My Camera is Better Than Your Camera
It's a beautiful afternoon to be lounging around my favorite coffee shop, EÔTÉ Coffee Company. This week has been crazy with the freak ice storm in Oklahoma that wiped my power out for 3 days and still fluctuates my internet connection. I'm sitting here for a reason. I'm sitting here drinking my coffee thinking about what to write for BREED with a topic that is relevant, informative and easy to read. I got nothing. Remember, I'm an aspiring fashion photographer and I should know more about hem lines, fabrics and upcoming colors for the spring season than how to shoot just about anything. Sipping on a hot Ethiopian pour-over, surrounding by younger people congregating for free WiFi, several ideas pass through my thought process.
Then BAM! Oh, this is so good that I want to write about it. NO!… I need to write about it. Play close attention because simple ideas can change your life.
This thought process begins with a young man passing by my table. He is mid 20's, dressed nicely with skinny jeans, lumber jack shirt, cute beanie cap and an awesomely groomed beard. He spotted my camera sitting next to my coffee (and donut) and says "What kind of camera is that?" I respond with "It's a Fujifilm X-Pro3". At this point I'm expecting some intelligent conversation on the merits of shooting mirrorless rangefinder style cameras or maybe the beautiful color science of the X-Trans sensor. Nope. Didn't happen. What I did get was the urge to standup and shake him to see if any grey matter would fall out from under his beanie.
The response that almost sent me over the edge was "It must take nice pictures". OMG! I wanted to educate this young man in the years of developing this skillset, the knowledge of lighting, the psychology of difficult subjects, learning business abilities, etc. The camera is the least part of equation in capturing images that will make a client happy and open their wallets. Instead, I politely answered "Yes, it does". He walked away, grabbing his phone as he left, clutching an ice cold coffee and disappeared into the crowd. I sat there in shock of myself for being so politically correct with my answer and not delivering an eloquent remark to his lack of awareness.
This would be a perfect topic to discuss in my post. “What does the camera matter in photography?” Not just fashion photography, but in any arena of capture. As photographers, we all suffer from GAS - Gear Acquisition Syndrome - and shutter at each new camera model release. Sometimes there is a new feature we want, sometimes it's more megapixels, and many times it's just something new to caress. I've been there. Hell, I'm there now, eyeballing the recent release of the Fujifilm X-T4 with in-body stabilization.
Here's the education part. The camera is a dumb, light-tight box with bells and whistles that YOU control. The camera doesn't "make" the picture, it's just a tool used to capture the scene YOU created. YOU are the creator. YOU are in control. YOU command the scene. YOU make the picture. Do you see a theme here? It’s a simple thought process to put the burden of the capture on YOU, the photographer.
We are always caught up in the technical aspect of the image once it's created and many times before it's in front of us. We obsess so much about not being able to do a job, a photo shoot or even a decent capture without the newest, greatest and most expensive equipment. Now, I'm not dumb to believe the right camera (or tool) for the right job isn’t an important aspect of capturing the moment but I've NEVER met a successful photographer that believes a certain camera model made them better. It's just not possible. Similar to buying an expensive sports car doesn’t make you a race car driver, it makes you an expensive sports car owner. Again, YOU make the image and a camera is a tool under your control. If the image is good or bad, it's because of YOU and not the camera’s fault.
Look at the iconic work of Richard Avedon, Helmut Newton, Irvin Penn or Peter Lindbergh, just to name a few photographers that worked in the fashion industry. Look at the equipment they used daily. Another dumb box filled with film, no preview, one ASA/ISO rating per roll and very limited shots before stopping to change film, that was balanced for daylight or tungsten. Can you create those images you see now with the gear they used? How much practice would you need? How many rolls of film would you burn through ensuring you got the right frame after the set has been torn down?
Well, here is a secret. You can. But after you put in the time, energy and dedication to developing the skillset needed to make it happen. It's not easy and some would call it magic. So the best way to improve as a photographer is to PRACTICE. We are not looking for perfection, we are looking for progress. So let's stop watching and waiting for the next camera model to drop before we can "be better" and get published or sell images to a client.
I encourage you to read through all the articles on BREED as part of your education investment and then GET OUT TO SHOOT. Remember your gear doesn't make the photo - YOU DO!
Fall Inspired Fashion Shoot shot with a Fujifilm X-Pro3 and Fujinon 23mm f2 lens. (ISO 100, 1/100 sec, f2.8)
Stylist: Christion Betancourt Model: Aalaa Ubeidat Location: Aloft Hotel - Oklahoma City