The Camera & Economics

According to the gurus of blogging I don’t post often enough or on a schedule but that said, here I go. Leica Camera, which is in a class all their own has just released a new Camera called the M11. Full frame, 60mp and with that rangefinder styling that harkens back to the days of the beloved M3, which debuted around 1954.

All tricked out the M3 sold for around $450.00 USD. All things being equal if they made that camera today it would cost around $4,500 USD. The M11 is supposed to retail for around $9,000 which the Leica fans would defend because, well it’s a Leica. If you are a wealthy hobbyist, then one of these would probably do. If you are a working pro then you probably need 2 and some glass if you don’t already own those.

So! to own a Modern version of the M3 you will have to spend a considerable amount more than the original. The point being that you can’t simply adjust for inflation. We live in a different world, with different technology. The original M3 was a film camera and the M11 is digital with all the electronic bits, software and complexity.

Everyone has a camera

It was 1964, I worked at an amusement park. I have memories but no photos of that time. It would be good to have some, not only that experience but many others.

Instead of of the mindless snaps; document your life and surroundings. It will become a meaningful body of work.

Photography is a way to isolate or emphasize something in the wild, whether there are people around or not.

We are always attached to something.

The file is fine

The Photo Journey

I began shooting digitally with a flip phone. Something like 1.3 megapixels which I would post process in photoshop elements. What I learned using these low res files was the post effects worked better with a low res image. That’s probably not true a hundred percent but it was my experience at the time. What I have learned since then is that except for texture all of the post processing apps use some manipulation of light.

As time progressed and I had better cameras I was disappointed that all of these devices had a common problem. They were slow. What I looked for and did not find was a combination I’m sure would be a hit. Simplicity of the Hasselblad but the size of a rangefinder and a nice compliment of glass, with a useable viewfinder. All for under a thousand bucks. The offerings I’ve seen are either unnecessarily complex or overly expensive. I would be happy to be proven wrong. Caveat: I am obviously talking about digital cameras here. If you have the time and know how to nail exposure your film results will be stunning. I grew up shooting film, there was no digital anything back then. I will need to do a separate post about film to give it the proper treatment.

Of course these things matter and they don’t matter depending on what stage of the journey you are on.

What makes photography interesting is what is in the frame. Knowing how to bring all the right ingredients into a picture is what it is all about. Different genres of photography require different ingredients.

What makes Photography interesting is what is in the frame.

How this all changed for me was when I realized that it wasn’t the number of pixels or how they were captured but does the image arouse any emotion in the viewer.

A famous photographer was being criticized for his use of point and shoot cameras in lieu of lugging around the big and somewhat heavy DSLR kit. Referring to the diminutive devices he was using he simply stated “the file is fine”. It wasn’t the amount of information in the file but was there any story in the frame. At this point I began to think story, emotion and longevity. I still make meaningless pictures but I make fewer of them.

The designated photographer

Access and being the DP

In the early days of photography the camera was a novel idea when many people had a Kodak box camera. It was a time when it might take a week or two to get your prints back, when you hoped they would “come out”

Fast forward to today. Everyone has a camera which has its pros and cons. A few even have a basic understanding of exposure but this hasn’t improved our photography very much. Photography can entail a variety of factors but it starts with, what is in the frame. Since everyone has a camera… to add to the naturally camera shy we add the specter of “where will my photo end up” and are they going to photoshop this and make money from my image? In order to become the “Designated Photographer” or (DP) you need to have access. At least to some degree, the DP needs to have permission to make these photos. In some weird way the fact that we can snap away with our phones has brought us back to the real value of photography. That value is the creating of memories for years to come.

In order to become the “Designated Photographer” or (DP) you need to have access.

To further define the story, who is in the frame? Being the designated photographer means you have access to whatever is happening and the people involved. It also means trusting the photographer and understanding they are not going to print or circulate those awkward moments. It also means that the pictures aren’t going to be perfect. The static, frozen pose usually doesn’t convey the personality of the real person. When we look back we see the value of a person and what they meant to us; not whether their hair was perfect or whatever.

There are many types of photography and this refers to only one but it’s an important one. A photograph may have value for a variety of reasons but the ones we tend to prize are those with people in them. It takes us back to a time and place.

Why you want to make art.

Art is profitable. Sometimes even financially profitable. So will my art make money? I don’t know but I can tell you that it can be very rewarding and that includes your photographs.

I’ve made a lot of “art” over the years and most of it was never seen. The benefit was that it fed my soul and it was a great teacher. Our creative expressions often lead us to the greatest discoveries about ourselves.

“Art is not so much defined but observed.”

So what is art anyway. I like to put it this way. “Art is not so much defined but observed.” We determine what seems to us to be an artful expression. I’ve heard music that was art. I’ve seen dance that was art. People are creative even if they don’t think of themselves that way. Art is defined by the person experiencing it.

We often think that art is made by someone who is an artist. Being an artist has its own set of criteria and traditionally means someone who has done art expression in a consistent way over a longer span of time. I would say that an artist is someone who makes creative expression. Whether your definition is broad or specific it doesn’t matter.

Vivian Maier lived and worked in Chicago for 40 years and as a photographer was unknown and unpublished. Many of her photographs were never printed. Nonetheless her photography served her well while working as a nanny, taking long walks around Chicago’s north shore.

Paul Rand the famous designer said, “the genre of design is art”. We often think of art as someone skilled at drawing or painting but these are only mediums. Art is about ideas and these ideas have various expressions.

Is it all about the gear?

I wish someone would have told me.

Camera companies love that photographers have G.A.S (gear acquisition syndrome). It plagues nearly everyone who gets into photography these days, unless you are guided by a savvy mentor. It’s natural to think that, since the camera captures the image, the better the camera the better the image. Yes and no.

So many variables, brands, film, digital and no easy way to sort it out. The camera only effects two things. The interface between you and the camera systems and the pixel quality of the image. Neither of those things make a memorable image. “The photographers greatest tool is the ability to see.” A split second of time that will last for decades. What makes great photos is you. (There are a number of posts here about the technique of making these photos happen)

“The Photographers greatest tool

is the ability to see.”

But the question is still nagging, which camera system should I buy. Some things are personal choice and have to do with how you interact with the camera settings. Nearly any camera you pick up will render a decent image file. There have been tests done and unless you take a scientific approach there is no way to tell what camera made what image.

Once you have found the camera with the buttons and dials you like there is one other crucial consideration. What kind of photos do you want to make, vacation, portraits, sports etc. If you are planning to take fast paced images such as sports or journalism you will need a camera with fast shot to shot time. How fast can the camera capture the image, write the file and be ready for the next shot. Slower paced events can take a little more time.

There are more fine grain choices that have to do with your way of working such as an LCD, optical viewfinder or Electronic viewfinder. Which one you pick or a combination is specific to the photographer. What about lens choices and film and all the rest of it. The slippery slope of gear choices can go on for a long time but when you figure out what kind of photographer you are the selections get narrower. This short piece is about how to approach the gear question.

It will take a lot longer to figure out who you are as a photographer than to figure out which camera to buy.

PS. The camera shown above is the Olympus C8080. Considered a prosumer camera and has more adjustments than the space shuttle. It’s 8 megapixels and makes a really nice image. If I don’t use it for awhile I have to relearn all the menus again. How I came to use this camera was the meandering that all photographers do on the way to where they figure it out.

What’s in my camera bag

Seems to be a popular question. Update May 22, 2020

As one photographer put it; “I have a bag problem”. To explain further, we all struggle with what do we carry and how and what bag will hold what. If I had my druthers I would chose only what I could comfortably carry. One camera, handkerchief, food, water and Done. Oh, and probably journal and pen.

The bag depends on how much I want to schlep. The camera might be some variety of point and shoot, including the phone although I do have the big boy film camera with lens.

You are also free to imagine, the lens cloth, charging cables, batteries and all those supporting gear things.

Unless I have a particular goal in mind I refer to the advice I got from one skilled photographer. Small, Light and Fast, those are the most useable criteria for selecting what to carry. If you have these three things you are much more likely to carry it.

These things change all the time due to seasons, objective and a host of other variables. 

Three Keys to Photography

Bonus tip, think in terms of a story, for those who weren’t there.

1. You have to get you and your camera in the right location to take the picture.
2. You have to have an interesting subject. Think, why am I photographing this. If your subject is a living thing; look for expression, gesture or reaction.
3. When the light is casting a dramatic effect capture the scene while you can. Take as many exposures as possible. The light will change quickly.

And as always be safe while you’re doing it.

I wish someone would have told me…

This upcoming series is based on my own hard won lessons in photography. 

Things like:

• It’s all about the gear
• It’s not about the gear
• What prints?
• Know all the costs

And that catch phrase we all love, A Whole Lot More. 

Stay Tuned!!!

Photo Dreams