JPG: Stories: Feature Story: The Right Gear

Feature Story

The Right Gear

By Sergio Dabdoub

30 Jun 2009

As I went through the websites, magazines and forums over the last several years I realized there was such an obsession with the gear that outweighed the desire to take great photos. I found this rather disheartening since I love great photos as most people do while it doesn't really matter in the end what gear you've used to create it.

While there are situations where the equipment does matter in most people's world this is not remotely applicable. I started off as a graphic designer and got into photography again a few years ago. As a newer professional of a few years I used to scour the internet and books for the ideal equipment only to learn that I can take a great photo regardless of what I use as long as I focus on composition and work within the strengths of the equipment I'm using. It's a fairly simple concept but most truths are fairly simple and direct.

This system doesn't have enough megapixels or has too small a sensor. That system isn't fast enough, or have a high enough ISO. So many excuses and dreams from individuals seem to be based on the "PERFECT" camera and less on their skills using their camera. No single brand, model or lens lineup is going to make you a better photographer. When you get the most expensive full-frame largest megapixel camera you can find the truth is your images won't be any better. All of the pixel peeping at full zoom doesn't really make for a good or bad image in print. Most people are so focused on zooming in that they never even print their images. If only they had that "BRAND" or model it would have been perfect... seems to be the thinking.

Learning the strengths of your particular camera or system is the starting point. How about learning correct exposure to make sure that your APS-C or 4/3 images are correctly exposed and you'll most likely never see the noise that seems to make people's skin crawl. When you have to adjust your images too extremely then you're going to expose the faults of any camera. Yes, they all have their faults no matter how much it pains people to hear.

Why not work on your composition since that's a large culprit in most mediocre photography? If your image isn't compelling or interesting enough then it's not going to move people to have a closer look. I am a self-taught photographer and artist. I do my best to see the shot and capture it quickly. Those moments can be fleeting in a photo since it's a single moment and expression. I do take a lot of pictures and through the years the number of keepers has grown. I have learned to exercise my timing and eye to spot when something is going to happen and try my best to be ready for it.

I have had lots of practice with terrible lighting in my event photography. Dark rooms with colored lights make for a lot of missed photos. This also challenged me to get better and anticipate while learning what my selected gear is capable of. I doubt many settings on my camera are the original out of the box selections. I do in fact use manual settings even with an automatic choice. This gives me greater control over the final image. I carry a selection of zoom, automatic and fully manual lenses. No single one will be perfect every time and if you have the wrong lens on your camera then you're going to have to learn to make due.

There are many people out there making art and taking beautiful photographs with cell phones, plastic cameras, no flash and the list goes on. The one thing that is true today is that almost any dSLR out today is going to give you amazing photos. The options and personalization in each are far beyond the options amazing photographers from ten years ago would love to have had. You no longer have to change film for b/w or ISO. Those options are there for you in a few seconds if you take the time to learn them. Take a chance and alter the original settings for those of you who are beginners. For those of you who want better lowlight performance maybe trying to expose correctly. You even have the option to do multiple exposures in most cameras and select the best one afterwards. This is all pretty basic information.

Equipment faults and weaknesses are discussed all over the place on photo sites. While it applies mostly for beginners and intermediate photographers there are plenty of pro's out there who subscribe to the perfect gear as well. Many people like to talk down camera equipment. I believe learning my equipment and its strengths or limitations means that I am going to take the best pictures that I'm capable of. It was a daunting task to set my camera to manual for the first time. I learned so much from that moment that I have never gone back. My gear may not be anyone else's idea of perfect, but I work within it's abilities and constantly work at learning how I can make them better.

No, I am NOT Ansel Adams or Annie Liebowitz but I am proud of my work. I have worked hard to be better and that will never end. I won't accept that a single brand or camera is going to make me better. While I do wish that money was no object and I could afford a 21mp camera the truth is that it's not in reach or realistic for most. I can print a photo and nobody knows what camera it was taken with and frankly they really don't care. It is either a great shot or it isn't but that is up to me and my skills when all is said and done.

So I would suggest to anyone who wants better pictures and is in the process of learning to focus less on what your gear is and more on how to get the most out of what you have. Maybe you'll learn at some point that another camera or system really will be best for your photography and maybe you won't.

I love a great photo and don't really care where it came from. I love great post processing but have also seen a lot of terribly done work with that as well (that's another story). No matter what we think a camera can do for our work, if you start off with a good solid knowledge of basic photography and composition you are going to have a much more attractive finished product.

I finally feel that I've found a site where quality matters. I wish I'd started contributing to JPG sooner.

Sergio Dabdoub

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