DIY Photography

Your one stop shop for everything photo-video

  • News
  • Inspiration
  • Reviews
  • Tutorials
  • DIY
  • Gear
Search

Submit A Story

Stop blaming your camera – It’s better than Ansel’s was

Apr 23, 2018 by John Aldred Leave a Comment

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

Often, we a point made so often that the actual message becomes lost. We hear arguments from both sides that justcompletely don’t get it. To the point where we forget what the original discussion was all about. “The gear does not matter” is one such debate. It’s one that pops up all the time, and there are compelling arguments for both sides, but many arguing “for”, are completely missing the point of the message and arguing against something that it never its intent.

Ted Forbes at The Art of Photography put out a video on this topic a while ago and a lot of people there didn’t seem to get the point, either. So, he’s released an update to it. When you look at photographers like Ansel Adams, and the gear they used vs the gear we have available to us today, it definitely helps to drive the message home.

YouTube video

Ok, so there is definitely a point to the whole “Well, Ansel shot on huge large format” and “Ansel didn’t have to deal with Bayer colour filter arrays!” argument. But, does that really matter? Does that change the story and feeling of his images? Would you feel any differently about them had they been shot on 35mm? After all, when scanned and on your monitor (even a 4K one), would you really be able to see the difference?

“The gear doesn’t matter” debate might be getting a little old for a lot of people. But there are some out there that still don’t get the point of this side of the argument. There are, absolutely, times when there is no doubt that the gear matters. When you have to shoot in certain conditions, such as extreme low light, for example. Or when there are technical requirements that are only met by a certain level of gear. Nobody’s questioning that, at all. Sometimes you really do need a specific bit of kit to create a certain image.

But for most non-photographers, the viewers looking at the images, the content and story of them is far more important than the gear used to create them. And while you may not be able to get the shot you wanted, you can create compelling images with just about anything.

Ansel Adams did it regularly, and your kit’s way better than his was.

FIND THIS INTERESTING? SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

Related posts:

Stop blaming your subjects for blinking in photos; it’s your fault Sony pulls a7/R III firmware v2.0 from its website, issues include “camera stop working” This camera filmed its own disappearance, crossed 350 miles and reunited with its owner I bought a $200 camera and lens so people would stop giving credit to the camera for my photos

Filed Under: Inspiration Tagged With: Ansel Adams, art

John Aldred: from diyphotography.net

About John Aldred

John Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

« Five reasons to consider f/1.8 over f/1.4 lenses
Nikon full frame mirrorless camera to arrive by March 2019 »

Submit A Story

Get our FREE Lighting Book

DIYP lighting book cover

* download requires newsletter signup

Recent Comments

Free Resources

Advanced lighting book

Learn photography

Recent Posts

  • The slow death of creativity in modern photography
  • Holiday Gift Guide – Our favourite gadgets and accessories of 2023
  • Stability AI’s new AI generator creates images faster than you imagine them
  • AstrHori new 28mm f/13 2x Macro Periscope lens sees round corners
  • Sony World Photography Awards under fire for age limitations in Student contest

Udi Tirosh: from diyphotography.netUdi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.

Alex Baker: from diyphotography.netAlex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe

David Williams: from diyphotography.netDave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.

John Aldred: from diyphotography.netJohn Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

Dunja Djudjic: from diyphotography.netDunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

Copyright © DIYPhotography 2006 - 2023 | About | Contact | Advertise | Write for DIYP | Full Disclosure | Privacy Policy