The Pot and The Camera.

Waiting for Phone Booth - Image captured by Olympus OM1 with Zuiko 28mm f/3.5 lens and Ilford HP5 Plus film. Scanned with Minolta Scan Dual II.


Any photograph should be appreciated for its own merit. An image is an image.

Camera is just gear ...
If someone made a fabulous dish of "Coq au Vin" in a brand new "state of the art" pot. The first question that comes to mind is "How did you make that dish?" or "What did you put in it?" You would never hear "Oh! That brand new pot made a great Coq au vin"

Why is it then, when someone see's a beautiful photograph, the first question that usually comes to mind is "What camera did you use?" or "If I had that ****** camera, I could have been able to do that too"

Using the analogy of the pot and the camera as comparison. The pot is the means to making a meal. It is that particular person's special touch that makes it a memorable meal. This said, all cameras serve the same purpose. It is to assist in capturing the spirit of what the photographer visualizes in his/her mind. A better quality lens or camera only makes it easier to capture the image. Most people seems to forget or ignore the fact it's NOT the camera that makes the image but the photographer. The camera is only a means to an end, whereas Seeing is everything.

Now that I have made that clear, the equipment I normally use for work is a Nikon D700. The lens used is a 60mm micro or 17-55mm zoom. My preferred camera for "fun" after work is the Hasselblad 503cw, lens is 100mm or 60mm or 150mm. I am also using vintage medium format folders (Voigtlander Bessa II and Agfa Solinette III) which are fabulous for traveling when weight is a factor.

My favourite medium for shooting is B&W film. This is not because film is better than digital. Just digital has a different "look and feel" to it - this is purely an artistic preference.

The key ...
For me, I find the best time for photography is first thing in the morning, sometimes as early as 4am or late in the evening ... just after sunset. However, there are no hard and fast rules. When something grabs my attention, that's when I capture it.

When I arrive at a location, I would walk around until something catches my attention or makes me feel a connection to it. On some excursions, I could be walking or cycling for hours before something catches my attention. Taking the time to look also allows me to compose properly in my mind and ask myself do I feel a connection to it.

There is too much emphasis out there in the web on what and who has the latest camera gear. This is especially emphasized by the "gear heads" out in the cyberspace world. If you take good photographs consistently, you will realize that your camera does not matter. It is all about how you see and feel.