I was browsing through the web on photograph, equipment and techniques during this cold, wet and freaky month of December in Singapore's HDB flat, and it got me to really deliberate on what makes you take up photography, and invest so much money in the equipment? Is it because you really love to photograph, or it's an avenue to feed your ego ever enlarging ego, or give you a channel to show off, or to post pictures to capture attention of fellow "photographers", or just simply to pass time? Where is your essence of photography?
"Your photo is very nice; which camera and lens did you use??"
When you ask such questions, do you think better camera body can "help" produce better results? Better lenses can "yield" better photos? Better software can "turn" a disastrous picture into a cool and good one?
"What settings did you use to take this picture, what's the technique? The hair is very messy, the horizon is slanted, the light on the left is too distracting, etc etc."
Has technicalities gotten into the way of the actual essence of the photo? Have you ever asked why the photographer took that shot and what he is trying to "say"?
Your photo very nice! The colors are superb!
Or has photography turned into a colour chase, where Photoshop can turn the most "uninspiring" photo into a "colorful" one so that it can solicit praise for the intense colours?
Have people lost the whole essence about photography, which is about the subject, the theme, the people, the place which you want to emphasis?
From the old times where equipment were rudimentary and less sophiscated, when the photographer took great pains to ensure the "intended subject" and "photographic moments" are perfectly rendered... And now, where equipment have reach very acceptable quality regardless of brand, where shutter are macham "free", where "accidental" good shots are possible with such lavishness of shutters. Where holding a "SLR-type" of camera automatically "promote" you to the status of "photographer", and even so, "professional" photographer. Where "bigger" and "more expensive" and "smaller f stops" are the "holy trinity/grail" of some of the "self-proclaimed" photographers?
Whereforth is the "real photographer"? ... What are you thoughts?
"Your photo is very nice; which camera and lens did you use??"
When you ask such questions, do you think better camera body can "help" produce better results? Better lenses can "yield" better photos? Better software can "turn" a disastrous picture into a cool and good one?
"What settings did you use to take this picture, what's the technique? The hair is very messy, the horizon is slanted, the light on the left is too distracting, etc etc."
Has technicalities gotten into the way of the actual essence of the photo? Have you ever asked why the photographer took that shot and what he is trying to "say"?
Your photo very nice! The colors are superb!
Or has photography turned into a colour chase, where Photoshop can turn the most "uninspiring" photo into a "colorful" one so that it can solicit praise for the intense colours?
Have people lost the whole essence about photography, which is about the subject, the theme, the people, the place which you want to emphasis?
From the old times where equipment were rudimentary and less sophiscated, when the photographer took great pains to ensure the "intended subject" and "photographic moments" are perfectly rendered... And now, where equipment have reach very acceptable quality regardless of brand, where shutter are macham "free", where "accidental" good shots are possible with such lavishness of shutters. Where holding a "SLR-type" of camera automatically "promote" you to the status of "photographer", and even so, "professional" photographer. Where "bigger" and "more expensive" and "smaller f stops" are the "holy trinity/grail" of some of the "self-proclaimed" photographers?
Whereforth is the "real photographer"? ... What are you thoughts?