For the Love of Photography...

“It is an illusion pictures are made with a camera, they are

made with the eye, heart and head.”

~ Henri Cartier Bresson ~

And so it begins: You take your first picture and then another and another until one day you reach the Henri Cartier Bresson magical 10,000 threshold. He’s famously quoted as saying, “Your first 10,000 images are your worst.” I’m not sure I’d go this far; but, I get his point. There’s a lot of learning that takes place between #1 and #10,000.

In an industry blatantly biased towards new and improved… or parting you from your money… the old timers from Madison Avenue must be proud. The power of persuasion is alive and well in the photography market. Newer is better and the underlying theme is you’ll take better pictures by spending more money to upgrade your gear. To be fair, some benefit is derived through new technology, but thinking you’re going to magically go from average photographer to Pulitzer Prize winning photojournalist is probably not included in the price of your new camera. That’s sold separately.

When I think about classic images; a few rapidly come to mind: Henri Cartier Bresson (Puddle Jump), Dorothy Lange (Migrant Mother) and Nat Fein (Babe Ruth). They’re brilliant images that capture more than the essence of the moment and are beyond timeless. They will be forever remembered. Do I wonder what camera the photographer used to capture the moment? Never… and, I don’t really care. Their artistic ability recorded the brilliance and the product to do so was secondary.

A quick scroll through my Instagram feed this morning has plenty of photographers touting, “Shot with a Canon R5.” or, “Captured with my Nikon Z7”. If you’re sponsored by these companies, you’re probably obligated to post 10,000 (there’s that # again!) images per year and mention the latest/greatest equipment you’re using. Fair enough. It’s a tough industry and getting sponsored can lead to financial success. Kudos to those individuals.

In the grand scheme of things though, what camera you own is irrelevant. I seem to have collected a potpourri of gear that includes; Canon 7D Mark II, Canon 5d Mark IV, Sony RX100 IV, iPhone 12 Max Pro and even a plastic Holga camera ($35). I have a few assorted lenses in both the zoom and fixed focal length options. Do I have a preference which camera I use? Not really. The longer lenses work best for sports, so I’ll use my Canon equipment. A weekend getaway is perfect for the small… but powerful… Sony Rx IV. For pure joy and convenience, the iPhone is hard to beat. Plenty of pixels and enough apps to keep me busy for weeks.

At the end of the day, photography should be fun. Don’t stress about equipment and do you have the right camera? I’m sure world renown chefs have some favorite knives & pans from the past mixed in with new gadgetry. Your vision and artistry are far more valuable than any camera you may be holding. Get out and shoot with whatever you have and enjoy the creative process. In the meantime, I’ll go back to the archives and share some favorite images from my past. What camera(s) did I use at the time? I can’t remember… nor do I care!

Until next time…

Cheers