A good photographer makes a difference

[serissolutions]

I had to model for some promo shots (i suck at it) and I had a friend of mine use my camera and take the pics.
Out of approx 100 shots, 2 were decent (not good enough for here).

Most were blurry, my head was cut off, I was framed too low, he provided no motivation other than jokes about how I posed... What a disaster. PS cant save these.

It drives me nuts when someone sees a pic of mine and says "Wow you have a great camera". What about the photographer? Doesnt he count?

Hear me world! The photographer makes or breaks the photograph!

Thanx for reading this and letting me vent...
-S

[Skip Souza]

You are absolutely right. It is the magician, not the wand.

[sugar_babygirli]

I totally agree! There have been some amazing shots I've seen taken from a point/shoot camera, and some crappy ones from a MarkII....it's all in the person behind it (but it does help to have extra ISO's, etc ;) )

I take really decent shots artistically and compositionally speaking.....but my technical work still needs much improvement at times. :rolleyes:

[cmM]

it's even worse when they look at your pics and go "of course, with a camera like that..."

[Feihung08]

It drives me nuts when someone sees a pic of mine and says "Wow you have a great camera".-S
LMAO!!
I swear, just two days ago my sister said the same damn thing to me!
I was very tempted to hand her the camera and say "here give it a shot" and we'll compare! But I just smiled, bit my lip, and said "thanks". What a puss.

[neil_r]

Rembrandt must have had some pretty fine paint brushes ;)

N

[serissolutions]

it's even worse when they look at your pics and go "of course, with a camera like that..."

LMAO!! Yes! Thats true... Oh man... So frustrating! Argh!!

[serissolutions]

Rembrandt must have had some pretty fine paint brushes ;)

N

Yes! lol!
Mario Andretti only won all the time because he had a fast car...
Lance Armstrong wins races, sure, with a bicycle like that...

[markubig]

My golf clubs are the reason that I stink http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/tongue3.gifhttp://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/tongue3.gifhttp://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/tongue3.gif

http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_lol.gifhttp://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_lol.gifhttp://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_lol.gif

[PhotosGuy]

"You want HOW MUCH just to take a picture" My wife has a camera!

[monkey_wrench]

"You want HOW MUCH just to take a picture" My wife has a camera!

haha

what about when your taking a picture of somethin lets sayy...a tree! and someone comes up to you and says "why are you taking a picture of that??" or when you have a polarizer on and someone says "your lens caps on" :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:
i swear i could use i could use it as a weapon! ITS INSURED!!

[mgbeach]

hey, doc. nice scalpels!

[cfcRebel]

I sure wish it was that easy (great camera=nice shots). I still suck even if I hold a 1DsMkII to tell u the truth. :lol:

[jgbeam]

It couldn't have been the model.....could it? ;) ;)

Jim

[OCCNC]

A pin hole camera made out of a shoe box can turn into magic in the right hands. I agree completely, equipment plays a role, but not much. Of course, to read some of the posts on this forum one would think you need at least L glass to take pictures that are above snapshots...:rolleyes:

[DragonflyMisty]

About 4 months after I bought my G5, my husband had showed off some of my pictures to a buddy at work, he got the idea that he wanted to take pictures of his kids as a surprise for his wife. I told my husband that if he gets crappy pictures its the person USING the camera, not the camera itself. Well he took the pictures and left them on the memory card. I would have sworn the pictures were not taken on my camera, they were sooo bad! I laughed and laughed and then patted myself on the back! LOL My point, you are right, a good photographer makes all the difference in the world!

[cactusclay]

The right tools help, but the quality of light, composition and content are the most important, in my sometimes humble, sometimes, not so humble opinion.

[Skip Souza]

it's even worse when they look at your pics and go "of course, with a camera like that..."

With a camera like that, it really shows how FUBAR my photography skills can be. :oops: :rolleyes: :oops:

[intechpcx]

A co-worker and I were talking about exactly this phenomonon the other day. I can't count how many times I've gotten the infamous "You must have a really nice camera" line. Hell I even got that response on one of my photos in my Flickr account. However, I do have to admit the number of times I've gotten compliments about my abilities far, far outweighs the number of compliments on the camera.

The cool thing about this hobby is that amongst our group here, even the least skilled will still take pictures that make the casual point-and-shooter say WOW. Maybe a little of it is the camera due to the additional capabilities of the equipment, but I think we're all a considerably more critical of our shots than the average joe. I usually just try to remind myself that this hobby is for me, not to impress others. As rewarding as it is to know that my shots brighten other people's days, the most important factor is that I'm brightening my own.

[PhotosGuy]

With a camera like that, it really shows how FUBAR my photography skills can be. If I had a MkII they'd say, "He uses it to shoot that crap?" Now it's, "Not too shabby for a 300D!" :D:D

[Devoid of Orbit]

LOL..I agree with everything being said here..It's just assumed if you have a good camera that the pictures will be good..Sure it doesn't hurt the situation..But if you can't work it..Or have no eye for what looks good..There isn't much use for it...

[serissolutions]

"You want HOW MUCH just to take a picture" My wife has a camera!

Oh thats so bad man! God... Luckily I havnt heard that one since photography is just my hobby...

[Photonut29]

I think a good camera has some to do with the way the photos turn out but it weighs heavly on the photographer to make the camera work the way it should and capture the desired results. I took some great shots on my old Olympus P&S it was not a crapy camera but I have to say I have taken better shots with my 300D

[billsh]

I received the same comment this week. I shot a photo of a wild turkey strutting, which I shared a proof print of with one of my buddies. His inlaw had seen the photo and caught me at a meeting Tuesday night. Her comment was "What a great picture. What kind of camera do you have? " I blew it off but, it was pretty irritating. Forget the time and effort I put into capturing the image, its "all about the camera."

Now I feel better. Thanks for letting me rant.

[rdenney]

I received the same comment this week. I shot a photo of a wild turkey strutting, which I shared a proof print of with one of my buddies. His inlaw had seen the photo and caught me at a meeting Tuesday night. Her comment was "What a great picture. What kind of camera do you have? " I blew it off but, it was pretty irritating. Forget the time and effort I put into capturing the image, its "all about the camera."

"That was a delicious meal! You must have very fine pots!"

Rick "who can cook" Denney

[tim]

I agree, the photographer is easily the most important part of making a picture (notice I said making, not taking a picture). The camera is important though. If I compare the photos I take using my A70 and the photos from my 20D, the 20D photos are FAR superior. I think it's because of the control you have over things like the focal point rather than centre focus, using manual focus, easy control of aperture, good control of shutter speed using iso/aperture to get a sharp photo, etc. Sure, if you had enough time you could probably do it using a P&S, but with an SLR it's so much quicker and easier.

Now, between one SLR and another... that's a different matter entirely. I don't think I could take better pictures with a 1D Mk II than a 20D, but if I did manage to take a great picture the print would probably look better.

[ScottE]

The 1Ds Mark CXIII will have auto composition and GPS location seeker that will make the photographer completely redundant.

[toddb]

That's pretty much true with just about any thing, the less you know the easier you think it is to do. I get the same thing when people ask computer questions. I really hate that on work projects when people make the sizings that really don't know...because they usually compensate for their lack of knowledge by touting it to be easy and guess who gets to make up for it. <sigh>

"The greater our knowledge increases, the greater our ignorance unfolds."
-- John Fitzgerald Kennedy

[Digital Prophet]

You know I have had these situations. And it is annoying. But what I find REALLY annoying is when people come up and say "I have a camera like that."

For instance: This past weekend I was at the airport shooting some promo shots for thier next publication and I was getting set up. Well it had not been 2 minutes since I put the camera (a 300D in this particular case) on the tripod when a pilot comes up and asks what I am doing.

So I tell him and he looks at my gear. "Well you know I have a camera that looks alot like that. I could come out here and make money like you while I am waiting for passengers. All I need is the right film."

"Well sure you could but you'd look silly trying to put film in my digital SLR. But hey tell you what, if you want you can take a few shots and if they are any good I'll pay you for them. If they aren't you pay me $10 for camera rental. Deal?"

"Uh, no. We are taking off soon."

That shut him up. But the fact is that there is a stigma that clients (and bystanders) have about what makes a camera "look professional". If it looks even REMOTELY like something they have at the house they A) think they can do your job (better) or B) have immediate buyer's remorse. I have to admit that is part of why I am excited about going to medium format.

- Digital Prophet -

[serissolutions]

You know I have had these situations. And it is annoying. But what I find REALLY annoying is when people come up and say "I have a camera like that."

For instance: This past weekend I was at the airport shooting some promo shots for thier next publication and I was getting set up. Well it had not been 2 minutes since I put the camera (a 300D in this particular case) on the tripod when a pilot comes up and asks what I am doing.

So I tell him and he looks at my gear. "Well you know I have a camera that looks alot like that. I could come out here and make money like you while I am waiting for passengers. All I need is the right film."

"Well sure you could but you'd look silly trying to put film in my digital SLR. But hey tell you what, if you want you can take a few shots and if they are any good I'll pay you for them. If they aren't you pay me $10 for camera rental. Deal?"

"Uh, no. We are taking off soon."

That shut him up. But the fact is that there is a stigma that clients (and bystanders) have about what makes a camera "look professional". If it looks even REMOTELY like something they have at the house they A) think they can do your job (better) or B) have immediate buyer's remorse. I have to admit that is part of why I am excited about going to medium format.

- Digital Prophet -

Wow great story. Good comeback! Thanx for sharing...

[Moniphoto]

I took some pictures in a Studio...It was a woman in her 50's. So I always told my client to just be normal....and I do some tricks too.... Is the photographer.....I was using a 35mm old cam...But with a good set of lights....and the woman was very happy with her pictures....She was happy.


:P

Moniphoto

[PhotosGuy]

I had coffee with one of the guys in POTN the other day & he showed me an excellent shot of a flower. Then he said that his wife took it, without any training, on the green box setting & commented that it took him years to get to that point. I looked at some of her other shots on his website & they were very good. Point is that she's blessed with a natural "eye", & most of us have to work at it. Green box! When she learns to use the cam on "M"...

[mbze430]

Photography is just like any other arts. You have to be gifted with a talent. In photography it is the eye. The ability to see things in perspective and to capture it.

Experience, in arts just give the artist the edge of their talent.

[Rob612]

Photography is just like any other arts. You have to be gifted with a talent. In photography it is the eye. The ability to see things in perspective and to capture it.

Experience, in arts just give the artist the edge of their talent.

Ditto ! Try to have Les Paul or Jimy Hendrix play on a crappy guitar, and see if you can do better with a superFender or whatever... :D :D :D

[PhotosGuy]

Jimmy H... yeah, he'd like to be able to do that. (What a waste!)

[sixshot]

When I first got my EOS300 I took some ****e shots, and I mean ****e, too bad to even look at, but as people knew I had just bought a relatively nice camera at the time, they thought they were great. And, no, they were not just being nice. My uni magazine wanted to use my photos as I now had a good camera....I then pointed out the guy with the p+s was taking better shots than me. This was while ago of course before I learnt a thing or two or... no I'll stick with two! :eyes

[Niall]

A pin hole camera made out of a shoe box can turn into magic in the right hands. I agree completely, equipment plays a role, but not much. Of course, to read some of the posts on this forum one would think you need at least L glass to take pictures that are above snapshots...:rolleyes:

Those people need to be poked with sticks for a few hours whilst being forced to listen to the Spice Girls :D