Ken Rockwell says no. See his article here.
Michael Reichmann says yes. See his article here.
Who are these guys?
Ken Rockwell does camera reviews on his website and is different in his approach to such reviews.
Michael Reichmann has a great website that evaluates equipment, talks about all kinds of new stuff, and is very informative.
Reichmann probably gets the most traffic at his site. So, he is sorta respected.
Rockwell, on the other hand, is just a guy who likes photography and writes about stuff with a straight forward approach.
So, why would Reichmann, the guru, take on Rockwell, the sometimes commentor? I don’t have a clue, unless Rockwell is getting more interest than Reichmann. Who knows. Rockwell is certainly discussed a great deal on the Internet, and some of the comments about his stuff aren’t exactly positive.
What started this was when Rockwell put up a post on his website about whether a better camera will make one a better photographer. He dismissed that idea, saying that it is the photographer, not the camera that matters.
Along comes Reichmann, who attacks Rockwell, with few examples to sustain his arguments, saying that yes, indeed, absolutely, a better camera will make you a better photographer.
Hum.
And here I sit, dumb me, just an average Joe, who likes photography, and I am perplexed. As I often am.
Well, it has been an interesting read.
But let me put my two cents into this interesting argument, spawned by the attack of Reichmann on Rockwell.
Let’s talk some facts here. In 2003, the latest data I can find, 50 million digital cameras were sold worldwide. WOW. I would bet that number has grown dramatically in recent years. The fact is, there are lots of people on the planet who are taking photographs. And what are they taking photographs of?
My guess is:
1. Their children.
2. Family events.
3. Parties.
4. Weddings.
5. Travel photos.
That’s 99% of it.
Now, there are some other folks out there. You know, the ones who think that their work is art. And there are hundreds of them, and their stuff is all over the Internet. Maybe a bizillion photographs are now on the web, all showing unique and different ideas about what a photograph should be. It’s sorta mind-boggling to look around. I mean, wow, so much to look at and consider.
And, added to all this are the reviewers. You know, the guys who review equipment. Course, I gotta say, they do it to make money. Ho hum.
And then there are the seminars. WOW. Let’s fly down to Costa Rica and take shots of Humming Birds, or venture off to Iceland and photograph waterfalls and ice and stuff, or make the ultimate trip and manage to get to Antarctia!
In the meantime, probably around 100,000,000 people are taking shots of an office party, or their kid kicking a soccer ball, or an out of focus shot of Uncle Henry at the Grand Canyon.
And, enter Sony, Canon, Nikon and others who keep producing stuff that we MUST buy. More megapixels, better dynamic range, higher ISOs, etc. etc. etc.
You gotta wonder.
So back to the purpose of this post. It’s real simple with me. Buy a camera you can afford, and go take some photographs. You know, the stuff YOU LIKE. Flowers, a new-born child, a shot of your grandmother on her front porch, your five-year-old and his cat, Uncle Henry turning 90, your car. Gosh don’t forget your car!
And by way of example, here are two shots of a friend’s car. One was done with the Canon 1Ds Mark II, the other with the Canon Powershot G9. Can you tell which camera took which shot?
So, my point is, take some photographs with whatever camera you have. And then, take the time to share your photos with those you love. And, years from now, thumb through an albumn and remember that special time that meant something to you.
If you do that, you will have found what photography is really about.
It’s not the camera, it’s not the photographer, it’s that special moment in time that means something special to you and the ones you love. So, for gosh sakes, don’t believe for a second that you have to spend thousands of dollars to record those moments!
But I must add a post script here. I have to wonder seriously whether van Gogh would have been a better painter had he used modern brushes. And further still, if I were to go buy the best brushes, the best paints, the best canvas, and had a modern studio, if I could produce anything at all like what he produced. And the answer to that question is an emphatic “NO!” Talent is the most important ingredient in any endeavor, along with persistence and focus.
For the vast majority of us who do photography, the Rockwell/Reichmann discussions may prompt us to consider that a camera is nothing more than an extension of the mind. And, as in the oriental way of thinking, the photograph is done before the shutter is released.
In sum, photography is the art form of the current era. It manifests itself in ordinary stuff. But, that ordinary stuff is very powerful for most of us who record something that we like. For the more serious of us, those who aspire to use photography as it is, an art form of very great power, it is the thought behind the image than is most important. And it has absolutely nothing to do with what camera is used. It is the special moment that we have found with the tools in our hands. And, in my mind, it does not matter one whit how good your tool is, what matters is that what you and I produce has meaning and significance to us.
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