I had an early morning chat with a friend earlier in the morning. It started with a discussion about cameras and we ended up talking about photography and photographers. I’m a guy with an opinion about all three of the topics we discussed but I’m getting ahead of myself.
So yeah, she wanted to get into lomography and she said was going to get started with a Holga 120CFN. I’ve got nothing wrong with the 120CFN since I also started with it but I also know that it’s very easy to outgrow the camera. I’m an unabashed fan of the Holga 120N because of the hotshoe. The hotshoe serves me so much more compared to the built-in flash of the CFN. The real draw of the N over the CFN for me is the option to use the fisheye lens attachment with a flash. Yes, I’m THAT shallow, I like using the fisheye with flash, especially in clubs and events. Using flash with the fisheye attachment on the CFN creates a gigantic shadow. A hotshoe also means that I can go strobist if I REALLY wanted to. In the end I just find that the N is far more versatile, but taking nothing from the CFN.
The discussion also touched onto what some of my friends like to call the “film mentality”. I’m what some techies call a late adapter, meaning I take to new tech far later than most, even if the tech were readily available to me. I was still using a discman until Christmas 2007, when I finally bought myself my own mp3 player. I had the same experience with the capture format for my photographs. I was still heavily using film up until the end of the first quarter of 2008, which is when I got my first DSLR. This mentality is simply about making the most of your shots. I’ll talk about film mentality at a later day.
The discussion shifted to how I felt a photographer was supposed to be. I feel strongly about how photographers should always be looking for the best shot they could take. I guess I was caught off guard when she sent an IM with the question, “what about paparazzi?” and I answered, “if they were photographers they would be called photographers. Paparazzi just do their job. It’s what puts food on their plate. A lot of photographers aren’t in it for the money; I suspect that some of the BEST, most artistic, photographers in the world don’t even show their work to people outside their family. I’m not saying that photographers shouldn’t make money, quite the opposite actually, I would LOVE to make money off of my photographs, just that one should never abuse another person’s rights.
Don’t upgrade just yet
I hear so many “photogs” go around lusting for a new lens, new camera, new whatever.
Yes, WHATEVER.
Getting new things all the time is one of the STUPIDEST things a photographer can do.
Why? Here’s why.
You gain ZERO mastery over your equipment if you keep changing it. At right about the time that you’re getting good with something you end up having to learn something new. It’s the same as getting past the first semester of majors for a particular course then changing your primary focus to a different one. This is no way to learn anything.
It’s the basics, learn them, master them THEN you can try something new.
Stick with your kit lens or a 50mm prime until it begins to fail you. By “fail you” I don’t mean until it breaks, that’s what I do, but until it can’t do what you ask it to anymore. When the kit lens stops being telephoto enough or wide enough even with you moving around to change the composition then you can buy a new lens.
Your camera is another thing. Learn the idiosyncrasies your camera has. Learn to make good photos in spite of them then learn to make good photos BECAUSE of them. Learn the controls of your camera to the letter. Have a system, know your camera settings inside and out. Learn how to tweak your camera with your eyes closed, so that when you’re looking through the viewfinder tweaking won’t be an issue. When you’re already that good with your camera you may just rethink upgrading.