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Thursday, April 21, 2016

I'm a Pro and I Gotta Have the Best Camera!

As a professional photographer I get used to hearing  things like  “Wow! That’s a great shot. You must have a really expensive camera.” and it used to bother me but it doesn’t anymore.... well when I hear it from friends that aren’t professionals it doesn't bother me. But then I hear similar things from professionals and does bother me, just a little. Haha!  Come on! As a professional you should know better. I hear pro's complaining about it but then turning around and saying the same thing but in a different way. Really we just feed the machine. There is a “Photographers Creed” written and I won’t post it,  but I’ve read it a few times and I think it was written by someone who sells cameras. It says something like, “It is my promise as a photographer to alway have the newest and best equipment…” Vomit!  O.K. 
I know photographers with Leica M9’s who can't shoot. I know photographers who go out and buy the “L” series lenses and a Canon Mark lll and don’t even know what the Rule of Thirds” is.  I also know photographers who shoot with Canon Rebel T2i’s and are amazing. Why do we as professionals complain about our friends who don’t know better and what they say and then turn around and think the same thing? Truth: You don't have to have a great camera to be a professional photographer. You do have to know how to use what you have. 

I sometimes wonder why we want to spend more money on things we don't need.  Somewhere deep in our mind is the undying hunger for things that are better. Maybe it's hedonistic adaptation or maybe it’s we want to show off and think that having the best camera makes up look cooler? Sounds like high school to me. Hey, Don't feel bad, I bought into it for a long time too.
I thought, “I gotta have a good camera”, "I gotta have the best camera so people notice me." "I want the best."  
Then I realized sometimes what you think is the best really isn't the best. Sometime the best thing is a cheaper camera or an old camera or an old lens... Right? In art and photography it is not what tools you use but how you use them. 
 I love cameras and the Canon Mark III is a great camera and I am not here to bash technology or the the companies. I am grateful for Canon and Nikon and Leica and Sony all the other companies. I support them and have nothing but admiration and respect for them. I want them to keep making great cameras but there is a time to buy an new camera and there is a time to wait. There is not a time EVER to think that your camera makes you a better photographer though. 

Lately I’ve been using an old Canon Rebel. The original Rebel. It’s over 13 years old and for a digital camera that means it older than my grandmother farts(Sorry, that was gross). It has a 6.3 megapixel sensor and it was the first mass marketed DSLR available. To help you understand that the camera does not determine how good of a photographer anyone is all the shots in this post were taken with the Original Canon Rebel. Maybe instead of getting that really expensive new camera maybe you should buy a book or take a class and learn how to use the one you have. I’ve never talked to a published writer and asked him what kind of typewriter he uses or looked at a professional painter and asked why brand of paint he used. We as professionals need to be more understanding towards or friends who don't understand but we also need to be more honest with what we say and think because a lot of us deep down inside think the same thing and just word it differently. When you see someone shooting with a Canon Rebel you probably shouldn't laugh because, who knows, they might be making more money than you. As a disclaimer, You should always question where you information comes from. Be aware of the authority bias. I teach photography. You should take a class from me. ;) Hey. maybe I am a little bias but have a great day! I hope you enjoyed this article and keep learning. You’ll get there if you're not already! 

NOTE: I photographed Donat in at Saltair just outside of Salt Lake City, Utah. We spent just about an hour and I used two cameras. The first was my Original Canon which has now had it's last shoot. It's now with the camera gods in the sky. It died. The other camera I used was my Fuji X100s. I won't post shots from it here but they were great too. The lens I used on my Canon  was a 50mm f/1.8. Canon lens.  Thank you for taking the time to read this! If you want to see more of my work you can find me on Instagram or Tumblr

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This is me! Ikon
Hope your day was as good as mine! I teach classes at Salt Lake City School of Photography

                                                      

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