P
PhotographyBuff
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In what consist the skill and creativity/art in photography as distinguished from the great equipment a photographer has at their disposal?
In what consist the skill and creativity/art in photography as distinguished from the great equipment a photographer has at their disposal?
I think a camera can help you take a great photo, for instance before i moved to a mirrorless camera the dslr mostly got left at home as it was too bulky or heavy. Now my number of photos has shot through the roof as i take it everywhere with me.
So i see it as a partnership the camera can have a big impact on the quality and number of photos you take. I'm a big gadget nerd so part of the fun for me is having a nice camera.
But that's the answer to the question 'is a good camera a better photographer than a crap camera?' My cameras are making no artistic decisions for me. So they're not responsible for the quality of my output.If that were true the same photo taken with a phone as with say a dslr would be the same. Fair enough if we rule out AF, WB and all other things we let the camera decide, but a good camera is much better at choosing the correct settings.
For instance say we use a phone and a dslr both set to full auto so all the user has to do is frame and press the shutter. Which is likely to come out best?
When i see people commenting on photos its mostly things like, nice and sharp, good colours, nice dof these are al things a better camera allows.
The most important piece of equipment at your disposal is the 10" of squishy stuff behind the viewfinder.
That's one hell of a nose!!
Think logically. Who takes the photograph, the camera or the person holding it?
Of course... the person holding it.
Would they have taken the same photograph regardless of what camera they were holding?
Yes, or course they would.
Equipment has nothing to do with it.
In certain circumstances equipment can give a TECHNICAL advantage... for instance, the zillion frames a second from a D4 would increase your chances of catching that exact moment when the wheel comes off the F1 car or something, but this has nothing to do with creativity or art does it? Of course it doesn't.
Phil is right above.. it's about light. However.. it's also about subject. A boring photograph is just as often boring because it's a boring subject. Again, this has nothing to do with the camera you're holding. YOU decide what to point it at.
A great photographer can use anything you place in their hands, and still create great images... because great photographers have something to say and know how to say it visually. Great photographers are not about equipment... they just have a drive to use the medium to speak. Does a great word processor turn you into a great writer? Of course not. A great writer could create a great book with a Bic disposable and pad of A4.
The other beginner mistake is to think that you "take" a photograph, whereas a great photographer knows that you "make" a photograph.
This isn't helped by the recent, digital era increase in the phrase "capture" as if the camera's only purpose is as a simple recording device that has no bearing on the aesthetic, contextual or narrative qualities of the image... or it's relevance. It also promotes the also recent beginner obsession with post processing... because if you think that a camera is just a recording device, then you're obviously going to think that the greatness must come from processing.... which in actuality has sod all to do with a great photograph. Careful and well planned processing can add the finishing touches and make a great photo sing, but you need to start with a great photo: Garbage in, garbage out. No matter how you process an image, if it was sh1t to start with, it will be sh1t at the other end too.
Great photographers take great images because they're great photographers, not because they have great equipment.
It simply makes a good image easier to achieve if you know what you're doing.I can't really disagree with the above, but it does beg the question why spend £2 -4k on a DSLR when you can get one for a couple of hundred quid? I think the answer is a good camera will not necessarily take a great image, that does rely on the skill and creativity of the photographer, however it can make a good image even better.
It's a perfectly good fact too, But it has nothing to do with the original question.poppycock!
try using a pocket camera on half the jobs I do and you can't ... equipment does count sometimes... better equipment does = better pictures in certain circumstances... that is a FACT!
Next time you go out to shoot small birds in the field, set up your camera on it's tripod, with your mahoosive lens pointed into the bushes.Next time I'm out shooting small birds in the field I'll take my camera phone then
...
It's a perfectly good fact too, But it has nothing to do with the original question.
Surely a skilled photographer can never become a great wildlife photographer without the necessary equipment and such equipment is miles ahead of what was available 20 years ago
Surely there were great wildlife photographers 20/30/40/50 years ago.
Steve.
poppycock!
try using a pocket camera on half the jobs I do and you can't ... equipment does count sometimes... better equipment does = better pictures in certain circumstances... that is a FACT!
In what consist the skill and creativity/art in photography as distinguished from the great equipment a photographer has at their disposal?
Surely there were great wildlife photographers 20/30/40/50 years ago.
Steve.
I can agree with alot written in this thread. But my interpretation of the OP is slightly different.
Whilst I may not be able to determine skill (how well they can control their cameras settings, knowing what they do and how to use them), I think glancing at what's hanging around someone's neck gives a good idea of their 'creativity', I'd see a big difference in a fish eye equipped togger, and a tilt & shift equipped togger, both quite obviously using specific equipment for specific creative reasons.
Seeing someone with a 50/1.8 and not even a bag tells me that they enjoy the challenge of a fixed focal length, and probably enjoy low light stuff.
Same goes for a super travel zoom (18-200 etc), they enjoy a good photo, but prefer the flexibility of the huge focal length range over outright IQ.
Yesterday I bought some extension tubes and a ND grad filter, have a guess at my creative intentions....