This Portrait Photo Was Taken With a Smartphone. It Shocked me

As good as smartphone cameras are in 2024, there are a few areas in which they usually can’t compete with dedicated camera hardware.

That includes portrait photography, where even the best camera phones tend to be a poor imitation of a top-class mirrorless camera.

So, when I was offered the chance to have my portrait taken with the new Honor 200 Pro, I was more than a little sceptical. After all, this phone isn’t even a true flagship, costing £699.99 in the UK.

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

However, there was a reason Honor was offering attendees to the 200 Series launch event in Paris a free portrait. The company has collaborated with iconic French photography studio Studio Harcourt on the 200 Pro, to create what it calls a “studio-level portrait camera”.

Alongside portraits using the 50Mp main (1x zoom) or 50Mp telephoto (2x or 2.5x zoom), the 200 Pro lets you capture in three distinct modes: Harcourt Vibrant, Harcourt Colour or Harcourt Classic.

The latter was the one used for our portraits at the event, creating a black and white image that looks like it was taken in the 1930s or 40s. And it was very popular: despite joining the queue just minutes after the keynote ended, it took me more than two full hours to get to the front.

At various points during that time, I was concerned that it’d all be a waste of time. But I needn’t have worried.

With the help of a very talented photographer and studio lighting, the photos captured were phenomenally good. As someone who isn’t very photogenic, I’m blown away by the end results, and can’t quite believe they were taken on a smartphone.

I really liked all the photos of me, but this was my personal favourite. The quality of the image speaks for itself:

Honor / Studio Harcourt

Of course, you probably don’t have access to a top-class photographer or studio with perfect lighting on a regular basis. But the good news is that even regular portraits on the street retain that iconic look and excellent detail, plus the option for a realistic background blur.

While not the best all-round camera phone (the ultrawide lens needs work), the Honor 200 Pro has a feature that no other smartphone can match. It’s elevated the humble smartphone into an elite tool for portrait photography, which is something I never imagined myself saying.

In addition to the photos you see here, I took over 100 photos with the Honor 200 Pro, learning a lot along the way.