Posts tagged photography

It’s off to work I go…

4 months ago

by Kevin in General

Once again, it’s a Monday and I’m off for work. Weekends are too short and I’m not taking advantage of them like I should.

I did make it out to Keeneland yesterday and scouted some spots to take photos from – assuming that these spots are OK with the track officials. There’s two really nice spots that I could get pics of the horses as they round the last turn. Possibly one problem with them though, they are right on the outside rail and not in the main grandstand. So I’m not sure if it’s cool to be there during races. I think during workouts the spots will be fine, but I’ll need to call and find out them during the races.

Fall is here, I know it is. The leaves are changing and yesterday was the best day weather-wise this entire year. I really can’t wait until the snow starts to fly.

Anyway, I’m off for work. Later all.

Photography: Gear vs Vision

8 months ago

by Kevin in Photography

Image via Wikipedia

This is the typical statement: It’s not the camera, it’s the photographer that’s makes great photos.

This is the point that I think David duChemin, a photographer that I look up to, is trying to make in his latest blog post: “Point & Shoot, My A**“. I agree with him to a point. While I feel that the photographer is the reason the photograph ultimetly turns out. Without a certain level of gear, some shots would simply not be possible. I’ll try to illustrate my point with an example.

I currently own a Canon Digital Rebel XSi and a “kit” lens. For an “entry-level” DSLR, the XSi is a very capable camera. I have taken (what I feel any way) are some very good pictures with it. I love using it – in fact I wish I had more time to use it.

But the XSi has its weaknesses. The biggest of these (to me) is the camera’s low light capabilities. If a certain shot requires the ISO to be set above 400, this camera is not the ready for the job. Setting the ISO to 800 or 1600 will produce very, very noisy images.

Yes I can take great photographs with my iPhone, yes I can take great photographs with my wife’s Casio compact digital camera (notice I didn’t call it a “point and shoot”, oops), but I know I can take better pictures with my Rebel. And by the same token I know that a 5D Mark II will give me better pictures still. But here’s difference. It’s what these devices allow me to do that makes the difference.

I can set up a shot with an iPhone and with my Rebel. I can compose it the exact same way, using the exact same light and I know that the photo from my Rebel will look better. With the Rebel, I can control things so that I can give the image a certain emotion or feel. The extra features of the Rebel allow me to get more from a shot.

While I agree with David (and nearly every other photographer on the planet) that gear is only one piece that makes a great photo, I have to stop short and say that it takes a bit of gear to get the job done.

As an aside, let me point out that most of the people that tell you that great photographs come from the photographer and not the gear usually have the best gear on the planet. I’m just sayin’