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Mindfulness practice and samadhi are not in opposition to each other. Mindfulness cultures the mind to continually go back to its source and subsequently helps and strengthens that process in sitting practice. Sitting practice is needed to gain the extra quietness that will facilitate transcendence of mind leading to temporary samadhi, which is more difficult to achieve with mindfulness practice during activity because there are more distractions. But whatever you do, the goal must be samadhi.

Is Mindfulness practice worthy on its own?

Can one Awaken purely by practicing it?

Are there other benefits other than Awakening?

Luang Por Jaran at his very popular temple in Singhburi teaches only Vipassana, as does Luang Por Tong of Chom Tong, Chiangmai. Neither of them start off with Samatha meditation.

My teacher Supawan Green, a student of Luang Por Tean both teach only being mindful of the movement, sensation and breath ...being aware in the moment.

I was at one time, after discovering 360cities.net, interested in making these spherical panoramas, but the cost of a special pano head, 15mm fish-eye lens, SLR to bolt it onto and time spent joining photo,s put me off.

I now take the easy route. My smartphone has the Google apk to make Photospheres which takes about 44 photos in a couple of minutes, joins them all automatically, and I can then upload to my Google plus and from there to Google maps, so if they are accepted they will appear on their Street View. I can also upload to 360cities and they will put them on Google Earth.

https://www.google.com/maps/views/view/115394776417087343398/gphoto/6105264048247979010

Lahu gentleman cutting bamboo strips... they use them to secure things as we would use cable-ties in the West.