Camera takes nice photos

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Jamesev
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Every one has heard this on i guess at some point but got me thinking, composure aside is auto mode basically the camera taking the photo and hence the statement could apply?
 
Every one has heard this on i guess at some point but got me thinking, composure aside is auto mode basically the camera taking the photo and hence the statement could apply?
No
But it’s easy for noob photographers to over think exposure to the point they think it’s the only important thing. Which might lead them towards believing that an ‘auto’ camera is doing more than it is.

I’ve owned dozens of cameras, not only have none of them ever taken a decent picture, they’ve never taken a picture at all.
They’ve always required a human being to point them at something and press the button.
 
No
But it’s easy for noob photographers to over think exposure to the point they think it’s the only important thing. Which might lead them towards believing that an ‘auto’ camera is doing more than it is.

I’ve owned dozens of cameras, not only have none of them ever taken a decent picture, they’ve never taken a picture at all.
They’ve always required a human being to point them at something and press the button.

Ok the pointing and clicking aside as in theory you could train a monkey to do that....
 
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Ok the pointing and clicking aside as in theory you could train a monkey to do that....
And the results would be...

Making a photograph is a creative process.
I’ll pretend I’m using aperture priority, I’ll list my conscious decisions and the cameras calculations.
What am I wanting to convey? The character of my subject.
As I want to concentrate the viewers attention, I’ve decided to use a telephoto lens and a wide aperture
What background?
What’s the light like; does it work for my subject?
If not what light can I add, what modifiers will be best? Will I need a reflector?
To keep it simple I’m using window light.
How will I position my subject? Subtle changes to position in relation to the light make a big difference.
Maybe a little fill to lift the eye socket shadow.
Change of wardrobe because the jumper clashes with the background.
I choose to focus on the closest eye, my camera position just above the eyeline, too high and it diminishes him, too low and it’s unattractive.
I check the ‘auto’ exposure the camera has chosen and it’s fine, but then I realise the white shirt is going to throw the metering, so I add a stop of +exp comp.

That was a fairly simple scenario, what did the camera do?
Left to its own devices, it’d have underexposed the image.
 
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Every one has heard this on i guess at some point but got me thinking, composure aside is auto mode basically the camera taking the photo and hence the statement could apply?

I have indeed heard people use the word 'composure' when they mean 'composition' or 'framing'.
 
...what did the camera do?

While I agree with you that it's the photographer, rather than the camera, that is the more important aspect, there is still an element of having a 'nice camera' which undoubtedly helps;

The camera has well designed a set of controls which allow you to set the aperture to the desired value with ease.
The camera has (or can be fitted with) a wide aperture telephoto lens
The camera has a reasonable bit in flash for fill, or allows a flash to be added (either on or off camera) as required
The camera either has good AF with a range of points to allow you to select the closest eye (or focus and recompose) OR has good manual focus options
The cameras metering is reliable enough that you can, through experience, know that a stop of +exp comp is right (rather than having to shoot, chimp and repeat until you get what you want)
The camera has exposure compensation easily available

The camera has a reasonable dynamic range, to capture the scene without under / over exposure
The lens has minimal distortion / aberrations (and those ca be corrected via a lens profile in post)
The Camera has a decent white balance, so the colours are right.

The camera is just a tool - but while someone well versed in the craft of photography can achieve great images with a wide range of cameras, a 'good' camera does make life easier.:)
 
Yes and no.

If the camera is in full auto and if the photo comes out exposed in a way that someone says, "Nice photo", then it could be argued that the camera has taken the photo.

However, rarely does anyone saying 'nice photo' really mean, "I think the exposure is spot on". They are looking at the composition, a little, but mainly the subject, and therefore the camera does not taken 'nice photos'.

Put a few shots of kittens on Twitter and it doesn't matter if the lighting is rubbish, bits of the animal are cut off in the shot or even if the focus is missed, you'll get a good response - try putting up a superb shot of a slug and see what happens.

Dave
 
Put a few shots of kittens on Twitter and it doesn't matter if the lighting is rubbish, bits of the animal are cut off in the shot or even if the focus is missed, you'll get a good response - try putting up a superb shot of a slug and see what happens.

Very true. A set of photos of fancy buildings often gets a wow they are nice photos. Nobody says that about photos of a shed no matter how good you or the camera is.
 
One of my favourite shots was taken with a super cheapy Kodak P&P plastic fantastic everything. The only bits of creative input I had were composition and using a (super cheapy) pair of sunglasses as an ND filter. Pretty sure it was on Kodacolor Gold 100 and developed at Bonusprint.
I'm sure I've taken better shots with more expensive (and better!) cameras but there are very few among them that I prefer to the grab shot of Stonehenge.
 
No matter how ‘nice’ your camera, as of yet it will not:
1) choose a subject.
2) drive itself somewhere to take photographs.
3) choose the lens or optimum focal length
4) choose and set up the lighting, or time of day and filters for a landscape shot
5) interact with the person or people in the photograph, or choose just the right moment to take the shot.
6) pan after moving subjects
7) know when it’s nailed it, got THE shot that made the effort worthwhile.
8) drive itself home, process the images to your taste or interpret the image.
9) print or upload the images
10) etc, etc
 
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