Why is it that whenever someone sees one of your photos that they think is amazing, the first thing they always say is "Wow! What kind of camera do you use?" I've been asked that so many times in the last week it's really starting to get to me.
If someone shows up at a potluck dinner with the most delicious desert, do people say "Wow, that was amazing! What kind of oven do you use?" Or if you sew something really spectacular do people say "Wow, that's gorgeous! What kind of sewing machine did you use?"
No, they don't! But with photography it's almost a given. Maybe it's because almost everyone can snap a picture these days - including with their phones.
Photography is so much more than just "snapping a picture". It's about lighting, focus, composition, watching for background and tension points, and it requires a lot of patience - and learning to really "see". The camera is just part of the whole deal. It's a tool, and just like a computer, it can only do what it's told. Yes, it helps to have a decent camera, but the quality of the photos taken with it is not directly proportional to the cost of the equipment.
I bought a great little book once; "How to Photograph the Canadian Rockies" by Darwin Wiggett. I bought it mainly for tips on where to be at what time of day for the best shots. In his book he says it's not expense of the camera, but the person behind it that makes the photograph. He relates a story of one time when he was set up with his tri-pod waiting for the sun to set, and someone came over and asked what he was taking a photo of. Darwin told him to look through the view-finder. The other tourist immediately exclaimed "Wow! That is one amazing camera you have there!", while around his neck he had a camera easily worth double the one Darwin was using.
Anyway, that's enough of a rant for today - I just had to get that off my chest. And the next time someone wants to know what camera I use, I'll just tell them - again - it's a Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT. My main lens is a Canon Ultrasonic EFS 17-85mm zoom with Image Stabilizer. My tele-photo lens is a Canon Ultrasonic 70-300mm zoom with Image Stabilizer. Both lenses have UV filters on them.
If someone shows up at a potluck dinner with the most delicious desert, do people say "Wow, that was amazing! What kind of oven do you use?" Or if you sew something really spectacular do people say "Wow, that's gorgeous! What kind of sewing machine did you use?"
No, they don't! But with photography it's almost a given. Maybe it's because almost everyone can snap a picture these days - including with their phones.
Photography is so much more than just "snapping a picture". It's about lighting, focus, composition, watching for background and tension points, and it requires a lot of patience - and learning to really "see". The camera is just part of the whole deal. It's a tool, and just like a computer, it can only do what it's told. Yes, it helps to have a decent camera, but the quality of the photos taken with it is not directly proportional to the cost of the equipment.
I bought a great little book once; "How to Photograph the Canadian Rockies" by Darwin Wiggett. I bought it mainly for tips on where to be at what time of day for the best shots. In his book he says it's not expense of the camera, but the person behind it that makes the photograph. He relates a story of one time when he was set up with his tri-pod waiting for the sun to set, and someone came over and asked what he was taking a photo of. Darwin told him to look through the view-finder. The other tourist immediately exclaimed "Wow! That is one amazing camera you have there!", while around his neck he had a camera easily worth double the one Darwin was using.
Anyway, that's enough of a rant for today - I just had to get that off my chest. And the next time someone wants to know what camera I use, I'll just tell them - again - it's a Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT. My main lens is a Canon Ultrasonic EFS 17-85mm zoom with Image Stabilizer. My tele-photo lens is a Canon Ultrasonic 70-300mm zoom with Image Stabilizer. Both lenses have UV filters on them.
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