Digital SLR cameras are really affordable now. When you’re buying a camera it is again like the days when 35mm cameras were sold. You would buy a camera based on your needs. When I had my store a customer would come in looking to buy a camera and ask me to make a suggestion. One of the questions I’d ask them was what was more important to them, portability or versatility.
What you're committing to
An SLR is a bigger camera that can be easily adapted to be what you need for your particular interest. It can take lenses that can be extremely wide angle all the way through to powerful telephotos. An SLR can use accessory flashes that can give a better quality of light and can be powerful enough to light up a large room. An SLR can be built up into a system that you can put together to do the kind of photography you want to do. The SLR is a larger camera and a system can fill up a camera bag. It can be a lot to carry but as I said in my last article, for me having my camera with me is my way of enjoying what I’m doing. I don’t consider it a burden at all.
What's better about an SLR?
One thing all the manufacturers craft their SLRs to do is be very responsive to a photographer’s commands. They typically do not ‘lag’ when you take a picture as many compact digital cameras do. They allow their user to take control of how they work. Where most compacts are used completely automatically, SLRs are at their best when you control them to work with the parameters set for what your taking pictures of. An example I’ll give you is that usually a compact taking a portrait will take a picture that’s sharp throughout, both the subject and the background. With an SLR you can more easily make sure the subject is sharp and the background is thrown out of focus so it’s not distracting. Photography is a technical art. There are techniques you can learn to make your photos look really professional but you need a camera you can apply these techniques to. An SLR is such a camera.
Another benefit to an SLR is since it has the architecture to house more technology, the sensor that captures the image can be larger and therefore grab more light, which means more detail in the photo. The lenses can be designed for performance as opposed to being designed to be as small as possible.
Does price matter?
Every SLR can enhance your photography. There is nothing an inexpensive SLR can’t do as far as taking a picture goes. As they get more expensive they merely get more performance and are built for more use. As an example using the Nikon line. The under $500.00 Nikon D40 takes as good a photo as a $5000.00 D3. What the D3 gives for the price is it captures the image in a bigger file and on a larger sensor. Its also built like a tank because a D3 could find itself in a war zone or traveling with its owner around the world every day. The resulting picture will be no better though because that’s still the result of the photographer’s eye.
Now…what about the compact digital?
I have to admit, if I take 100 photos, 80-90 of them I take with a compact camera. My little Canon Powershot Elph has taken THOUSANDS of photos in the two years I’ve had it. They’re mostly snapshots of my family but these are the pictures that mean the most to me. That little camera goes almost everywhere with me. It even has its place in my SLR camera bag so when I travel and there’s a day when I don’t want to haul the bag, I have the ability to still take great photos.
The same rule applies to a compact digital as it does to a low price SLR. The photographer makes a photo great. The only thing you have to deal with is to understand the limitations of the camera. The more you know what it can do, the greater the chance you can take a picture you’ll include with your best work.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Hockey mom, Soccer dad, Photographers both
Parent with a camera.
Whatever my son does, I am there with my camera capturing the moment. My kid has had more photos taken of him than Paris Hilton, and Brittany Spears combined or at least that must be how he feels. Being anywhere without my camera is so alien to me. I am one of those people who, if I don’t have a camera, I’m asked why and where is it? I took a trip to Italy many years ago and at the time I was into playing with a video camera, so I had that and my still camera. Japanese tourists pointed at me laughing. I’m joking, but I was asked ‘Why don’t you just enjoy where you are and soak it in?’ To me, taking pictures is my joy. It makes my vacation more enjoyable. Now with a four-year-old traveling is more about what I’m doing with him and being that he is now officially my favorite subject, I have my camera at the ready, continually taking pictures.
The perfect place to have a camera.
Youth sports are huge. My boy will begin his involvement in team sports next year, and I’ll join the millions of American dads whose weekends will be spent standing at the sidelines cheering my child’s team’s efforts and deriding the referees who say anything that deprives his team of that scoring opportunity. What I’ll have with me is my camera. On it will be the biggest baddest lens, I’ve got. For me that means my Nikon 70-200mm f2.8 or perhaps my seldom used but ‘I had to have it’ Nikon 300mm 2.8. I say this trying to be self-deprecating. When it comes to camera equipment, being in this business means, I get the chance to have the top of the line toys. It DOES NOT mean I get any better photos than the Mom or Dad next to me with the point and shoot with the 12x zoom lens. The great shot is there for the taking, and we’re all equal in our chance to capture the moment. I do have the advantage in regards to equipment I use allowing me, under equal circumstances, a better opportunity to control my outcome as long as my skill is in play as well. I have been taking pictures for a long time, and I am good at what I do. I’ll say, I’d rather have a simpler camera and my experience than be the guy who has the latest and greatest equipment that I’ve hardl
y ever used. Case in point, this photo was taken by me with a Canon Powershot Elph SD600. A tiny, consumer level point and shoot. Why did I choose this photo? Because it’s good! It’s a moment captured in my boy’s life where he is defying gravity and full of joy. I would never enter this photo in a contest nor do I think its worthy of being in my portfolio. It is, however, a photo I’m sure will bring a smile to anyone who has a four-year-old they’ve seen having this much fun.
Practice makes for great memories.
Take pictures of your kids. Lots of pictures. These days there’s no excuse not to since film and processing cost is no longer a factor. Take photos of your kid’s friends too because there’s a good chance their parents aren’t and there’s no way to better bond with your neighbors than to share pictures with them. Heck, you might even find yourself headed towards a side business as the team photographer. Take a look at an article I wrote for Shutterbug magazine. You’d be surprised how many pros started out being the defacto official photographer at an activity. You get a name and doors open for you. I’ll close with this shot taken a few months ago at a qualifying session for the U.S. Tennis Open at UCLA of Marat Safin.
A shot taken with skills learned at simpler venues. It’s easier to capture the decisive moment when you practice on smaller and slower moving targets (like children) before getting into the big leagues.
Whatever my son does, I am there with my camera capturing the moment. My kid has had more photos taken of him than Paris Hilton, and Brittany Spears combined or at least that must be how he feels. Being anywhere without my camera is so alien to me. I am one of those people who, if I don’t have a camera, I’m asked why and where is it? I took a trip to Italy many years ago and at the time I was into playing with a video camera, so I had that and my still camera. Japanese tourists pointed at me laughing. I’m joking, but I was asked ‘Why don’t you just enjoy where you are and soak it in?’ To me, taking pictures is my joy. It makes my vacation more enjoyable. Now with a four-year-old traveling is more about what I’m doing with him and being that he is now officially my favorite subject, I have my camera at the ready, continually taking pictures.
The perfect place to have a camera.
Youth sports are huge. My boy will begin his involvement in team sports next year, and I’ll join the millions of American dads whose weekends will be spent standing at the sidelines cheering my child’s team’s efforts and deriding the referees who say anything that deprives his team of that scoring opportunity. What I’ll have with me is my camera. On it will be the biggest baddest lens, I’ve got. For me that means my Nikon 70-200mm f2.8 or perhaps my seldom used but ‘I had to have it’ Nikon 300mm 2.8. I say this trying to be self-deprecating. When it comes to camera equipment, being in this business means, I get the chance to have the top of the line toys. It DOES NOT mean I get any better photos than the Mom or Dad next to me with the point and shoot with the 12x zoom lens. The great shot is there for the taking, and we’re all equal in our chance to capture the moment. I do have the advantage in regards to equipment I use allowing me, under equal circumstances, a better opportunity to control my outcome as long as my skill is in play as well. I have been taking pictures for a long time, and I am good at what I do. I’ll say, I’d rather have a simpler camera and my experience than be the guy who has the latest and greatest equipment that I’ve hardl
y ever used. Case in point, this photo was taken by me with a Canon Powershot Elph SD600. A tiny, consumer level point and shoot. Why did I choose this photo? Because it’s good! It’s a moment captured in my boy’s life where he is defying gravity and full of joy. I would never enter this photo in a contest nor do I think its worthy of being in my portfolio. It is, however, a photo I’m sure will bring a smile to anyone who has a four-year-old they’ve seen having this much fun. Practice makes for great memories.
Take pictures of your kids. Lots of pictures. These days there’s no excuse not to since film and processing cost is no longer a factor. Take photos of your kid’s friends too because there’s a good chance their parents aren’t and there’s no way to better bond with your neighbors than to share pictures with them. Heck, you might even find yourself headed towards a side business as the team photographer. Take a look at an article I wrote for Shutterbug magazine. You’d be surprised how many pros started out being the defacto official photographer at an activity. You get a name and doors open for you. I’ll close with this shot taken a few months ago at a qualifying session for the U.S. Tennis Open at UCLA of Marat Safin.
A shot taken with skills learned at simpler venues. It’s easier to capture the decisive moment when you practice on smaller and slower moving targets (like children) before getting into the big leagues.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
