The snobbish photographer

This blog post is inspired by a recent conversation in my Facebook photography group, The Digital Photography Forum.

One of the members shared an experience on a couple of recent outings they went on. The basic story is most of the other photographers present were using the newest trend in cameras, mirrorless bodies while she was still using her tried and true digital SLR. She related that she felt she was being snubbed because her gear made a sound, the mechanical shutter, as she took photographs. I can relate to her story.

I want to make something clear right away. I’m not an anti-mirrorless camera body person. What I am is shoot what you have type person. We all get into photography with different goals and budgets. Many of us don’t feel like we should replace gear just when the next thing comes out. Now that that statement is out there I will go on as to how I can relate.

I’m sure that photography snobs, just like art snobs, wine snobs, or every other kind of snobbery have existed for a very long time, but it seems as if photography snobs go through a series of growth and decline, at least in my experience.

Early in my days of digital SLR photography, I started with an entry-level camera and consumer-grade lenses. These were also the days of Yahoo forums, I know ancient history. During that time, I felt a lot of snobbery from photographers who had higher quality gear. They often made you feel like you weren’t a “real photographer” unless you had the “latest and greatest”. Over the course of the next 15 plus years, I have been able to upgrade some of my gear but I have tried to not be a snob when it comes to photography. It may be because I don’t have a room full of the big-name lenses or high-speed low drag gear. I’ve been around those people who have had that stuff and frankly some of them never impressed me with their photography. Conversely, I have been around people who have had entry-level equipment that can impress me with nearly every photograph they take. My thought is, I’m not impressed by what gear you have but how you use your gear and how well you create your art. Impress me with the results, not what you use.