Countless people in this world desire to be photographers. It’s a simple fact. Just look at how popular photography is and how many cameras are sold. People love photography and want to use the fun they have with photography to make money with it and to spend all their time doing what it is they love most. It’s natural that it should be that way. And with the instant gratification of the digital format, this reality is even more so the case.
People constantly ask me what kind of camera I shoot with. They are interested in what a “professional shoots with”. I think that they feel that if somehow they had my camera, they could get the results I’m getting. I heard a photographer on a podcast recently speaking on the same topic. He mentioned that he had prints for display of his work and someone asked him what sort of camera he used. He said that he got his camera at the same place that Van Gogh got his canvas and brushes. Making the point that back then no one would think that if you bought the same paints and the same canvas you could paint like Van Gogh. Some people think all you need is a fancy digital camera with lots and lots of mega pixels and all of a sudden you can be a pro! The funny thing is that if they did use your camera, they would probably have their settings on automatic!
That’s a joke. That’s a joke fed by the camera companies who constantly put out a new camera with a new button on it or one more mega pixel into their new cameras, and then advertise top photographers posing with those cameras in their ads. This makes every enthusiast and hobbyist and yes even some gullible pros think to themselves, “if I only had a Canon this and that or the new Nikon such and such, I could shoot like him!” Well, we get lots of enlarged eyes when people find out we’re shooting with four and five year old cameras that are five and six mega pixel cameras. They are surprised that we would use such primitive machines. Most who are asking those questions own much newer, better, faster, more expensive cameras than we do. But the truth is that while we would love to own newer and better technology, these cameras serve their purpose well. They print the portraits that we need and put out the quality that we find acceptable and sellable. If the cameras did not produce professional quality images in our opinions, we would not use them.
The truth is digital cameras from even four and five years ago, while not nearly to the caliber they are today, are still amazing machines! If you compare your camera to the newest thing out, then yes, your camera may look like it belongs in an antique store, but if you are realistic and ask yourself, is this camera meeting all my needs, then the truth often times is, yes it is and it does a great job.
We use a Nikon D70s and an Olympus E-1. The E-1 with it’s kit lens produces amazing portraits and amazing sharpness. The eyes are always impressively sharp. In fact, I get a lot of comments about how good the sharpness is with that lens. I’m not saying that there is no room for having those tools, but the truth is, that your old cameras can produce wonderful images if you know how to use them. So when someone asks you what kind of camera you use and it’s not the newest camera, and they give you a shocked look just remember, it’s not the camera it’s the photographer.
Think about it, just because you put me in a cockpit, does that mean I would know how to even get the plane off the ground? Or if you gave me a scalpel, does that mean you would trust me to perform surgery on you? Obviously not. The talent, knowledge and skills, and creative eye has to be there. The ability has to be there and a good photographer with good skills will be able to make the most out of any “tool” or camera that you hand them. Again, it’s not the instrument, it’s the musician.
There is an old poem turned song called “Touch of the Master’s Hand”. It is a beautiful tune that I believe makes this point well. It was written by Myra Brooks Welch in 1921. Here are the beautiful and powerful words:
It was battered and scarred,
And the auctioneer thought it
Hardly worth his while
To waste his time on the old violin,
But he held it up with a smile.
“What am I bid, good people”, he cried,
“Who starts the bidding for me?”
“One dollar, one dollar, Do I hear two?”
“Two dollars, who makes it three?”
“Three dollars once, three dollars twice, going for three”,
But, No,
From the room far back a grey haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow,
Then wiping the dust from the old violin
And tightening up the strings,
He played a melody, pure and sweet,
As sweet as the angel sings.
The music ceased and the auctioneer
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said “What now am I bid for this old violin?”
As he held it aloft with its’ bow.
“One thousand, one thousand, Do I hear two?”
“Two thousand, Who makes it three?”
“Three thousand once, three thousand twice,
Going and gone”, said he.
The audience cheered,
But some of them cried,
“We just don’t understand.”
“What changed its’ worth?”
Swift came the reply.
“The Touch of the Masters Hand.”
