#educate Some of my portraits were recently viewed by a lovely woman, who after gasping image after image, said you must have a really expensive camera…I am almost sure she meant it as a compliment ???…. I also get asked by enthusiastic beginners, can you recommend a camera that takes good photos. It's kind of like asking if I can buy an oven that makes great dinners (still haven't found one). I am wondering where the misconception began that it is the tools of the trade that (in my case cameras) produce the art.
They help absolutely, I couldn’t take portraits without them…(if only I could draw) and yes some cameras are nicer or easier to use than others, and they all have their own aesthetic (think of all the photo filters that try to re-create specific camera/film looks). But in the end, it is what and how you choose to photograph that makes the image. There is a skill to image creation, which only begins with a camera, it grows with practice, and honestly you never stop learning. So my advice to aspiring photographers or those that just want to take better images, it's not about the gear. Forget about which camera brand you should buy for a moment, use the one you have right now and just take photos of what you love, learn the skill of photography by reading, watching and asking questions about lighting, editing or camera settings, not what camera do you have. It is then, when you have some knowledge of what and how you want to shoot, that the camera and lenses you choose come into play. I have shot with everything from a pink plastic toy camera to a box brownie, to large format pinhole cameras to old classic polaroids, rolleiflexs and hasselblads, and various digital formats, my current camera is nearly 7 years old. They each have their own look, and bring something unique to the photograph, but in the end it is YOU that creates the artwork.
