If someone doesn't own a DSLR but very much keen in photography, then can he/she start photography using iPhone? Or should he/she should wait for the DSLR to come so that get to know about all the technicalities from the very beginning of photography?

Of course it is possible. The person in question has to be open to the learning curve that will come with the switch to real cameras. I see a lot of people who can't make the transition.

IMHO it definitely helps to start with anything that can capture an image! Photography is first of all about the picture, not the technology. Even an iPhone is quite sophisticated compared to the cameras of early masters of photography. One should get an app that allows better adjustment of exposure instead of the standard app, but that's all. I use ProCamera and still enjoy photography with it, even if I own a Sony A7R and lots of vintage lenses.

 

Photography with such a phone can be quite challenging, more than a camera with exchangeable lenses, since it's very wide. Image composition with such a wide angle and depth of field is difficult, but you can make great photos with it.

 

Later, with the DSLR, you can learn about manual exposure, manual focus and the different characteristics of lenses.

Well, I personally loathe taking photos with an iPhone... but we're not talking about me.

 

The pitfalls I see when people switch to a real camera is that every step involves more work. They have to learn about ISO, aperture and shutter speed, colour management, operating a lens etc. They have to transfer photos to a computer and edit them before they can post them. Each of these steps take time and affort compared to pointing, clicking, applying a filter and uploading directly to instagram.

 

I've seen enough iPhone photographers buy a camera but lose heart and revert straight back to the iPhone.

Yes, many started with box Brownie camera's. Iphone is well advanced in quality so you can learn composition, which is the most important part of being a photographer.

 

Today you can go to mirrorless and not bother with cumbersome DSLR's.

 

Find a book on the fundermentals of photography and know them off by heart.

 

Practice, practice followed by more practice.

It seems best to think of "phonography" and camera

photography as very related fields, two DIFFERENT 

independent fields, with an acknowledged overlap of 

maybe 25% [or 10% to 60%, exactness is pointless]. 

   

Think of canoeing, kayaking, and sculling. Think of 

bicycle racing and dirt biking .... mosaic making and

brick laying .... etcetcetc. 

   

So, on that basis I'd answer the OP with, "Fear not

the 'but ' in a 'Yes, but ' ! "   

  

The "yes" is the main factor in the "yes, but " and it 

should result in something beginning to happen. Too  

much concern over "but" might hinder that beginning. 

Without a beginning, you got NOTHING :-(    

 

I feel strongly that all those replies above concerning 

any possible snags in transitioning between the two

fields is correct but very out of time. It's all technically 

correct observations and is all being offered at a very 

wrong point in time. Which renders it's "correctness" 

value as less then zero. It's a negative influence. It is 

WORSE than technically incorrect info. 

   

The OP inquires about a harmless and possibly very 

productive endeavor, and all those words of warning, 

whether dire or tiny, should never have been written.  

Basically, it was time for everyone to say "great idea" 

and shut up. Save showing off your "knowledge" for 

threads about real problems. IOW don't be offering a 

"yes, but " where a simple big "YES " would suffice. 

`   

   

One good approach is to start with a crude 

camera obscura ... from a tin can or such. 

The kind kids might make in an elementary

school science class.  

   

It doesn't record images, but it transforms 

"normal" scenes into "imagery". I suspect 

that anyone who finds that transformation 

to be engaging and fascinating is going to

be OK with the learning curve required for 

controlling modern cameras ... rather than 

letting cameras control users.  

  

   

 

`

The OP framed his question well. Is it better to learn the technicalities from the beginning? The answer is yes, it is better.

 

My words of caution were not invented, but stems from the experience of mentoring aspiring photographers. There are people who just can't be bothered to learn a camera once they get used to the quick and easy of smart phones. I know one or two people who even make a living shooting jpeg on auto. They literally cannot be bothered to learn camera settings or processing raw files.

 

I would however qualify my reply with a "it depends". If it's a young person saving up for a camera, then why not bridge the gap with a phone. But they should do some reading up on the basics and get an app which allows more control, like Nomad suggested.

 

 

It seems best to think of "phonography" and camera

photography as very related fields, two DIFFERENT 

independent fields, with an acknowledged overlap of 

maybe 25% [or 10% to 60%, exactness is pointless]. 

   

Think of canoeing, kayaking, and sculling. Think of 

bicycle racing and dirt biking .... mosaic making and

brick laying .... etcetcetc. 

   

So, on that basis I'd answer the OP with, "Fear not

the 'but ' in a 'Yes, but ' ! "   

  

The "yes" is the main factor in the "yes, but " and it 

should result in something beginning to happen. Too  

much concern over "but" might hinder that beginning. 

Without a beginning, you got NOTHING :-(    

 

I feel strongly that all those replies above concerning 

any possible snags in transitioning between the two

fields is correct but very out of time. It's all technically 

correct observations and is all being offered at a very 

wrong point in time. Which renders it's "correctness" 

value as less then zero. It's a negative influence. It is 

WORSE than technically incorrect info. 

   

The OP inquires about a harmless and possibly very 

productive endeavor, and all those words of warning, 

whether dire or tiny, should never have been written.  

Basically, it was time for everyone to say "great idea" 

and shut up. Save showing off your "knowledge" for 

threads about real problems. IOW don't be offering a 

"yes, but " where a simple big "YES " would suffice.