Photographers Wasting Money: Think Before You Buy A Camera
Magenta colored flowers in the Calcutta Botanical Garden in Howrah, India.
Are you a photographer who’s continually wasting money in the search for the perfect camera? Do you find yourself attracted to bright, shinny new camera gear every few years, only to find minimal progress in the quality of your photos after spending all that money? Don’t worry you’re not alone.
Ultimately the key questions you need to ask yourself are as follows:
Do you really need to buy another camera? Is there something wrong with your current camera, or is the problem that you just don’t know how to use it?
Camera Technology is Great
Don’t get my wrong, camera technology is great. However, if you want to make better photos, more often you’ll need to know how to use your camera.
The sad fact of the matter is that you’re unlikely to overcome a deficiency in knowledge simply by buying another camera.
Granted you could turn that notion around if buying that new camera prompts you to undertake a quality short course in photography. That would make perfect sense.
Regardless, rather than jumping back onto the consumer treadmill, perhaps you’re better off sticking with the camera you already own and simply signing up for a short course to learn how to use your camera.
The consumer treadmill is designed to suck you in, to grab your money and, more often than not, provide you with little more than momentary satisfaction with the camera or lens you’ve just purchased.
For a lot of folks that results in hard earned money being washed straight down the drain. More often than not that results in guilt and feelings of inadequacy. Talk about a millstone weighing you down.
If you’re unhappy with the photos you make and are considering purchasing a new camera feel free to reach out to me for advice. I’m happy to help.
I was attracted to the luminous quality of this flower in the beautifully wild Calcutta Botanical Garden in Howrah, India. I post processed this image in such a way to separate the dominant flower in the composition from its surroundings.
Sage Advice from Albert Einstein
“The rational mind is the servant and the intuitive mind is the gift. We honor the servant and have forgotten the gift.”
I’m sure there’s a number of quite different ways in which we could interpret the above comment from the great Albert Einstein. But, as in all things, context, by which I mean the way we frame and then interpret concepts, is what matters most.
The rational mind wants to understand, quantify and explain the world around us by means of logically based methodology and deduction.
Conversely, the intuitive mind simple wants to experience the beauty of existence as we perceive it through the five sensory organs associated with sight, smell, touch, taste and hearing.
This kind of duality is, to my way of thinking, another example of how conflicted the human mind is. From that point of view the analogy of the seesaw, as a metaphor for balance, seems apt. We’ll explore that particular analogy a little later.
I believe Einstein’s quote, when understood from the context I’ve placed it into, is of paramount importance to the aspiring photographer.
Flowers, post processed to give the impression of being viewed at night time. in a park in Bangkok, Thailand.
Aesthetics and the Democratization of Photography
There’s been an amazing democratization of photography following the advent of digital cameras and post processing software, whether on the desktop or on mobile devices.
From a certain point of view everyone’s a photographer these days. It’s just so easy to make pictures in camera or with a mobile device. And I think that’s fantastic.
Nonetheless, making truly great images requires many of the same skills and aesthetic judgements from the days of film based photography.
The problem I see that’s crept into photography is that it’s become more and more of a technical pursuit, which I consider problematic.
When thinking about the balance that needs to be achieved between the dualities represented by the logical and intuitive mind the notion of the three-edged sword from Babylon 5 comes to mind.
Sorry if that’s a diversion that wasn’t worth the 11 seconds it took to watch it.
About To Travel?
Photography Combines Science and Art
During its infancy photography was, very much, a technical craft. Back then photographers were often involved in the manufacture and processing of the metal and glass plates onto which their images were recorded.
principles concerned with the nature and appreciation of beauty
But our understanding of technology today is, I believe, somewhat different to how it would have been in years gone by. Back then technology was in the hands of the scientists who invented it and the manufactures who applied the technologies and processes that powered industry.
These days technology is often designed to be used by normal, everyday folk in a way that, not only provides a more comfortable existence but also creatively enriches our lives.
My concern is how technology seems to dominate so much discussion in photography these days. You see it not only in equipment chat, but also in online education and photographic practice. But where’s the art in that?
Sure it’s important, but technology and, for that matter, technique should be balanced with aesthetic concerns and delivered in a way that meets the needs of the photographer for a more experience based approach to creativity.
Since the early days of digital photography a whole new user group has sprung up from the ranks of computer savvy folk. That’s great, but it can also a problem when their approach to the world about them is predominantly logically based.
But, please, don’t get me wrong. I’m all about the need to develop technique while nurturing creativity. It’s all a matter of balance.
After all the great Abstract Expressionist Jackson Pollock had a solid grounding in what’s regarded as traditional painting prior to launching into the considerable experimentation that allowed him to create spectacular works such as Blue Poles.
Experimentation is, most certainly, at the heart of creativity and artistic practice. But it’s always best when experimentation is based upon a pretty thorough understanding of the equipment, processes and software applications you’re employing to make your photos.
A flower at dusk in Lumphini Park in the centre of Bangkok, Thailand.
The Best Way To Process Photos In Lightroom
I’m sure a lot of people would say that wanging sliders around in an application like Adobe Lightroom is creative. I don’t buy that because, if you don’t know how you produced the result you did, then it’s hardly repeatable.
What’s more what you did should always be informed by why you did it. Put simply, you’d move the shadow slider to change how shadows render in your photo.
Moving the slider one way will lighten a shadow and, potentially, reveal more detail. Moving that same slider in the opposite direction will, eventually, push that shadow into black.
So, before you start aggressively moving all manner of sliders one way or the next, consider this simple and effective approach.
Think about what changes you want to make to your photo
Identify the correct slider that will allow you to make that change
Move that slider in the direction, and to the degree, that will result in the change you’re looking to make
If there are other areas of the photo that you’d like to improve simply repeat the above process by identifying each of the sliders you’ll need to adjust and working through them one at a time.
It’s a simple and logical approach to post processing images on the desktop. But, in addition to logic, it’s also important to take an intuitive approach to how you process your images.
For example, you identify the part of the photo (e.g., exposure, highlight, shadow, black) you want to adjust and then start moving the appropriate slider to achieve that change.
But while logic will guide the direction you move that particular slider (e.g., lighter or darker), intuition should guide you as to what degree of change feels right.
You see while a particular image might be considered as having a theoretically correct level of brightness, you might be better making that image lighter or darker as a way of exploring a particular mood.
The same concept can be applied to color. Why not consider, for example, warming or cooling the color temperature in an image to produce a particular mood and, thereby, elicit a particular emotive response from your audience.
Relative changes to the saturation and/or luminance (i.e., brightness) of particular colors can also influence viewer response and, ultimately, the communicative power of your photos.
Fantastic colors adorn the Cafe-Konditorei Braun and surrounding buildings in the town of Mondsee, Austria.
What is Art?
What’s more art is not simply the application of an effect or the employment of a particular style in your photographic practice.
Art is idea based, which is to say the art you make is supported by a world view that’s particular to the way you see and understand the world around you and, ultimately, your place within it.
Who you are is a product of your background and the decisions you make that will, ultimately, determine your future.
If you agree with that concept then I think you’ll also agree that your very best photos are as much a mirror of you as an individual, creative being as they are a window onto the world that you’ve recorded with your camera.
To my way of thinking the photos you make need to come from a balance between the left and right side of the brain.
I think it’s fair to say that I’m a good photographer with a reasonable understanding of software applications like Lightroom and Photoshop.
But, while a degree of mastery of software is very handy, I wouldn’t want to be remembered as a photoshop jockey.
For me photography still occurs in camera, out there in the big wide world. To my way of thinking, that’s what matters most.
For what it’s worth the photo of the very pleasant street scene featuring fantastic colors adorning the Cafe-Konditorei Braun and surrounding buildings in the town of Mondsee, Austria isn’t art.
I’d say it’s a well made documentary photograph that, contextually, makes sense given that flowers are important subject matter in each of the photos in this post.
As an individual image it fits into the category of street photography or the much broader category of travel photography and, when grouped with other, similar pictures it could work in a book or on a gallery wall.
But where an image is displayed shouldn’t make it art. Should it?
In some cases it’s fair to say that it’s the context (and I don’t necessarily mean the location) in which our images are presented, more so than any inherent artistic characteristics or associated meaning, that might allow them to be consider art.
As in all things, context is everything.
It’s a nice picture and I made it. There might even be some commercial value associated with the image. But, to my way of thinking, none of those things make it art. No sir!
It seems to me that folks play pretty loose with the term art these days. Just because you made it doesn’t make it art. And that’s just as true for images that you’ve post processed on the desktop or made entirely in camera.
How you make the photo isn’t really what makes it art. And, as I’ve suggested, I think that’s also true when it comes to putting a photo into a frame and hanging it on a gallery wall.
Even though photography is a creative endeavor how you made a photo speaks about process, which relates to technique and craft.
And while some folks might argue that putting a photo on a gallery wall makes it art, that’s only true if the concept that underpins the image, or the context in which it’s displayed, makes it worthy of attention.
Needless to say there’s also good art and bad art. So, no matter how well thought out the concept is, the image should stand and be judged on its own merits. That’s what I believe.
Lovely lupins, backlit by the warm afternoon light of a spring day at Lake Tekapo in New Zealand.
What Side of the Slide Do You Sit On?
I’m sure you won’t have a problem with the concept that it’s ideal to balance technical and aesthetic concerns when making photos.
That simply means our camera and computer skills need to be balance with an appreciation fo the following:
Subject
The subject matter of a photography could explore notions associated with narrative, theme, meaning and metaphor.
Composition
How the image is designed within the viewfinder and, if need be, on the desktop is what defines the composition of a photo.
Light
When making photos consideration should always be given to the quality, color and direction of the light you’re photographing under.
In helping to understand how well balanced your own approach to photography needs to be I think it’s time to explore the analogy of the seesaw.
On one end there’s an individual who’s preference is to approach their understanding of the world in a very logical, rational manner.
On the other end of the seesaw is the creative soul. Their preference is to understand the world around them in a more intuitive, experiential way.
Software like Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop are incredible. Likewise, Luminar and Aurora from Skylum are amazing. But what is photography and how do the camera, lenses and software you employ fit into your own artistic practice?
Clearly the camera, lens and software you use are simply tools. The better the tool the better off you are, theoretically.
But, at the end of the day, you have to know how to use those tools to achieve a result which makes you happy and, ideally, strikes a chord with your audience.
Or, of course, you could just fake it. Plenty do just that.
Are You A Driver Or A Passenger
I’m an okay driver, by which I mean I consider my driving skills to be average. However, I do try to drive in a manner that’s considerate to other drivers, pedestrians and (even) cyclists. And I don’t speed or cut other drivers off when I’m travelling from point A to point B.
After all, life’s too short to be angry. Long ago I realized that, rather than planting the foot, the best way to relieve stress on a busy road is to slow down and chill. A pretty revolutionary concept, I think you’ll agree, especially for a guy.
If I’m (fashionably) late it’s either because the traffic was heavy or because I was running late. Either way life goes on, and a chilled and courteous approach behind the wheel can only make that eventually more certain. Wouldn’t you agree?
Likewise, there’s a significant debate associated with the advent of Artificial Intelligence (A.I.), which is beginning to find its way into post processing applications, internet browsers and social media platforms, which has to play out over the next few years.
Software companies are continually releasing updates to their products. Likewise popular camera manufactures launch new feature-heavy and megapixel-laden cameras around every 12-18 months.
It takes a considerable commitment to get your head around one of these new products before the next update is released onto the market.
In the case of the camera most folks are so overcome by complex interfaces and a plethora of options that they set their camera to one of the auto settings and use it, pretty much, like a point and shoot camera.
That’s a disaster for creativity and artistic expression.
Photoshop is no easier for the novice to comprehend than was the case with previous versions. Thank goodness for products like Adobe Lightroom which, unlike Photoshop, are designed primarily for photographers, both professional and enthusiast.
After a little quality tuition the user is well on the way to producing excellent results, without too much trouble, when using applications like Lightroom.
So, when purchasing a new camera or exploring post processing applications like Lightroom, it’s always worth considering some quality one-to-one private tutoring.
It will set you up for success and allow you to, finally, be able to explore your own, unique creativity with confidence.
Pink roses, photographed after a rain storm, in the Mirabell Gardens in Salzburg, Austria.
Get Off The Consumer Treadmill
But is it necessary to buy new software, computers, cameras and, for that matter, mobile phones every 18-24 months?
The manufacturers want us to believe it is and their marketing programs use the old features and benefits approach to convince us that we’d be much better off with their latest product.
However, more and more, photographers are asking themselves the following questions.
How many megapixels does a camera need to make great photos?
Is more megapixels really better?
Will a new mobile phone really make you a better photographer or provide a significantly clearer reception when you’re actually making a phone call?
These are important questions worth considering.
The answer might be yes to one or more of those questions. It just depends how a new camera compares to the camera you’re currently using.
If you’re talking about a series of incremental improvements from one model to the next you may well be disappointed. If you’ve had your current mobile phone, DSLR or Mirrorless camera for (say) 4 or more years then an upgrade might make more sense.
But, at the end of the day, you need more than a technologically advanced camera to make better photos, more often.
You need to be able to use your camera in a way that helps you realize your very own ambitions and creative potential.
A better appreciation of aesthetics which is, quite literally, a set of principals concerned with the nature and appreciation of beauty, cannot be understated.
Photographers like me often bang on about the critical importance of light in photography. It’s become a bit of a catch phrase, but that should not diminish the understanding that light and its application is a fundamental concept underpinning all photography.
If I was to describe the Blessed Trinity of photography I’d do so in 3 simple words:
Subject
Composition
Light
The subject of a photo is what, initially, draws attention. It could be, for example, a portrait, landscape or architecturally element.
Composition is an essential element that allows you to guide the viewer through the image and, in doing so, to direct their attention to elements of interest within the frame.
Generally speaking we want our photos to make sense. To this end we use elements of composition such as line, shape, texture, balance and repetition to produce a cohesive, harmonious image.
Sometimes it’s the composition or the light itself that becomes the dominant element and, therefore, the subject of a photograph.
Monet’s impressionist paintings of water lilies in his garden at Giverny are much more than documentary studies of water lilies. They’re explorations of light and color and, as such, the intrinsic qualities of light and color are the subject of those paintings.
Through illumination light defines and describes that which we photograph.
Light also creates shadows and shadows emphasize shape and texture in our photos.
You may have noticed that I’ve left color out of the above bulleted point equation. In a 3 horse race, I just couldn’t fit it in.
But don’t worry, depending upon your understanding of composition, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to fit color (hue, saturation and luminance) into that particular box.
Huge wildflowers in a lush green forest on the island of Bali, Indonesia.
Release The Pressure And Enjoy Your Photography
Despite the obvious financial implications of buying an expensive new camera, the question remains is it the right thing to do?
I live in Melbourne, Australia where it’s said that inner city apartments are now in line with New York prices.
Many aspiring homeowners may actually be better off putting their money into a fund for an upcoming home loan rather than buying yet another new camera.
And if you’re thinking about joining the Tiny House revolution, good for you I say.
The alternative might be to upgrade one or two items every two years, rather than trying to replace your whole camera kit within the same time frame.
After all, purchasing a quality lens should negate the need for an upgrade for many years. Assuming, that is, you look after it.
Amateur and enthusiast level photographers, without the benefits associated with depreciation, may find this approach worth considering.
And of course, these days, there’s not that many professional photographers who could afford to replace their camera kit every other year.
I’ve bought and sold cameras much more frequently than I should have. Cameras and Adventures | A Fantastic Life is a post that outlines all those cameras, at least the ones I can remember.
There’s no world records and no bragging involved, but I hope the article will help you make sense of the psychology behind your own purchasing habits.
Who knows it might even save you some money.
The theme of this article underpins much of my own philosophy towards photography. We have to balance our rational mind which is associated with logic, technique and equipment with our intuitive mind which is free, creative and desiring experience.
The most boring photographs are often well exposed, sharp and made with great equipment. Conversely, the most beautiful photographs may have little to do with the equipment employed or any traditional photographic techniques or processes used to create them.
The most visually compelling images are often about much more than the subject photographed. Such images are about the photographer’s experience of the event they’re documenting and about how new possibilities or realities can be explored through the process of making the image in question.
The textural elements within this stand of winter trees in rural Otago, New Zealand make for a lovely study in composition.
Eyes That See And Images That Bear The Hand Of The Maker
“Intuition should be trusted for I believe that to understand something, you first need to experience it. Only then should thinking be employed, to record the image, and then only in moderation.”
The above quote may well seem like fluff to some folks.
But I believe the approach I’ve outlined represents a key difference that separates the act of simply making photos, as a relatively poor two dimensional form of documenting our expansive three dimensional world, from the art of photography.
There is a world of difference between taking a photo and making a photo, just as there is between looking and actually seeing.
Bringing The Artistic And The Technical Into Balance
The image of the winter trees was made on the road back from Milford Sound on the South Island of New Zealand. I was attracted by the tonal and textural qualities within the tree and how they made it stand out from the darker background.
The strong contrast within the scene made a black and white rendering an obvious choice.
In many ways the image is as much a study of light, line and tone as it is a photo of winter trees.
What we see attracts our attention. But what we make of what we see and how we go about exploring and defining that vision is what separates photography, as art, from the snapshot.
My advice is to let your intuition guide you as to what you need to photograph. Your technique can then be applied, in a nuts and bolts way, to produce images that help you realize your ever expanding creative vision.
Over time you’ll look back at your most successful images. They’ll be the ones that your audience responses to, on an emotionally level.
Think about why those images work and allow those learnings about subject, light and composition, together with any intrinsic meaning inherent to those images, guide you to make more great pictures, more often.
This is the very process that will allow you to discover the kind of photos you make best, your own photographic style and the issues or concepts that, as an artist, you may want to further explore.
