I have only used two cameras to take my photographs. The first one is my Sony Cybershot DSC-P90, and the second one is the Nikon D40. I bought the Sony Cybershot because it was in clearance and it had a cheap price at that time. There were a number of other cameras that had better specs than that one. However, I thought that it was sufficient for what I wanted to do - like most people, just take photos.
The Sony Cybershot is my point-and-shoot camera where I learned the majority of my photography techniques. Through it, I was introduced to the fun and beauty of taking photographs. It was through this camera that I developed my love of photography. Most of my photos were taken with the intent to maximize and utilize all the features that my camera had in order to make nicer photographs. Towards the end, I was using nothing but the manual mode. I was happy with my photos for the most part, until I actually started to be more critical of each photo. I would look at my photos and I would say “I wish I’d have composed this a little better,” or “if only I had more light coming from this angle,” or “maybe if I had a higher resolution,” or “if only I had better zoom…” And on I went. At that time, I was reading a lot on cameras, their technical details, and the differences in picture quality and flexibility that the photographer gained from having a nicer camera. Unfortunately, a nicer camera generally meant a more expensive camera…maybe even a DSLR.
Eventually, after much research and patience, I got my DSLR - my Nikon D40. It had a bigger sensor, higher resolution, and a wider range of features available. I immediately took advantage of such features. I had more control of my exposure settings, better zoom, manual focus, and many more. I know that it’s pretty much the cheapest DSLR and there are TONS out there that are better, but it still changed the way I took photos, and I was very very happy with it. Plus the fact that it looked really cool made me feel like a more serious photographer
Those feelings did not last, though, when I looked at the photographs that I took using my new camera. One thing that did not change was how my photos turned out. Sure, I had better picture quality, but that was pretty much it. My photos still looked the same as my photographs from my point-and-shoot camera…sometimes even worse. But how could that be? My photos should automatically be better now, right?……WRONG!
After weeks of puzzlement and many attempts at figuring out why my photos looked the same, I suddenly realized that maybe it’s not the camera. It was then when I realized that the camera does not position itself in front of the subject, the camera does not choose which angle it wants to view an object, the camera does not decide how close or how far it needs to view the world, the camera does not decide when to press the shutter. I realized that the camera is just the instrument that is used to capture MY view of things around me. It was me all along.
I became so focused on the tool, when I should have been working on the art. I forgot that the reason I fell in love with photography was because of the way I can convey my emotions, my thoughts, and my feelings through a lens and instantly freezing all of that in a photograph. I had forgotten what I learned in the beginning: the aspects of design, composition, lighting, angles, depth of field, patterns, shapes, lines, color, or the absence of it. I used those, along with my emotions, thoughts, and feeling with my old Sony Cybershot back then. Somewhere along the way, I strayed from those and got deep into the technical aspects of the camera.
I suppose it’s easy to fall into such a trap. After all, when people look at my photos and they like what they see, I generally hear “it’s because he has a nice camera”. People also ask me a lot about which camera they’re supposed to buy, or what features they need to look for. I feel so conflicted because I want to say that whatever camera they have right now should do, but I can not discount the fact that a camera with better features offer better quality, and generally more flexibility for the photographer.
In the end, it is still the photographer that makes the photographs, not the camera. After all, Ansel Adams did not have a DSLR when he was taking his photos.
Just to clarify, though, the photography equipment is still vital in taking good photographs. After examining and applying what I missed, I was able to take further advantage of the capabilities of my DSLR that I would not have been able to do with my Sony Cybershot. Portrait shots, wide angle shots, long exposures, and everything else, were better with my DSLR together with photography techniques that I have once again discovered and started to apply.
Also, being quite the tech geek that I am, I love reading about the new technical innovations made in the photography industry. I also keep dreaming about that new killer camera that just came out.
So, photography is about the photographer and also about the instrument. I think, with a good balance of both, aspiring photographers like myself can continue to improve their photos with every press of the shutter.