So, I was waffling over whether I wanted to post this or not, since I was worried it would sound pedantic, but after a few photographer friends urged me to do it, I thought I would… in the least patronizing way possible :)
A common grumble among photographers is that they spend ages learning their craft and how to get better, only to be told, “Wow, you have a nice camera.” Sure, good gear is a worthy investment, and a reason why pros sink so much money into their gear is because they need it to be reliable in all circumstances… but if a photographer can’t visualize the shots that s/he wants to make, or know the gear well enough to make the most of it, the shots turn out… pretty mediocre.
A few weeks ago I decided to test this theory by inviting over two of my friends, Eran and Lori. Neither are photographers. Eran agreed to hold the camera; Lori, to be the model. I handed Eran my D700 with a 50mm f/1.8 lens on it (keeping it nice and simple) and told him to take photos of Lori in an adjacent lawn. The camera was set to Auto. “Use the environment,” I suggested, and sat down to look at the grass while waiting about 8 minutes.
The results were predictable. MORE »
+ - 6 comments
mike - Good example there of the difference the photographer makes Elissa. And we’re camera and lens twins! Well, technically, Brenda uses the 1.8G on her D700 and I use the 1.8D on mine, but you get the idea.
Emilia Jane - Love this!!
Kandise - Amen.
Nicki - YES to this! Great demonstration Elissa!
Anne Marie Carson - Ah, so very true… great post!!
Becca - Cool post. I like the Tinkerbell comparison. :)