"Your camera sure takes good pictures"

I've thought about posting this before - and this new "chat" forum is as good a place as any.

"Your camera sure takes good pictures"

People have said that to many on numerous ocassions when shown one of my pics. But after spending several days post processing a set of images following a technically challenging shooting session ( http://www.pbase.com/m​aderito/winter_talent_​show ), I must admit, I felt quite deflated.

What reactions or come-backs do you have when faced with similar comments?

Maderito, are you suggesting that your camera doesn't take great pictures?

:P

By the way, nice pictures! Good retouch work too - a bit of Neat Image on those ISO 1600 shots?

Cheers,

Ha! My camera has been known to take some pretty lousy shots.

Right - Neat Image to the rescue.

"Actually, the camera spends it's time drinking alone until the wee hours if left to it's own devices,.. so I try to keep it on a short leash.."




Really,. I know what you mean,. and the phenomenon is solely associated with photography. No one says,. "wow,.. your pencil sure does draw great pictures"

The mistaken idea of photogrphy's "simplicity" lends people of all walks to think.. "I could take that picture,. " usually followed up by.. "if I'd been there"

It's not untill you actually start trying to take photos that you discover,.. it is not as easy as it looks to get what you want out of even a good camera..

...at which point you end up on a forum like this one asking questions and learning... so that you really CAN take pictures as good as Maderito's camera can!


....when it's not too hung-over from the night before anyways

I have had the same response. My reply was always the same....."It should. It is a professional level camera." People just usually look and say "Oh".

My camera says it's done better this year, so now it's wanting a raise and even more vacation time. It's even been trying to start a union with the other cameras.

Actually given the spread of quality between Lieca, Nikon, Canon and other top grade cameras, and cheap or disposable cameras, the statement of "Your camera sure takes good pictures" is somewhat valid if misleading.

Same can be said of "Your art pencil draws much better than my accounting pencil..." as the quality of the lead is much better suited to art.

And yes, a great artist can produce better results using poor grade materials than a poor artist with great materials...

What I'd like to know is what is photography's equivalent of making sculptures and ice carvings using a chain saw?

PacAce wrote:
What I'd like to know is what is photography's equivalent of making sculptures and ice carvings using a chain saw?

That'd be those those wags with 4 or five large format bellows cameras mounted on a single tripod!

My reply is sometimes similar, if not a little arrogant "It should, I know what I am doing" - has a similar effect on people but for me it also takes the emphasis off the camera and brings it squarely back to the photographer.

We went over to my brother's last Thanksgiving, and I got some pictures of the niece and nephew. My sister-in-law said the "Your camera must take nice pictures" line. I smiled politely.

When dinner was, I commented on wanting to borrow her pots and pans since dinner was delicious.

She never got it.

PacAce wrote:
What I'd like to know is what is photography's equivalent of making sculptures and ice carvings using a chain saw?

Pinhole camera.

It's a crude instument, that in the hands of skilled craftsman can produce fantastic results.

Couldn't state it better myself. Not what you use, it's how you use... 8)

Now that is FUNNY!!LOL

I've never gotten that verbatim, but I did hear "You must have a really nice camera to get pictures like those".

I just say "Yeah". I never come up with a more thought provoking reply than that

I just say "Thank you", and take the credit for myself. The astute ones will get it. The rest won't - ever.

-jeff-