Artistic power of cell phone photos on display at Florida Museum of Photographic Arts
Mar 16, 2026
Its something many of us do every day, and thats take a photo with our cell phone. But did you know there's now a class for that? Its all part of the newest exhibit at the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts.Instructor Simone Le
al has used just about every type of camera during her career, so its only natural that shes incorporated the cell phone into her latest photography class.Photography is an art medium thats constantly changing and evolving thanks to technology, said Leal.Leal says with the evolution of the cell phone, it has opened the door to photography for almost everyone.Oh yeah, absolutely, to levels weve never experienced before, said Leal.Leal said there is so much more to it than just pointing and clicking, which is why she is so proud of her newest class, taking students out of the studio, onto the streets, learning everything from lighting to focus, composition and depth of field.It was really nice, I like the information she gave me and the walking around and the different tips, said student Marieke Vanderkrabben.The photography class coincides with the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts' newest exhibit, Dimpy Bhalotia: Small Lens, Big World, featuring more than 50 photographs all taken with a cell phone.It proves that a phone is perfectly capable of taking your artistic vision and being in a world-class museum, said Leal.Museum Executive Curator Robin ODell said people from across the country have made the trip just for this exhibit. Its a sign of a photographic movement.You know the artist herself is from India and the photos came all the way from India so its a treat for everyone who can come and see it, said ODell. Its remarkable that someone can take these photos with your phone, but she did, and there is no Lightroom, no Photoshop, these are all done in her phone.For those visitors who feel inspired, theyre encouraged to add their own unique cell phone shots to the wall.We all carry our cell phones in our pockets all the time and we dont really know the power that it has, said ODell.The exhibit is on display until April 5, while the next cell phone photography class with Simone Leal is on March 29.Its the best tool to expand your creative juices, said Leal.For more information, go to www.fmopa.org.
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