Myths III

Keeping it simple:

Yorktown, VA 2007

Some time ago I was approached by a student who was almost in tears and she said that she could not be the photographer she wanted to be because she did not have the high quality equipment that the other students had. It is important to note that she had a new high quality camera and lenses. I looked at her and said, “Most of my students have better equipment than I do, but who makes better pictures?” It is my contention that it is not the equipment, but how it is used. Most equipment other than the most basic types only offers convenience. Thinking that a more expensive camera will allow one to take better pictures is a myth.

Many of the best photographers from the history of photography were known for the simplicity of the equipment and processes they used. The idea is to know the equipment and process so well that it can become an extension of the photographer’s mind and soul. The photographer who can become so in tune with the equipment he or she uses that it becomes instinctive can then in turn spend a good deal more time and effort into what the photograph is about.

Becoming one with the camera, so to speak is easier said than done, but it is worth the effort. One question that I am often asked by students is how does one know what F-Stop and Shutter Speed to be used. A simple question, however, a difficult one to answer. Once the relationships between F-Stops and Shutter Speeds is learned, along with the relationships between other functions of the camera and how they affect the final picture, then the photographer can make the proper decisions as to what is selected. Without that understanding the photographer would have no idea which function to select and what role it would play in the final image. So maybe more effort should be spent learning the basics than spending money on the “bigger and better” camera.

The idea is to learn technique and then apply it to the making of a thoughtful image. Learning technique takes practice. Learning to make thoughtful photographs takes interest and curiosity. Both take passion, not only for photography, but also for the subject matter.

There are some basic ingredients needed. Some of those things will be inherent in the type of photography to be done. For example, I would not expect a nature photographer be able to work without a long telephoto lens, but it would be unnecessary for other kinds of photography. The important thing is to have what is needed and very little else. Learn how to use the equipment that is really needed and learn it inside and out. Then it is important to have a passion and understanding for the subject that will allow for a unique view of the subject that could only come from one person.

Simplicity is such an under used commodity in photography, but it is something that is such a major part of the most important photographs taken throughout the history of the medium.