One thing I’ve discovered among people is that they believe that a more expensive camera must take better photos. It’s like eating a truly excellent dinner and telling the cook, “you must have great pots and pans.” The very idea is absurd.
I always take pains to point out that it’s not the camera, the lens, the light, or the subject that makes a photograph great. The single most important element in making a good photograph is the photographer. Surprised?
All things being equal, a good photographer will make good photos with poor equipment more often than a poor photographer will make good photos, whatever he’s using.
Case in point #1:
This photo, of a bracelet by jeweler Keith Monsour, was taken at the spur of the moment, on an overcast day, with an iPhone. Keith arranged the bracelet on a stone he’d found on the beach, set onto a field of clover, and I composed the shot in the viewfinder and snapped it.
Case in point #2:
This photo was taken by a friend of mine, using my digital SLR and a very good zoom lens. Note that the background is in perfect focus, but the subject is not. If the expensive camera were better, this photo should have been better.
So how does a poor photographer become good, and a good photographer get better? Practice. So go make a great photo today!
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