Mobile is one facet of photography in which I haven't invested a lot of my time. For me there are two limitations that I can't really get past when compared to using my DSLR.
The first limitation for me is the lack of a viewfinder. I like having a frame to look through that filters out the clutter outside the frame. Holding a screen in front of me just feels foreign.
Another limitation that deters me from phone photography is the fixed wide angle lens. I like the flexibility to be able to shoot distant subjects. I know that you can buy lenses for smartphones, but it seems like a cumbersome affair. If I'm going to mess with extra lenses I'd rather shoot my DSLR.
For this assignment I found this card lock fueling station out in the middle of nowhere and I liked the emptiness around it. It felt isolated and a little unnerving to be there, especially with the bright phone screen in my face.
It was good to force myself to try the phone as my main tool for this assignment, but I'm more comfortable and get better results with my DSLR. I won't be switching any time soon.
On Taking Assignments
I frequently listen to the On Taking Pictures (OTP) podcast, which I highly recommend to anyone looking for good conversation about creativity, especially as it related to photography. In January 2014 the hosts, Bill Wadman and Jeffery Saddoris, began a new segment of weekly assignments that they gave to listeners. Results of the assignments are posted on the OTP Google Plus group. I decided that I would commit myself to the assignments for a year without interruption, and that I would complete each one before the next assignment was announced on the show each Tuesday morning. My 'On Taking Assignments' blog posts are the culmination of my year-long focus on these assignments.