PSA: A grad student in Tucson showed me how to spot old trails with just a phone camera

I was helping on a dig near the Santa Cruz River last year and got stuck trying to find a path mentioned in old notes. This grad student, Maria, pulled out her phone, turned on the black and white filter, and pointed out a faint line in the dirt I'd walked right past. She said the contrast change can reveal subtle soil changes from foot traffic that your eyes miss in full color. Has anyone else tried a simple phone trick like that in the field?

2 comments

2 Comments

rowan42211d ago

Always thought you needed fancy gear for that, but her trick actually worked.

aaronf4011d ago

Yeah the "fancy gear" thing is such a myth. Read an article about a photographer who shot a whole series with a cheap point-and-shoot from like 2008. The lighting and composition made it look pro. Another one was a guy who used a cardboard box as a light diffuser. It's all about knowing the basics.