![The Original iPhone in 2007](https://i0.wp.com/bethcoll.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/IMG_1495.jpg?resize=200%2C200&ssl=1)
I don’t typically like to spend a lot of money on tech. I actually got my first iPhone in 2007 by winning an online contest. I usually stick with a phone for a long time before upgrading. Until recently, I was still using an iPhone 6s. But 2 things happened: My iPhone 6s battery started die, and Apple released the iPhone 11 pro. It was time to ask, “Is upgrading to the iPhone 11 Pro worth it?”
![](https://i0.wp.com/bethcoll.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/img_0479.jpg?resize=200%2C200&ssl=1)
The smart phone has changed our lives in so many ways. I think that’s obvious by now. I try to be judicious in my iPhone use. I strongly dislike the ball and chain aspect of constantly checking my social media apps (with the exception of instagram!). But the thing I have always loved most about the iPhone is the quality of the camera, and the ability to take great pictures, all the time.
I’m an amateur photographer so I don’t like spending a lot of money on camera equipment either. I’ve had the same Nikon D90 for 10 years, and it has served me well. But at a certain point, I started to notice that my iPhone photos at times were looking better than the Nikon photos, and the iPhone is so much less cumbersome. I started to imagine that a day would come that the iPhone camera would be the only one I needed. I started to research the iPhone 11 Pro and started to realize that the day had come!
So is the iPhone 11 PRO worth it?
A resounding yes! I am having so much fun with this phone, and I honestly don’t feel like I have scratched the surface of what it can do yet. My favorite feature by far is using Portrait mode. Although it was designed for shooting acutual portraits, I’ve been having a great time just shooting objects around the house:
Actual portraits look great as well:
![iPhone 11 Pro portrait of Peter in the yogurt aisle at Harris Teeter](https://i0.wp.com/bethcoll.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/IMG_0395-2.jpg?resize=450%2C450&ssl=1)
The Portrait modes of studio light, contour light and stage light can create some really interesting effects on the fly. My kids and I have been addicted to making silly and dramatic selfies in the high key mono setting:
It’s also interesting to use the stage light setting to make things around the house look very dramatic:
I haven’t really tested too many landscape shots, but this so far is my favorite. It was taken on an empty road, driving home after a Saturday night shift:
And then there’s night mode:
Overall, the iPhone 11 Pro has a really fun camera, and I think I am only just getting started on maximizing what it can do. It comes at a very hefty price tag for my frugal budget, but considering I was getting ready to upgrade my DLSR camera, I think this was a wise purchase. It would be a great investment for a small business owner, particular ones who rely on posting great photos on social media.