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You Must Have a Good Camera
It’s the compliment that every photographer hates to get: “What a great photo! You must have a good camera”. Well, if you are serious about your photography, you probably do have a good camera; should you deny it? Should you respond with something like, “That was a lovely meal. You must have a good saucepan”, or “yes, and I know how to use it.”? Probably not... it was almost certainly a sincere compliment, not a put down. It just reflects a different understanding of how a good photograph is made. Have you ever seen wedding photographers trying to stop the guests “stealing” their set-ups - taking their own pictures of the bridal party as the official photographers pose them outside the church or at the reception? They may think they are protecting their livelihood, but it is only their own professionalism and skill which can do that. The wedding party have committed to buy from the photographer they have hired because of their reputation, style and skill. That same style and skill will bring in the sales from the guests, too. Sure, some of the amateur photos will be O.K., even good, but there won’t be any organised distribution of those photos; they will only grace the personal albums of whoever took them, and maybe supplement the pictures paid for by the principals at the function. Good grace and confidence in your own ability to produce outstanding images are important attributes of any events photographer in an age where everybody is armed with a camera. In fact, the comparison between the average snapshot and the skilfully produced, properly post-processed image should lead to a greater appreciation of the photographer’s skill and the value of their work. It is also what generates that dreadful compliment that opened this discussion: “you must have a good camera”. Should we be concerned if others think a good camera takes good pictures? I don’t think so. If they are looking at your images and moved to admire them, that is a very positive thing. The question opens up opportunities to talk to people about your passion, to share other images, to build a relationship and, if you are in the business of photography, to promote yourself. There is no downside to this. I find it very helpful to ask people what sort of camera they own. Most are astonished to discover that their little point-and-shoot camera is probably more sophisticated and advanced than the cameras used by many of the most famous photographers. What might Cartier-Bresson have done in candid street photography if he swapped his fixed lens 35mm film camera for a 6 Mega pixel camera with a 3x optical zoom lens small enough to hide in on hand? Or Martin Parr with access to a camera that could shift colour pallets at will, and offered instant feedback on the result? Could Art Kane’s rock portraits - the Stones, the Who, Dylan - been made on a mid range digital camera? Sure! Could the average camera user have made them? No way; not even on a top of the line, full frame, 20-odd megapixel digital SLR! Purists may disagree with my examples, but even high quality digital cameras are accessible to anyone with say, $1000 to spend; Leica, Canon, Zeis and other top lens makers supply glass for cameras which cost just a fraction of cost of the lens alone 19 years ago. Clearly, it isn’t the camera, the lens or the accessories that makes the picture. In fact, you don’t need a camera at all to produce stunning images: a photocopier and a computer will do it: if you have the talent. As an aside, among my own digital images, the two which have won the most awards, and 3 of my 10 best selling photos were taken not with my digital single lens reflex, but with a 4 megapixel compact. It must be a good camera! |
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This intel was contributed by David Rich
David Rich
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May, 2012
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