In the immortal words of Rod Serling, I offer for your consideration………
A young waiter serves an attractive couple their elegantly presented meal at a fine city restaurant. The plates are meticulously arranged with beautiful filet mignon, twice baked potatoes, candied carrots and a drizzle of dark sauce encompassing the display. The aroma of the spices fills the air.
The gentleman at the table carefully slices into his fillet mignon and savours a mouthful of delicious meat. The couple continues their meal, enjoying the delicious meal and wonderful atmosphere of the restaurant. Midway through their dining the young waiter returns.
“How is your meal tonight?” he asks.
“Simply wonderful.” the gentleman replies.
“Excellent.” the waiter responds. “Is there anything else that I may get for you?”
“Why yes”, says the gentleman, “ Could you possibly tell me what kind of frying pan the Chef uses? The fillet mignon is incredible, I want to be able to prepare one at home just like it!”
What would follow next could very well be the Chef demonstrating a non-culinary use of his fry pan over the gentleman’s head. The obvious fact is, it is not the fry pan that creates the well-prepared meal, it is the Chef. Combine that with professional support staff and a properly decorated restaurant, the customer receives the ultimate in a dining experience.
You can purchase the most expensive, top of the line camera with the finest optics available and still produce garbage images. On the other hand, a good photographer can produce stunning images with a box camera. Check out this site:
http://www.holgablog.com/2009/11/18/the-best-holga-photos-from-flickr-october-2009/
The photos at that website were taken with a Diana, or “Holga’ camera. It is fully constructed from plastic. Here is another fine example:
Edward Steichen, Isadora Duncan at the Portal of the Parthenon, Athens, 1920, photogravure, collection Museum of Photographic Arts
Steichan used a Kodak box camera borrowed from the headwaiter at his hotel. If you are not familiar with Edward Steichan then go here:http://www.thecityreview.com/steichen.html
While attending a business seminar last year the inevitable “What kind of camera do you use” question, and its brother “Have you lost a lot of business due to all the digital cameras around” came up. One of the participants, a professional photographer himself, stated he no longer could understand why anyone would buy an Ansel Adams print anymore, since anyone can go to those locations now. They could simply take digital photo after digital photo and sooner or later produce exactly what Ansel did. Really? If that were the case, then you too can create a replica of Jackson Pollock’s (read about him here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackson_Pollock ) works by randomly throwing paint at a canvas. Sooner or later you will end up with a masterpiece. Not.
Ansel Adams did not rely on his camera to produce those amazing images. He relied on his ability to see proper composition and light, and his knowledge to use it correctly
The only time I have ever been asked, “What kind of light do you use?” is by other Pros. They understand that the quality of light, the shaping and control of it is far more important than the camera. If you pay attention to the light, whether artificial or natural, and watch your composition, you will get great photos.
So, what kind of cameras do I really use? Used ones. Some as old as 40 years, some as new as last summer. I buy nearly all my gear from the greatest camera store in the world, Henrys. You can find them here www.Henrys.com . They also have a large presence on eBay. They sell new cameras too. They offer the BEST extended warranty in the business. True peace of mind, but that is another story entirely. I will write about that in the future.
Please visit our website at www.shuswapphoto.ca .
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