Comments on: Lens, or behind the lens

By: Cyberward.net » Blog Archive » I’m starting to get the vision thing

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 15:56:46 +0000

[...] get it this time. The last time he really went off about this: A Long Way to Go: A Rant, I kind of went off on him. (I even managed to pull Matt Brandon in on my rant-back) I was off the mark then. Way [...]

By: veggie2u

veggie2u — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 21:10:38 +0000

Thanks for leaving a reply Matt. I can see how someone could feel less valued as an artist based on another’s comments about their camera type, especially if it is their “life’s work”, or passion, but it is unfortunate. Some people will never appreciate photographs or the people that took them like you will.

At my day job in a cube, a woman here was raving about this sunset her friend has sent her that was taken on an iPhone. I went and looked, and couldn’t tell if it was the Grand Canyon, or a beach. But she loved the picture. She just wont appreciate the pictures you take (or the work that goes into them), but she thinks that my D40 is a vary big camera so I must have great sunset pictures. Go figure. Shrug.

By: Matt Brandon

Matt Brandon — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 08:06:42 +0000

Christopher, You make some very valid points. But.., you knew the “but” was coming didn’t you, I think it is somewhere in between. You summed it up very well when you said:

“To get good you need to spend time with your tools. All artists/craftsmen need good tools. A good shooter with mediocre tools can still get good shots, but a good shooter with good tools will get better shots.”

Well put. But I hasten to add, that a good hunk of my portfolio was taken with a Digital Rebel 350 (that is the first DSLR for you Nikon folks). I moved up to a 5D because many of my clients wanted a bigger image size than the 6MP that my Rebel could give and not because the camera lacked the ability to take a great picture. But, (there is that but again) would I go back to the Rebel, no way, I love the 5D.

I think to be honest many “artist” are insecure and to have someone infer that their picture is good because of the camera makes us feel less than valued as a artist.

I enjoyed your post.