The City as a Collage

Joe Howard Explores London with the Leitzphone

30/04/2026

For Joe Howard, photography is, above all, an exercise in attentiveness. The London-based photographer moves through his city with an eye for the things that others walk past: light on surfaces, figures in motion and the seemingly inconspicuous geometry of everyday spaces. When Howard took the Leitzphone out onto the streets of London, his home city, it felt both familiar and new: the same territory, but with a different tool in his hand.

“The 200 MP function delivers incredible detail, making it feel as though you have a medium-format camera in your pocket.”

Howard’s flair for drama translates naturally to the streets of London, a city he knows inside out. He found a tool that matches his pace without compromising on precision in the Leitzphone, developed by Xiaomi.

Leica Leitzphone – A New Way of Taking Photos. Designed by Leica, Realised with Xiaomi.

The Leitzphone brings Leica’s design language, imaging expertise and photographic philosophy to the world of mobile photography. Designed for photographers who value intention, control and high image quality, it embodies the essence of Leica in a smartphone.

Discover the Leitzphone

In the following interview, photographer Joe Howard shares his thoughts on the Leitzphone and discusses his first impressions of using it. You will also see a selection of the photographs he initially took as a result.

How would you describe your photographic style and your subjects?
Joe Howard: I would describe my style as observational, encompassing both landscape and street photography. Above all, I am driven by light and colour, which I regard as subjects in their own right. I’m fascinated by the interplay between people and space. When composing a shot, I often think of it as a collage, piecing together shapes to create a flat image.

What has your experience with the Leitzphone as a camera been like, and what else do you use for photography?
Joe Howard: I really enjoyed working with the Leitzphone – it feels much more direct than a standard smartphone and gives you significantly more control. I usually take photos with either my Leica MP or my M6.

You used the Leitzphone to take street photography shots in London. Did the device make your work in this genre easier?
Joe Howard: Photographing in London already pushed me out of my comfort zone, and using a smartphone made it even more challenging. However, it was extremely quick and easy to use. I’d love to take it on a trip and use it in the environments where I usu-ally work. Nevertheless, it was a real pleasure.

Was there a moment when the boundaries between a smartphone and a tradi-tional camera blurred for you?
Joe Howard: Perhaps when editing the files. When I compare the raw files from the Leitzphone with those from my other mirrorless digital cameras, there’s hardly any difference in terms of dynamic range or editing flexibility.

“The level of control you have in Pro mode is impressive. Being able to switch be-tween iconic Leica lens modes and adjust the aperture, ISO and shutter speed al-lows you to take photos much more consciously than with a normal smartphone.”

This demand for control over light, framing and the decisive moment shapes Howard’s working method, whether he’s shooting on film or using a smartphone. As he says, the Leitzphone does not replace the ritual of analogue photography; rather, it sits alongside it, offering enough precision to keep up and enough unobtrusiveness not to get in the way.

About Joe Howard

Joe Howard is a London-based photographer renowned for his painterly use of light and colour, and for capturing everyday moments and scenes that are often overlooked. His portfolio includes documentary and travel photography, as well as meticulously observed landscape scenes. He can be found on Instagram at @joewhoward.