Wading into Amelia Island's surf

There are times to truly be grateful for how far cellphone image making has come.

While I prefer my trusty DSLR, it's various lenses, and the ways I can manipulate those tools to create an image, it just can't beat an iPhone for spontaneous moments.

Like this one above.

My middle son, Liam, had waded out into the Atlantic Ocean while we vacationed on Florida's Amelia Island.

The iPhone was handy.

The whole moment called for a wide angle shot -- 7-year-old boy, the ocean, the dramatic morning sky.

Get low so the horizon goes below his shoulders. Steady. Make sure the phone doesn't fall into the water.

Click.

While iPhones remain behind in terms of image detail -- I'd probably never blow this up into a large print for my wall -- I simply love what it can do when a moment happens.

Dave Pidgeon is a seasoned writer and photographer from Lancaster, Pa. You can reach him at dave@pidgeonseyeview.com.