No photography blog would be complete without, at least, one post regarding photography “gear”. It's kind of a prerequisite. If I had to guess, I would say that the vast majority of photography websites and blogs discuss equipment far more than the process of making a photograph. And, to be sure, these equipment reviews and write-ups have their place. There is a lot of photography equipment out there (from camera bodies, to lenses, to tripods, to flashes, to batteries, to etc. etc. etc…) and these write-ups can help people to choose the camera that is right for them.
On the other hand, there is so much information out there, some of questionable quality, that it’s impossible to wade through it all without hours and hours of research. So I wanted to save you some time and effort (and hopefully some money too) by cutting to the chase and recommending the best camera you can buy.
The best camera you can buy is:
The camera you’ll actually use!!
Sorry for the false build up, but let me explain. It’s all well and good to: read hours and hours of reviews, select a camera, select lens(es) and finally spend thousands (if not tens of thousands) acquiring said camera & lenses and finally taking it home. However, if that camera does nothing but sit in a camera bag, while you’re snapping away with an iPhone, you’ve just spent a good deal of time and money acquiring a high-tech dust collector. Get the camera that you’ll feel comfortable using!
If you’re in the market for a new camera because you “want to take better pictures” I implore you to spend some additional time with your current camera and consider the following:
- Are you mindfully composing your pictures?
- Do you know how to use all the functions on your camera?
- Are you making large-size prints with the photos you are taking or just posting them to Facebook?
- Do you spend time post-processing your images?
- Are you pushing your current camera to the limit?
You’ll get better results by: carefully composing your shots, improving your technique and learning the functionality of your camera; than you will by spending money on new stuff. Rest assured that a; brand-new, $5,000, 70-Megapixel, full-framed; SLR will never make a great picture on its own. After-all, it’s only a tool and it's only as good as you make it.
At the end of the day, don’t spend too much time obsessing about your “gear”. You can still make a great photograph with virtually ANY camera. No, really! That’s not to say that your iPhone will outperform your Zillion-dollar Hasselblad (it won’t) – but consider this… while you’re out for a stroll and inspirations strikes - I’d be willing to bet that your phone is in your pocket and that two-tonne behemoth is sitting at home, in a camera bag, missing the moment.
Feature Photograph of the Week - Grass Blades
I took this photograph in Seattle in 2012. This sculpture, located at Seattle Center's Harrison Street Entrance. The sculptor, John Fleming has created such a whimsical and wonderful part of Seattle's Seattle Center. The sculpture evokes grass or bamboo growing from out of the ground - but it's always reminded me of giant film strips that were somehow rolled out and stiffened rising up to the sky.
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See you next week!