Through my Eyes
Many of my visitors will know me from my project blog 365 Days, 365 Photos. Welcome back! A warm welcome also to all new followers!
Forget the camera, it’s you who takes the picture.
Well, I admit that I love all those cameras, lenses, gadgets, etc. and that they give you the means to take technically good photos.
However, you don’t need a high-end DSLR in order to take awesome pictures that move people. You can create photographic pieces of art with a Polaroid from the 70s, a Lomo plastic camera or even a crappy mobile phone camera.
Just look on platforms like Flickr for those pictures and you will find true masterpieces.
Of course, I would not choose a Polaroid or Lomo camera for taking a macro picture like the one above, so yes, the camera (and especially the lens) actually DOES play a role if you have a certain specialization.
But that’s not my point.
Of what use is the best camera in the world if you actually don’t see there is something worth taking a picture of? Or if you don’t know how to express your ideas with it?
If a good photo means for someone nothing more than the reproduction of reality via an image that has sharpness, neutral colors, no noise, no vignetting and no distortion, then a decent DSLR in combination with a good lens indeed lets them make “better” photos (but are they really better?).
However, no camera sees that even mundane things can be breathtakingly beautiful, if you only recognize their beauty and know how to convey it. No camera anticipates what Cartier-Bresson called the “decisive moment”.
It’s the photographer who recognizes the subject, has the idea to show it in a certain way, chooses the viewing angle, compositon and settings accordingly – the camera does not do this.
The camera is a tool – not a complex brain with the ability to think and feel.
Ken Rockwell said “Photography is the power of observation, not the application of technology.”
And he is right. I would like to modify this a bit:
Photography is the art of seeing things and showing them in a certain way.
Let’s admit it guys, that would have been a horrible blog title, so I hope you’ll excuse the polemic but more catchy phrase I have chosen.
So this blog here is about the art of seeing.
And now grab your camera, go out there and see!
PS: But don’t forget to drop by now and then or visit my Portfolio.
Forget the Camera 
Thanks so much for stopping by my blog and sharing your thoughts about cameras etc… I was happy to be led here to read more of your thoughts.
And I agree heartily with you. It is true – Two identical cameras and lenses in the hands of two different people shooting in the same location, the same subject – you will get two points of view. Even the processing afterwards can be so individual – due to our ‘personal takes’ on something. And the subject – the reasoning behind the photo – the vision of the photographer is a MAJOR part of where the beauty and or meaning comes from.
But …
I am still in the quandary of what to do – I know my camera is not going to hold out forever with that bent pin. I do not want another camera that uses CF cards – as (contrary to what canon has told me) I have read many people have had to deal with the issue – it is expensive (not worth fixing the camera I have now) and it is time without my ‘memory maker’
So seriously my option was to go with another entry level canon that has the SD cards – or move to Nikon. But if I stay on the same entry level then I won’t be able to make some of the improvements I wish I could, if I was able to move up – like cropping something the way I want to (if my lens wasn’t able to bring it close enough – I certainly cannot afford the $2000 f/2.8 lenses to shoot in an auditorium) and then print it in a poster size (which is something I do a lot of the time). The semi pro cameras have capabilities with higher megapixels and ISO levels – to deal with some of those issues.
I believe you are so right that the photographer makes the photo – the camera is only a tool to achieve that photo.
Just like a musician plays the instrument – the soul of the music comes from the person but right now (I am a musician – so forgive this analogy) I feel like a pianist playing a Beethoven Sonata on a piano that has only 74 keys (instead of 88) and some of the keys are missing the hammers to hit the strings.
It some ways it truly does make a difference
~ Valerie
Hi Valerie,
Thanks for dropping by.
I understand your quandary, but you don’t need a lens for 2000 USD.
You should go with prime lenses – they are lighter, have a better image quality and force you to compose more thoughtfully – and they are much cheaper.
There are loads of excellent Canon prime lenses:
You could go with a Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM for portraits (about 380 USD), a Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II as a standard lens (about 100 USD) and a Sigma Macro 105mm or 150 f/2.8 as a macro lens (about 480 USD) – this is even used by professionals.
These are just examples of affordable prime lenses that achieve an excellent image quality and are fast so you can shoot under low light conditions.
There are lots more out there – for much less than 2000 USD.
If you have to buy a new camera body due to a defect, I’d better save on the body and invest more in fast prime lenses (but 2000 USD are not necessary IMHO).
ISO performance is a valid argument, but should not be overestimated. However, I don’t know how your camera performs in this area.
CF vs. SD – I don’t know about those problems, so I am of no help here, I’m afraid.
Even new entry level DSLRs provide pretty good resolutions IMHO.
About your specific problem “Canon or Nikon?”, I have to say I don’t see too much differences. Both are excellent. And since you already have Canon equipment…
I’d also reccommend to actually go into a store and try it there. Maybe you feel much more comfortable with the haptics of a certain model, or you find its menu structure more intuitive.
Cheers,
Timo