I was sitting on a friend's balcony the other night enjoying a scotch when I saw this shot. The peaceful ease of the swimmer in the brilliantly lit water contrasted strongly with the darkness of the city around him and I knew I just had to capture it.

I can't carry my DSLR everywhere. It weighs too much and is just too conspicuous. So, sometimes I have to resort to iPhone shots as I did in this case. I'm usually disappointed with the result and the files are too small to do much with, but at least I recorded the memory and on this occasion I think it captured the atmosphere of the scene.

Anyone looking for a first class camera this Christmas without the bulk of a DSLR would do well to check out the Canon G11. It is a compact camera that fits in a coat pocket, but is used by professional photo journalists.

Places to Shoot

With no workshops scheduled for December, I have had time to work on my website. I am creating articles and videos of places to shoot in San Diego in the hope that people will be inspired to go out with their cameras. You can see the first of these videos and articles on my website in the News section under Photo Locations.

www.markholmesphoto.com