It's all about the Camera...
- Cathy Dee
- Jun 1
- 2 min read
or is it?
The image above was taken by me about 10 years ago with a very old, cheap camera.
If there is one thing that really makes my blood boil when it comes to anyone talking about my work, it is the suggestion that my work is good because I have a good camera - or lens.
This is a comment that is said by those who are not photographers.
The suggestion being that if they had a camera like mine they too could take the same sort of photographs.
Let me state this once and once only, in bold so it sticks - it is not the camera that makes the photographer.
It's true that I needed to upgrade before I went professional again but that is to do with quality of image (pixel number/sharpness etc) See the above image, taken with the same camera as the one of Furrio, which lacks the crispness I desire in an image, but is still a great photograph.
There is so much more to being a good photographer than having a decent camera - in fact a couple of brilliant photographer friends of mine - both professional and at the top of their game, now use nothing but their iphones to produce incredible images!
Great photography starts with a thorough understanding of light and shade; tonal range.
It is about design and balance through tones, colour, and subject/s.
For me, as a portrait photographer, whether it is people or other animals that I am photographing, it is also about expression, and often about the way my subject is posed within the frame.
It is about the negative space as much as the positive.
It is about the focal point, how much depth of field is included and how sharp or soft I want the light to be to influence the final image. It is about waiting - and capturing for that decisive moment...
Again this one was taken many years ago by me with a very ordinary cheap camera.
It is about constantly learning and upskilling my game.
So never insult me with the words - 'She takes good photographs because she has a good camera'.
I am a photographer, not because of my camera but because of all I have learned and put into practice over many years...
Too right Cathy! My cameras are old but still working. That's all I need..