BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / Do the Homeless Network all have camera phones?

**Posted by Sherlock Holmes** February 29, 2012 1:56 am

They must do otherwise how can they send Sherlock pictures of various warehouses direct to his phone?

This is the scene in the police station where they're trying to work out where the kids are. Sherlock says he has his Homeless Network on the job, then he scans through a load of photos on his phone.

**Posted by kazza474** February 29, 2012 2:44 am

I'm sure some probably do. Even in real life, some people are homeless by choice & still have the means to get by with the usual things.

**Posted by LoveBug54** August 31, 2012 2:47 am

My basic free cellphone is a camera phone.

Sherlock has probably provided phones to his network to increase their usefulness to him.

**Posted by hypergreenfrog** August 31, 2012 6:45 am

Good point, I've never thought about that, but they obviously do.As LoveBug has said, virtually all phones have cameras these days, so it would not be a huge investment. It would also allow Sherlock to contact them when needed.

The quality of the pictures taken with cheap phones is still usually quite low, though. I have a model which was top of the range in 2010, and the camera is ok outside or in a brightly lit room, but there is no flash, so you can't use it in the dark or even somewhat badly lit places.

I'm always a bit sceptical when they use pictures taken via camera phone on TV shows, with people using them as evidence or for black mail. It's just a bit unrealistic, at least not for "regular" people who don't spend 300+ EUR on their phone.
Irene Adler's case was slightly different, thankfully the writers put in the extra bit of information that her phone had been adapted by Moriarty's "experts". Also, she is rich and well connected enough to have a state of the art camera put into her phone especially for her purposes.

**Posted by JaneCo** August 31, 2012 9:48 am

Even with a specially adapted 'phone, those pictures she received of John and Sherlock in the taxi laughing over the ashtray took some skill .

BTW I wondered if these 'photos were confirmation for Irene just how much of 'a couple' John and Sherlock actually were. Consider her expression as she looks away.

**Posted by Sammy** September 1, 2012 10:31 pm

It's true... I'll go with the theory that Sherlock gave them good camera phones.
It's also true that the pictures you see on screen have a way too good quality. The quality of cell phone pictures is usually very crappy. But you can observe that in almost every movie or TV show - pictures someone "randomly took" always look way too good to be authentic. It's just one of these little mistakes which are perfectly fine.

**Posted by The Doctor** September 1, 2012 11:33 pm

It's like the technique of showing past video footage in a scene, only for camera angle to change and thus the viewer to enter that scene.

This has always annoyed me. It doesn't make sense!

**Posted by Joalro** September 24, 2012 8:20 pm

I'm less surprised that the homeless have camera phones than then having phone plans. Does Sherlock pay for all their plans?

Do any companies in England offer a "any of homeless" deal?

**Posted by Davina** September 24, 2012 8:25 pm

They may just have 'pay as you go' phones. No plan/contract needed.

**Posted by Sam** September 24, 2012 9:12 pm

I was wondering this too! They must be pay as you go. And I personally don't see Sherlock paying for them? I guess they are a somewhat good investment but he's not super rich either.

**Posted by besleybean** October 6, 2012 8:06 pm

I think he's from a rich family, who could provide any necessary equipment.

**Posted by Sam** October 6, 2012 8:55 pm

True, maybe Mycroft even set it up.

**Posted by besleybean** October 6, 2012 8:58 pm

You got my hint, then!