Cellphone Celebration

Since I appear to recently have collected a fair few images of cellphones being used in various places, and prompted by recent discussion in this forum about the evils of cellphones and how they are destroying society and turning us all into zombies, I thought this would be a great time and place to share them.

You're welcome

m4/3 is a great travel system, combines good IQ with really usable gear in a form that is so small that in a Passport Sling - my preferred bag for travel -  I can carry a G7 and 5 lenses (including the 100-400, though TBH that is rather heavy and I'd rather not carry that unless I have to - but it is such a good lens that I always regret leaving it behind.).

Means you always have a suitable lens available, these were taken with everything from the 9-18 m.Zuiko to the 100-400 PanaLeica. Many with the 45-150 Panasonic, the lens I used most often for street photography.

All from recent travels in the Middle East, what a great place to visit - highly recommended.

And there is no doubt that cellphones have changed to world, and particularly so for these societies which are only recently becoming modernised, and at a frantic pace. They depend on a large immigrant population to get things done; cellphones give immigrant workers an important connection to their families that they've often had to leave behind while working to support them. For many, their entire business may depend on them.

Just because cellphones don't fit your life, doesn't mean you should rag on others for using them, so please don't do that here.

Nizwa, outside the souq

His phone must be better than mine, I'd never be able to read mine in that sunlight.

Multitasking - if you are walking the same route, probably several times a day, why not?

Muscat, corniche near Mutrah

Muscat, corniche near Seeb. Some quick photographic critique happening here.

City Walk, Dubai. Easy "street", just stand and wait...

Kite Beach, Dubai. This is a solar powered phone charging station,  with seating, free wifi and shade. Just what you need on a hot day at the beach. The seat bases have USB cords hanging out of thhas significant em, elsewhere in Dubai charging stations were available in lots of public areas. Personally I'd be worried about using them, the UAE has significant surveillance in place, and censorship of the Internet is fairly intrusive.

One of the criticisms I've seen in this forum, is that having your face in your cellphone disconnects you from your surroundings. As if that were a bad thing... Seeb. Oman

Praying? No, just getting better cellphone reception. Above the siq, Petra

Petra. Here we have a lonely but trendy Pentax user - look at that camera -  taking a selfie of himself taking a photo. Now, that's meta...or recursive, I guess. Two jobs, two different cameras.

Petra. With no tourists, might as well catch up with Facebook. In peak season, Petra used to see - before Arab Spring -10,000 tourists a day. The day previous to our visit, they had a total of 300.

Petra, up by the Silk Tomb IIRC. Huge contrast between these ancient ruins and the modernity of cellphones everywhere.

Tour group having fun with photography, in the siq.

Two women sharing photos at Petra. They were having a great time, taking photos and discussing between themselves, sitting above one of the oldest streets on Earth in one of the most spectacular settings. Far more connected than discussing some esoteric detail that doesn't matter in some photography forum.

Two boys on the steam locomotive at Wadi Rum Station, Jordan.

Good to see security being taken seriously...  Amman, Jordan

In the produce souq, Amman. This is the real deal, not a tourist oriented souq; so many people, and so busy, so much stuff.

In Jordan, especially in Amman, even conservatively dressed women were often very stylish and colourful. As were their phones...

Stylish, and warm, because it was freezing in Jordan. This is in the Hashemite Plaza

Tourists at the Citadel, Amman. Not sure why the woman didn't do a little research before bringing a TOY PIG to the middle east.

As I said, I don't generally do "street" but sometimes, just can't help myself.

Stylish, and totally engrossed. A happy cellphone user. Citadel, Amman.

Thanks for looking.