Tag: Photography

If you follow practically any photography forum you will often see conversations about photographic gear. Often the conversation is about the latest and greatest gear available or about upgrading gear. Photography has always been about gear to some extent. Let’s face it, you have to have a camera of some sort, but it seems as if photography has become more and more about a race for gear. My newest camera body is now 8 years old. My next most used camera body is 11 years old. They both still perform well. I have yet to find something that these cameras don’t have that holds me back.

I think photographic gear is awesome. I love looking at photographic gear. I love looking at quality photographs more though. I often believe people are searching for a way to make their photography better without having to work and learn. If I buy this new thing my photography will be better.

To me, it is about learning, experimenting, seeing, envisioning, and then somewhat about gear. Don’t let the quest for gear cloud your growth as an artist.

It’s been a while since I’ve seen this debate and mostly because I don’t frequent forums where the topic comes up often, but all photography is real photography. It makes no difference what type of camera was used or whether it was on film or digital. Let’s face it, at one-time glass plates or a thin piece of metal were used as the media to record the image.

Current smartphones have cameras that are quite capable. It’s just a matter of learning how to control the features of the camera. The smartphone camera uses virtually the same technology as a dedicated digital camera.

I would venture to guess that most of us have a smartphone with a camera. I know there are times, as in many times, that my smartphone is the only device that I have to use to take a photograph. My iPhone X has a 12-megapixel sensor. I may not be able to make large prints from an image but it is quite capable.

I don’t intend to give up using my dedicated Nikon digital SLR cameras any time soon, but I do believe it is time to stop the debate about smartphone photography not being “real photography”. Learn to use all your gear, which includes your smartphone camera because sometimes it may be all you have to capture a marvelous scene.

A few years ago another photographer said to me, “It’s easy to take a pretty picture of a flower, it’s already pretty.” I’m not sure I would go quite that far, but it has some truth as I think back on the statement. Are we just about making pretty pictures of pretty subjects? I certainly hope not.

I’m not sure what the plant is in the featured photograph, but it isn’t pretty by most flower standards. I saw this plant wandering along a trail in the Flint Hills last September. Many of the plants in the Flints Hills look rugged like this. The open prairie is a harsh environment for plants, I’d guess. I was drawn to this because it was rugged-looking and had many textures.

I’ve heard photographers talk about going out on a photographic excursion. They are waiting for the perfect light, the golden hour, or the blue hour. They are looking for pretty subjects, in pretty light, on a pretty day. I try to not limit myself to just those subjects and just those hours. I often work to make a decent photograph of the mundane. Making decent photographic art with a mundane subject in mundane lighting on a mundane day is much more challenging. Can’t we find beauty and art in the mundane? I think so. Don’t limit yourself to only pretty subjects, in pretty light, on a pretty day. Look for interesting ways to capture the mundane.

Yesterday, I wrote about a post on a social media site stating how much gear matters. Originally, I didn’t even look at the person who wrote the post photographs, but eventually, I couldn’t help myself. I looked and I must say I wasn’t impressed. In my way of thinking, if you’re going to go out in the world and boast about how quality gear makes a difference you should have top-quality work.

We should let our work represent our skills, not our gear. Our photography gear serves merely as tools. We don’t need an expensive camera and lens to create quality work. What we do need is know-how.

I’ve set up a challenge for myself this weekend. I’m going to take my 16-year-old Nikon D80 and my $100 (I think it was $90 when I bought it in 2006) 50mm f/1.8 lens and create some quality photographs just to demonstrate to myself that it isn’t about gear but about results. Hopefully, I will be able to share the results with you all.

I don’t intend this to be a rant but rather a challenge to us to let our work speak for us rather than our tools. The tools we use are just that, tools. Our skill, our vision, and our resulting art are what matter.

Don’t let gear hold you back. I’ve seen high-quality photographs and videos shot with an iPhone.

The was a debate in a recent Nikon camera social media group. The debate began when a member wrote a post about people should stop saying gear doesn’t matter because it does. I didn’t look at any of his photos, didn’t need to. The only comment I made was, “No photographer is as good as the simplest camera – Edward Steichen”. For those who may not be familiar with Edward Steichen, he is often credited with elevating photography into an art form. Edward Steichen is one of my favorite past photography masters and I agree with his quote.

Gear doesn’t matter for the most part. A great photograph can be created with the simplest of cameras. A great photograph is created by the skill and vision of the photographer just like a great meal can be prepared on almost any stove in any type of pot and pan.

Just because you use the top-of-the-line, newest, latest greatest photographic equipment doesn’t mean you will be able to create great photographs. I have known photographers who owned all the best equipment and their photographs absolutely sucked!

There may be times when the gear is important. Maybe. For the vast majority of photographers, especially hobbyists, Our gear doesn’t really make a difference. I still own and use a Nikon D80 which is now 16 years old. I can put my $100 50 mm lens on it and create very good photographs. At the same time, I can take my newest full-frame camera and my 70-200mm f/2.8 lens and create crap. Don’t let people tell you that to create great photographs you need the best equipment or the latest technology. Photography, like many hobbies, can be a money pit. Create your art with your gear. If you want better gear and can afford it, that is great. If you can’t afford the latest and greatest, don’t fret. Show them you can create great work and outperform them.