I am currently travelling to a festival to do some work. Not the photography work you might expect, but instead I will be on the other side of the fence. I will be working in PR, or public relations, and managing press and photographers over the course of a couple of days. The task will not be a simple one either; setting up and manning the PR tent over a couple of days, dealing with requests from press and photographers along the way.

The photography side of it will be extremely unusual. Far from the fighting press photographers climbing over each other to get the perfect shot of a sportsman crying on a pitch, or the latest upskirt shot of some B list beauty – this will be organised. There will be lines and opportunities for both press and photographers to get their hands on various bands and artists. It will just be my job to ensure it is all smooth sailing.

I will be the first person to admit that I do not own a “proper” modern camera. I have an old digital camera that does a job, but I do not use it anymore. Why? Because I have an iPhone. The cameras that come pre-installed on just about any modern phone are far superior to my old digital camera. They have a better pixel definition, they have a better field of view and the colour capture is much much better as well. So why would we need a camera?

The truth is outside of a couple of professional fields; we don’t. We do not need an expensive camera to take pictures of our friends and our holidays, nor do we need an expensive camera to take selfies. The sheer ability to quickly take a photograph and upload it to your social media channels, too, is far away above the capabilities of many cameras out there, and the speed with which you can do it renders many cameras useless for most people.

Some of the seminal, iconic photographs in the world’s history have been at sporting events. Whether they be of Mohamed Ali, then Cassius Clay, strutting his stuff in the ring, or the “black” salute at the Olympic Games medal ceremony, without on site photographers these moments would be lost to history. The amount of these moments, not just the elite, not just the iconic, but the sporting moments captured every single day can be demonstrated by the amount of cameras present at sporting events. I am sat watching Manchester United vs Arsenal and the sheer volume of people is staggering.

Not just the professionals either; everyone has a camera now. On their phones or standard smaller hand cameras. Every possible angle is covered, and all for the better. Those smaller moments now are never too far away; a simple glance between two sportsman, a nod of acknowledgment, a clasp of the hand away from the television cameras.

Every year the finest and brightest in the photography world descend on London to celebrate some of the finest works that that year has produced. It is the world’s largest photography competition; attracting entries and contestants from all over the world, each bringing their own unique styles and visions with them to make this one of the most diverse and enthralling photography events in the calendar.

With a number of categories to look at, Somerset House holds the winners and shortlisted entries for each of the four main competition categories. The 2015 show also features a touching and fascinating exhibition from legendary photographer, and the awards’ Outstanding Contribution to Photography, Elliot Erwitt. People who book tickets in advance will also find themselves eligible for a number of extra activities and shows during the week long event. This is the perfect day out in London for anyone with even the slightest love of photography, art and culture.

The photographers out there are already screaming at their monitors; “OF COURSE WE DO YOU LOUSY CONTENT WRITING NERD, WHAT THE HELL DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE ART OF PHOTOGRAPHY, FRAMING AND CAPTURING SUNLIGHT REFLECTING OFF OF A RAINDROP!” Woah now Sir, calm down. For the aficionados out there there will, of course, be a reason to keep your dusty old tripods, your camera straps and whatever other out of date gear you carry around with you. But what about the rest of us? What about the man on the street? When was the last time he needed a Kodak? He doesn’t, and he may never again.

Smartphones now are all the photographic requirements that most people need. The quality on them is improving at an alarming rate, my old 4S is pretty good, but a friend of mine has one of the newest models and the picture quality on the camera is unreal. Forget the old; get a better phone. You can then instantly upload your amazing photos without the need to develop them in a ridiculous dark room.