The Making Of A Photographer - Gear vs Creativity

The "look" is photographer, but you must
see the results before it's official.

Trust me, I am not against photographers or photography classes. In truth, I am totally in favor of educating yourself as much as possible, particularly as it applies to photography. However, due to a recent change in attitude on my part, I must say this.

Camera equipment does not a photographer make!

That's it. I said it, and I'm sticking with it. Not too long ago, I was also a adherent to the concept that to be a photographer you had to own all the best gear. He must have a well equipped studio with all the special lights and backdrops, the underwater gear, access to an airplane to take the aerial shots.

Wrong.

Photography is not about gear. It's not about a degree from a university. Finally, photography is not some special gift.

Photography is quite simply about capturing the light. It's about being able to snap the shutter at just the perfect time and from the correct place. Photography is about life.

Right now, just consider the terrific photographs that moved you somehow, whether emotionally or spiritually. Those are the ones with life. Even the photographs of still objects that attract you do it by stirring you emotionally. They stir up the life inside of you.

These kinds of pictures are the product of photographers. Photographers take the pictures with the best gear, or, if need be, with the least of gear. They just have a passion to make great pictures. They simply follow their calling.

photography studio equipment
image from olx.com

Some of the ways you can describe a photographer:

    •    A photographer views the world artistically and notices things like light and shadows, color and design.

    •    He values nature and can photograph it so that everyone else can too.

    •    A photographer is extremely observant of his surroundings and takes lots of images of it.

    •    A photographer loves sharing his pictures so that others can experience the emotions that they bring out.

But there are also some common misconceptions about photographers that you need to get rid of:

    •    He is not just lucky. Being at the right place at the right time does play a part in the game, but it is not because of luck. It is because she is dedicated to her passion.

    •    A photographer is good because she has the newest and bestest of gear. Many folks think that if they don't have that new digital SLR that just came out with the super-duper prime lens, they will not get the best shots. Although having good gear is important for a pro, it does not define a photographer.

    •    A photographer does not need to be a born artist. It is true that some people have a better eye for picture making, but it is also true that the eye can be trained to see the creative images.

    •    He has a natural knack for things that are technical and difficult. One of the myths about photography is that it is really technical, which inevitably makes it too hard to grasp. Sorry, but this is just not the case. A photographer can take good pictures with any equipment. It's true that some types of photo gear are quite technical, but, once again, they do not determine a photographer.

Great photography is really extremely easy. Be prepared to take a photograph when the opportunity presents itself (hence the term "photo opportunity"). "View" your surroundings in a different light. Become familiar with some primary guidelines about shooting technique. Shoot.

OK, so maybe it is not as easy as that, because it does take training. So learning about photography is part of the equation. That's where PhotographyClassesAtlanta.org comes in. Check us out.

Do You Really Have To "Learn Photography" To Be A Photographer

Learn Photography? Really?

Photography is awesome! There are so many kinds of images that it can satisfy nearly everyone in some way. That's why I have been spending so much time trying to learn photography, every facet of it. But I get too focused on the technological aspects rather than on the creativity involved in photography.

Is a photographer an artist? An even more pressing question: Does simply owning a digital SLR camera make an individual a photographer?

I must admit that I have been thinking about these things with regard to my own work quite a bit lately I do own a digital SLR camera. And, I do take lots of pictures with my digital SLR camera. So, taking photos is not the problem, but I still have difficulty classifying myself as a photographer.

The cause of this difficulty is that I invariably compare my photos with those of others whom I respect. I spend far too much time viewing the pictures of photographers who I consider as very talented in the sphere of photography, and, quite honestly, I regard my photos fairly stinky after looking at theirs. Yet, someone else sees my images and is amazed at how good they are. My problem, I think, is personal expectation.

My goal is to take pictures that compare to photographers like Rick Sammons and Moose Peterson, two of photographers and teachers that I admire greatly. My opinion... I just don't compare as a photographer to those guys.

When it comes to my own images, I admit that I am quite critical. Yet at times, I tend to be even more critical about those who think of themselves photographers yet they know naught about the technical part of picture taking. Why does someone call himself a photographer when he doesn't know an aperture from an exposure setting?

However, after some soul searching, I realize that I am being rather cynical. After all, one man's trash is another man's treasure, right? I have come to realize, I spend too much time evaluating the technical aspects of photos instead of the more important emotional affect of the photo.

An image becomes art when it can inspire or draw out the emotion of a viewer.

A person's ability to manipulate the camera settings, while important, is not art. Likewise, if the camera is left on "auto" all the time, why should that be important? The key is that they are taking pictures that bring joy, or sadness, or wonder to others.

Something else I realized as I thought through this issue is that the goal of all photographers is not to have their photos published by Better Homes and Gardens . They only want to have a record or journal of family memories, and that is good enough to qualify them as photographers and artists.

My desire for this article is simply to encourage "photographers" to keep on shooting. Don't be afraid to let your imagination lead you into your next shot. Maybe it will bring a smile to a friend's face, or it may end up in National Geographic in spite of us Pixel Peepers.

Learn Photography? Go to http://www.photographyclassesatlanta.org and have a peek.

Tribute To A Faithful Friend - Goodby To The Canon 50mm Lens

The Last Photo
(taken with my Canon 50mm f/1.4 lens)

If there is one lens every photographer needs, it is a Canon 50mm lens. I have had more than one in my camera bag.

My research is complete (I hope) and conclusive. You can't bounce a Canon 50mm lens off the conrete and expect it to perform well afterwards.

The story is depressing.

I knew early on that I needed a 50mm as part of my kit, but price was a concern, so I purchased an f/1.8. You may be familiar with that one. It is extremely inexpensive at about $100. Granted, it is constructed of plastic, but it still gives excellent performance. I planned to take good care of it, so plastic was not a concern for me.What happened could have happened to anyone. In fact, I had read of a similar incident only a few days BEFORE my own accident. I simply picked up my camera case and threw it over my shoulder. Except I had forgotten to zip it shut. My treasured lens went flying, landing on the concrete walk. I went into mourning over the loss of a dear friend.

But my grief was assuaged by the purchase of the Canon 50mm f/1.4 model. The cost was quite a bit more than the first one at about $350. Part of the reason for buying the better model was for the better lens construction. The plastic lens had shattered, so I figured the metal casing of the f/1.4 model would provide better results in case of another accident.

Things were great. The new lens was doing its thing, taking quality shots. But then, my world was again shaken by the demise of a 50mm lens.

This time, the accident was not quite the same as the first one, but the results were just as devasting. I picked up my camera (with 50mm lens attached), and the camera strap caught on something, pulling the camera out of my hand. It hit the concrete of the garage floor. I was horrified. However upon inspection, there was no apparent damage. That is until I tried to use the camera to take a picture. That's when I discovered the lens no longer worked. Something happened to the focus mechanism in the lens, and it would not work. It wouldn't even focus manually. I am still in mourning.

In spite of my grief, I feel compelled to comment on the goodnes of 50mm Canon lenses.

My experience with the Canon 50mm f/1.4 lens has made a believer out of me. It is an amazing photographic tool. Since I have not used the F/1.2 model, I can't comment on that one, but this one is a fine lens that will satisfy either an enthusiastic amateur or a professional photographer.

One of the virtures of the f/1.4 is an extremely wide aperture. It can be used in very challenging light situations to provide excellent photos. I have used it at concerts where flash photography is prohibited with great results.

Another advantage of this lens was (its now past tense) when using it as a portrait lens. The Bokeh is awesome. Even though it is not the lens of choice for professional portrait shooters, it does a really nice job.

I discovered another use for a 50mm lens just recently, although I have not had time to try it. A friend was taking pictures with her new Canon 7D at a high school basketball game, and she was using a 50mm lens. She explained that she liked it better than her other lenses (one of which is a Canon 70-200 f/4) for a couple of reasons. The first reason was the really wide aperture. An f/4 lens was to slow to get the action without blur. And secondly, she felt like the 70-200 was too much in focal length. The 50mm lens gave her more of the action rather than just focusing on one player. I had not considered the f/1.4 lens a sports lens, but in that situation, it was the perfect match.

Whether I will replace the lens is not the question. It is a given. I just have to choose the right time and place to convince my "better half" that this is the right thing to do.

You can see the entire 50mm Canon lens line-up at http://www.canoneoslenses.org/50mm-lens-for-canon/.

Which Travel Camera Rules The Ratings -Nikon P100 or Canon PowerShot SX20 IS

This is the Nikon P100

Travel lends itself to a very specific type of point and shoot camera, don't you think? Have you been trying to decide between a Nikon P100 or a Canon SX20 IS? That is exactly what I am doing as I look for a new every day camera that will allow me to not carry a heavy backpack with digital SLR gear all day when traveling. It will also double as a back up my digital SLR.

When I was buying that first DSLR, I faced the exact same dilemma. Canon or Nikon... Nikon or Canon... which one is best.

I am focusing my attention on the top two manufacturers in this situation, even though there are other good cameras in the travel category. By the way, these digital compacts are also known for their "super zoom" capabilities. Panasonic also has a very good model, the Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ40, but I will restrict this discussion to the Nikon or Canon choice.

Find a complete list of Point and Shoot Cameras at the Amazon Marketplace

It's true, these two camera makers have a lock on the market. They can swager into any digital camera expo with confidence. There are a couple of good reasons for this, too.

First, they have good cameras. Their engineers and designers apparently listen to their camera buyers' feedback, as well as doing their best to stay ahead of the pack when it comes to new technology. They usually put forth excellent products.

Second, they both have excellent marketing programs. And usually, the cameras they promote do what they say, so there is trust in the products.

The Competitor - Canon PowerShot SX20 IS

Cameras that are considered for the travel camera category can also be found in the super-zoom category. That is because of the ability to take pictures at wide angles as well as from a distance in the "up close and personal", or "zoomed to catch the whites of their eyes from 100 yards" mode. Simply said, they can get a huge range of focal length shots.

Now, let's have a gander at these two cameras: Nikon P100 and Canon SX20 IS. They are quite similar when you look closely at the feature sets. In fact they are so close in many areas, I will not even bother to point those out, because if one camera has a certain element, you can pretty much count on the other having an identical one.

So here are the differences.

The Nikon P100 has a higher capacity video recording system, with the ability to record 1080p at 30 frames per second. It also has the better LCD screen with 3" vs 2.5" and twice the number of dots per inch for better viewing in tough light situations. It has a higher zoom ratio at 26x (26-678mm) vs 20x (28-560mm) and higher ISO range.

The Canon SX20 wins in fewer categories, but they are important ones. One factor that is not as important as it used to be is the sensor size. The Canon SX20IS has a 12.1-megapixel sensor as opposed to the 10.3-megapixel sensor of the Nikon. The key factor for the Canon is that it has a higher Star rating on Amazon, and it has a win in the DPReview "Compact Super-Zoom group test." This test takes all aspects of camera performance and image quality into consideration. Of course, the Nikon was the runner-up, so it is still a tough call.

So, the Nikon-Canon or Canon-Nikon competition rages on.

Oh Yeah, did I mention that my mind is settled on which camera that I, personally, will get? You can see the "Bottom Line" at the "Best Travel Camera" web page at http://digital-photographic-resources.com/cameras/travel-compact.html.

Nikon Coolpix P7000 vs Canon PowerShot G12

Colby, up close and personal..
Not taken with a Nikon P7000 :-)

There was an add during the basketball game tonight. It was one of the Ashton Kutcher Nikon adds.

This one was for the Nikon S8100. Based on the add, I was about to go online and order one.

Reason kicked in before my credit card made it out of my wallet, and I did some checking for the ratings. In the commercial, there was a short line that said more serious photographers should look at the Nikon P7000, so after finding out that the S8100 was not at the top of the "users' favs", I headed over to the P7000 Amazon page.

This looks like a serious competitor. In fact it looks a lot like the Canon G12 in almost every aspect. Since I love the Canon/Nikon debate, I thought it might be a good idea to compare the two. How I got from the Nikon S8100 to a comparison between these two "almost pro" digital compacts is still kind of fuzzy, but there I was.

To set the record straight, I am the owner of a Canon digital SLR, which I dearly love. However, I am in the market for a good compact, simply because carrying all that camera stuff 24/7 is not very convenient. I want something that I can carry with me no matter where I am.

My process for evaluating cameras has evolved into a rather predictable pattern. First stop is DPReview to see if an expert review has been written. Then I head over to Amazon to read the customer reviews. Final place to check is the B & H Photo store online where there are also some valuable user reviews.

I actually prefer these user reviews to the expert's articles because these are real people like me and you who are giving their honest opinion about the cameras. They don't get anything for their $.02 worth of opinion. But in my eyes, it is worth so much more than that.

In the Nikon P7000 vs Canon G12, there are about 40 user reviews for each, so it is a fairly reliable resource. They are pretty close in evaluation. Too close to call, in fact. And as mentioned, the features of each camera are also very close to identical. Both will give the advanced photographer all the control necessary to take charge of the final image results.

If one feature could push the decision, it would be the articulating LCD screen on the Canon G12. This is very handy, especially when shooting in unusual positions or capturing video.

However, the overall evaluation is at a standstill for right now. Maybe this doesn't help you if you are trying to decide on one of these cameras, but here is something else I came across in my research, and it is this: neither one of these two great cameras are the top choice of shoppers in this "almost pro" category. Nope, the evaluations didn't even get them into the "Top 5 Point and Shoot Cameras" list.

Lucky for you, there is such a list at: Top 5 Point and Shoot Cameras.
The web address is http://www.squidoo.com/top-5-point-and-shoot-cameras. Check it out.

Sigma 85mm f1.4 - New Mid-range Telephoto

Sigma 85mm f1.4 EX DG HSM

The Sigma 85mm f1.4 EX DG HSM Lens was announced months ago. It was due to release in the summer, but it actually became available in November.

Yours truly had great hopes for this lens, but I got tired of waiting and checking to see if it was available. Then, totally by accident, I came across it on Amazon, and to my shock, it is now shipping.
The Sigma 85 turns out to be a wonderful alternative to Canon's own 85mm f1.2 and Nikon's 85mm f1.4. On the Canon side, the price is almost $1000 less and for the Nikon model, you can save a respectable $200.

Right up front, I will admit that if you are a Canon shooter, and money is not an issue, go ahead and get the f1.2 version.

However, if you are not yet decided, by all means check out this comparison, because this new lens has gotten the attention of some "pixel peeping" experts in terms of its excellent performance.

I was personally interested in the release because of the perfect focal length and aperture for portrait photography. At f1.4, you will get superior Bokeh, as good as the more expensive lenses. And this is the goal of portrait photographers.

But aside from portraits, there are two other aspects of a really fast medium telephoto lens.

The first is indoor sports. The wide open aperture will get you some extremely fast shutter speeds in low light at events like basketball (my personal favorite). I have used my Canon 70-200 f4.0 lens with mediocre results. The Sigma 85mm f1.4 with its HSM (hypersonic motor) is "the cat's meow" in this type of light and action.

The second place this lens really shines is when using the video function on your digital SLR. The prime lens has such good image quality that it makes video look absolutely amazing. Again, the bokeh in your video (if taken at the wide open aperture) will look smooth and professional.


Tests against Canon and Nikon have placed the Sigma lens at equal or just below equal in image quality. And Sigma has been working hard to gain the trust of the expert photographic community.
This handsome lens deserves your attention.

Go to www.sigma85mm.com for more about the Sigma 85mm f1.4 medium telephoto lens. You will like what you see... guaranteed.

Canon and Nikon Again ~ Nikon D7000 vs Canon 7D

It truly is another digital slr camera shootout. Nikon D7000 Versus Canon 7D proves to be a war worthy of your attention. Which one is better?

7D sample from ming1967 Photostream on Flickr

Nikon has recently introduced its next generation mid-level digital slr. The Nikon D7000 is basically an upgrade for the D90, and that's a difficult place to fill. The D90 has become, and is still, an excellent camera meant for advanced amateurs and pros as well.


This new launch will fit in the identical grouping as the Canon 7D with regards to functions are concerned. Both are definitely not full frame digital SLRs, however both have elevated the bar regarding "crop sensors" to new levels.


Nikon and Canon have been duking it out for a long time now within the Digital slr market. Whenever a new launch comes by one, you can count on the other remaining right behind with a very similar dslr camera. The Nikon D7000 vs Canon 7D may possibly end up being among the hottest fought battles yet.

Sample image from the Nikon USA website

The truth of the matter is that the die-hard enthusiasts of either trademark are going to have their boasts of superiority for his or her personal manufacturer, and they will in all probability be warranted in what they say. No matter what camera you choose, you will have a great bit of photography design.


And so at this point, what exactly is there to compare and contrast?


First of all, a statement pertaining to sensor capacity. The canon features the larger sensor by just about 2-megapixels, however that is undoubtedly irrelevant. What is relevant is that you may well need to have much more storage area on your personal computer with either one of these cameras. A Raw picture will certainly take up to 16 megabytes of space. Should you shoot a sporting affair making use of continuous shooting mode with six to eight fps, think of how soon you are going to gobble up space both on your computer as well as on the storage media inside your camera.


Talking about storage cards, the Nikon features two slots for two times the images without needing to replace your cards. The canon has merely one position, although it offers dual picture processing for extremely quick efficiency.


One more plus regarding the Nikon D7000 is that auto focus functions while in video capture. For the Canon 7D, the video recording is an impressive function, but you need to manually focus whenever adjusting focal length.


One more difference is in selling price. The D7000 has a cost about $200 less than the 7D for purchasing just the dslr camera body. By the way, it is far better evaluate which lenses you would like depending on the style of Images you are likely to take most often before choosing a camera body with a package lens.


To get more about the Canon 7D and Nikon D7000 cameras visit http://hubpages.com/hub/Canon-7d-VS-Nikon-d7000