Choices..Choices and more Choices

Think I've gone blog mad over the last few days but here's another one today.

I caught up with an old friend after some 5/6 years recently and it was great to catch up after such a long time. During our online conversations he commented that "hey your a photographer ... I'm looking for a new camera, what do you suggest I buy?" Well as you can imagine that launched into quite a lengthy diatribe on the merits and demerits of DSLRs vs Point and Shoot compact cameras, accessories and what type of photography are you looking to get into etc etc etc.

Well this began me thinking, yes, I know it's a rare occurrence but occasionally I do come up with an idea or two!!. What I was thinking about was the conversations I had many years ago when I was starting to take my photography seriously with a professional photographer who helped me understand some of the more philosophical aspects to taking pictures and good photography.

What he tried to get me to understand and perhaps its only now some years on that I really do, is that all the great modern, state of the art equipment and mega expensive cameras will not make you a photographer. He said and I will always remember this, is "that the camera is but an extension of your hand and eye" and what I think he meant by that was that the camera (and it doesn't matter what the camera is) is but the tool to capture the image that you see with your photographers eye and that it is your vision that you see and record that is important.

If you look at the great photographers of the past and of our time, yes they have had the leading edge equipment, but it is really their vision of the picture or vista they saw at the time of pressing the camera shutter we see in the print hanging on our wall at home on in the conference room of our offices.

So, after some time to think my advice to an old friend or any new serious photographer, search out the equipment that suits the photography you want to shoot, then find what suits you in terms of feel and ease of use, and then is it affordable to you as if you really get serious about taking pictures you're going to trade up to more expensive cameras, lenses and accessories soon enough..............

As another great photographer said "You don't take a photograph, you make it." - Ansel Adams

Above all enjoy taking the opportunity to take images of our friends, colleagues and the world we live in, capturing that moment in time for all time to come.

Trevor