, summaries, tags and geo-tagging and ON1 Photo RAW.

This camera and lens fits comfortable into a run vest, is weather resistant enough to come in any conditions, has a very functional set of physical controls and produces images that lack the resolution of modern monsters like the Sony A7Rv but that are a joy to edit and hold up quite well on a larger monitors or in print and is fun and inspiring to shoot with!

It has been a joy and a relief to have the OM-5 - neighborhood runs are a chance to look for a new photos, and unexpected finds are documented with photos that I actually care about. I would still take my A7Riv and favorite lenses on a 'photography hike' - but as an everyday and more casual camera the OM-5 rules.