It's been an eventful few weeks here at Unconventional Studios. It seems like we have had a non-stop parade of gorgeous women through lately. Trust me, no complaints here. We have had lots of fun making some magic with them and I think the images speak to that.
I wanted to take a minute to expand on a conversation I recently had with a good friend that is just starting her journey into the wonderful world of photography. She approached me very frustrated with her image quality, nearly ready to sell all of her gear and give it up. "Maybe I just need to take out a loan and buy some newer, nicer gear that works better." she said. Anyone that knows me is aware of the hairs that stand up on my neck when I hear this statement. I think I've gone on a tangent about this topic before, hell if I know. Apologies if I have because I'm going there again.
Yes, there is a definite point at which you have outgrown your current gear. Either you've exceeded its capabilities, or you are just ready to make a change (permissible in my eyes if done for the right reasons), or maybe you've just simply worn stuff out. It happens.
A very common assumption and misconception among new and, unfortunately many seasoned photographers, is how much of the work is done by the camera. It is just a stupid box that does what you tell it to. No amount of processors or autofocus points will make YOU a better shooter. They might increase the chances that you get a lucky keeper, but they are irrelevant to the process of making the image happen. Again, it's just a stupid box. It records what you tell it to in the way you tell it to do it. That's not skill, that's buying skill in a box. If you want to improve, shoot everything. Figure out what you did wrong and then go shoot everything again. Rinse and repeat.One of my favorite quotes in this world is by Mark Twain: "You can teach any man to write, but you cannot teach him what to write" The very best camera in the world is still useless in the hands of a person unwilling to learn to use it. Rant over, time to get a little technical.
I fell into this trap of new gear equals better photography. I bought what, at the time, was one of the best bodies you could get. I did it because I was in a rut and I was sure new gear would reinvigorate me and get the creative juices flowing. So I went to the nearest camera shop and did some haggling. Got a pretty good deal, so I bought it. And I hated it. Really no fault of the camera, we just simply didn't mesh. I spoke of this a while back, the importance of having a good relationship with your gear. On a whim, I bought a very well used Canon 1Ds Mark 2. Very old from a technological point of view, but I had always wanted one since they are set up very much like my last film slr was before I made "the switch" It was a Canon 1V. I regret selling that beast almost daily. The 1D line is very expensive, which is why I got a very well used body. Admittedly it took a little while to get used to again. The controls are completely different from anything I had used since switching to digital but it was more or less like riding a bike. I'm going to leave this topic there before your eyes glaze over with boredom and get where I was going.
Back to technique. I wanted to share a couple images with you. Rather one image and a pretty small crop of it...
I shot this photo just last night and it seems to be a pretty popular one. For once I am really happy with one. The reason I'm sharing it though is to make a point about gear.
Here is a pretty close crop of the same image. (Forgive the makeup smudges, I left them to validate my case).
Note the amount of detail retained in the image. Now consider I made it with a 10 year old camera body (the release date on it was Dec 1, 2004). I can't remember, but I think it's on its 3rd shutter assembly. While I'm a big proponent of using excellent glass, I use what I can afford. This was shot with a 50mm f1.4 lens, a good lens but by far not the best.
My point being: no amount of dollars spent on gear will replace good skill. Learn to accurately focus, study valuable things such as depth of field and the exposure triangle, learn the capabilities and limitations of your gear, and shoot. I give you as an example my best friend Heather. She used a very low-end Nikon body, the D40, for years and cranked out some exceptional images. Man, I miss that girl. Again I know I've spoken of her before, but she insists I taught her almost everything she knows while at the same time she taught me to see things again, To notice the details in things. I guess you truly never stop learning, and it's never too late to relearn.
