The camera on the back of your smartphone is probably pretty good, but in the hands of someone who can’t take a decent picture — either due to circumstances or lack of talent — it’s no better than the 1-megapixel cams seen on a feature phone. This was proven by none other than Apple CEO Tim Cook, who in the ecstatic aftermath of the Super Bowl, snapped and posted a picture of the celebrations to Twitter. Unfortunately, it wasn’t one of his best attempts.
Colorado Rocky Mountain High congrats @Broncos! pic.twitter.com/3l3gpqWaKj
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) February 8, 2016
Taken on the field, the shot is blurry and out of focus, and outside of it being clear Cook’s on a football field with some other people, not exactly a compositional masterpiece. Due to Tim Cook’s job, we’ll have to assume it was taken with an iPhone 6S or 6S Plus, which is widely regarded as having one of the best cameras in the business on the back.
Apple knows this, and highlights many of the astonishing shots taken with the phone on a special website, showing what can be done with an iPhone. However, the iPhone needs to be in the right set of hands to take a great picture. At the Super Bowl, unless it was your job to take amazing pictures, there probably wasn’t a steady hand in the stadium, whether your chosen team won or lost. Surely that would mean the odd blurry shot would be forgiven?
Seemingly in a celebratory mood, Tim Cook made the mistake of posting the picture on Twitter, and while it was met with some happy replies related to the game, the majority came dripping with derision as they concentrated on Cook’s photographic skills. Comments ranged from questions over whether the photo was taken with the rumored Apple Watch 2 or an iPhone 7, recommendations to buy a Samsung Galaxy S6 or an LG G4, assumptions Cook was drunk at the time, and many uses of the #iPhoneFail hashtag.
Will Tim Cook feel the need to redeem himself by posting a shot worthy of inclusion in one of Apple’s own marketing campaigns? Probably not, but we wouldn’t be surprised if the picture makes an amusing cameo appearance during a future Apple presentation, given the attention it has received. In the meantime, the Internet can get on with posting the masses of faultless pictures it takes everyday.
