CloudBreakPhotographyIt’s a few days after Christmas and, because of the
materialism that surrounds most people’s Christmases, it seems like a good time
to post this blog. I’ve been thinking about this topic for quite a while and
more so over the past few weeks. Photography is expensive and it doesn’t take
too much for it to become VERY expensive. Once someone makes the decision that
they would like to get serious about photography (i.e. start taking pictures
with something more serious than just their phone), they can easily find
themselves running up bills that can easily stretch into the thousands of
dollars.
When I started taking pictures a little more seriously about
a year ago, I didn’t have a whole lot of money to invest. I had an entry-level
DSLR (Canon Rebel T3) that my wife had bought me for Christmas when we first
moved to Hawaii in 2011. After a trip to the Big Island, I decided I was going
to get more serious and actually put some money into my hobby. As a buddy of
mine put it: I could either invest some money (and time) into the hobby, or I
should stop complaining about not getting good results! The easiest place to
spend money, and perhaps the most exciting, is to invest in a new camera. Everyone
likes getting new toys and cameras can do some really cool things these days.
Plus, every good photographer has an expensive camera, right?!?! So…if I want
to be a good photographer, I should get a fancy camera! Makes sense, right?
Let’s think about this for a moment, though: The common trap
that most of us fall into is that if we spend more on our gear, our product
will be better. Logical thinking will tell us that is just silly. In
photography, we try to remind ourselves that it’s the person behind the camera
that makes the biggest difference, not the camera itself. To compare it to
another art medium, it’s like saying I’ll be a better painter if I had nice
brushes (BTW I’m a horrible painter). Same logic with photography. That being
said, much like a more expensive car, a more expensive camera will do things
mine cannot. It may work better in low light. It may take photos much faster.
It may make my life a little easier, but it won’t necessarily make my
photography any “better.”
It was difficult, but I made a decision last year, with some
help from a few trusted mentors whose work I highly respect and appreciate, to
invest in three very different areas. Instead of the shiny new camera, I chose
to invest in two new lenses (50 mm prime and 10-18 mm zoom) for my older camera,
post processing software, and education.
High quality lenses, or glass, really can make a difference
in images. Up until that point, I was using my kit lens (the lens that comes
packaged with the camera body) and didn’t realize how much of a difference it
does make. Much like anything, the quality and price of the lenses can vary
greatly. Personally, it didn’t make sense for me to go REALLY high-end, so I
spent about $400 on two lenses. This provided a better product than the plastic
kit lens that came with my camera, but didn’t break the bank. These are the
only two lenses I have used since. I don’t use my kit lens anymore and I’ve had
zero regrets.
The second area of focus I chose was post processing
software. Not every casual photographer owns and spends time on post processing
software, but many people (including myself when I first started) don’t
understand exactly what post processing is. Post processing does not
necessarily mean you are distorting images or changing colors to manipulate
something to the point that it is “fake.” My goal, when I edit, is to represent
on screen (or print) what the scene looked like to my eyes when I shot it. Sometimes
I might take out a distracting branch or leaf (or trash can). But I’m not
usually spending my time making a totally surreal image. Sometimes that can be
fun and I’m not judging anyone if that’s what they like to do, but that’s just
not my style. One thing I realized: post processing is a skill that can
certainly improve your images. Even if you are using the software to simply crop
or straighten the horizon, it can be the difference between a poor image and a
good one.
The final area I mentioned was education. As I mentioned I wanted my investment to help improve my skills. Education, much like post processing, has the potential to make me “better.” This is where, in my opinion, most people should focus most of their time, energy, and money. There is always something new to learn. I recently made an investment that I’m VERY excited about: I purchased an annual pass to watch as many online classes as I want through an online company called Creative Live. Among other topics, they offer photography classes that cover everything from basics (which I watched last year) to highly specialized classes covering very specific areas of photography. I’ve also taken classes in Photoshop and post processing software.
In terms of dollars and cents, the amount I spend on my educational investment is approximately 5-10% of what I would have been spending on a new camera and everything that goes with it (lenses, etc.). In terms of security of the investment, education is something I will never lose, break, or have stolen. That doesn’t mean I haven’t been tempted to buy some new, pretty camera body that will take amazing pictures. As I said, I’ve been shooting with my T3 (which has been discontinued) and I think I get pretty good results. I’ve sold a few prints and recently released a calendar that has gotten a lot of support (thank you, everyone who ordered a calendar!). As a co-worker of mine said, “you’re making money with your camera. You don’t need a new one!” I’ve rented some fancier cameras and they are definitely a lot of fun. They do things mine doesn’t and, because mine is pretty old, particularly in “technology years,” I’ve realized that some of the things those fancy cameras do are actually pretty basic these days, such as having an electronic level built-in. Someday I will invest in a new, shiny camera, and maybe sooner rather than later, but at this point I almost consider my T3 as a badge of honor. And, if I drop it on the rocks (again), or it gets stolen, or breaks, or gets soaked by a wave, it won’t be as traumatic.
Everyone works differently and I can’t say that my path was the best. It seems to be working for me, though, and I think it’s a good plan to get me where I want to go. As we start into 2019, I hope my skills keep improving and, who knows…I may just acquire some new gear along the way!
