Hacking Photography - one Picture at a time
The internet is a gold mine of information about cameras, lenses, and other photography equipment.
But there’s always a fair amount of BS circulating.
There are opinions masquerading as fact.
We’re constantly told to buy new gear… while also hearing that gear doesn’t matter.
So I’ve decided to lay out the truth about camera gear as I see it:
I stumbled upon a wonderful quote about creativity when I was reading a book about waiting. “The enemy of art is the absence of limitation.” – Orson Welles. I instantly related to this quote and how it affected my photography through analysis paralysis.
We live in a time of wonderful abundance. An era where if you have the means you can own almost anything. We live in a time where people keep creating things to make our lives easier, faster and more instant. With this abundance of choice our first obstacle isn’t starting something but rather how should we proceed.
Traveling around the world with camera gear and drones can be challenging. In this video, Justin from Droneworks Studios shares some helpful tips for traveling abroad with drones and other gear. He and the team shoot all over the U.S .and the world, which means bringing tons of equipment to flights with them. So, they have lots of experience and helpful tips to share with you.
If you’re just starting out as a filmmaker and looking into buying gear, it may seem overwhelming. So much to buy, so many options – and it can all be pretty expensive. But Matti Haapoja’s latest video is here to make the decisions easier and help you get your first kit. He suggests the first 10 items new filmmakers need to buy and gives you a couple of examples of the affordable, yet high-quality gear.
You may argue whether gear matters or not, but one thing’s for sure: owning fancy gear doesn’t make you a photographer. And this image captured by Detroit-based photographer Holly Romaya is a perfect example that proves this point.
It seems that the question “Does gear matter?” is a subject of an endless debate. Some photographer say it does and some that it doesn’t, but the fact is – you can still take good photos even with cheap gear. And in this video, Peter McKinnon will give you a proof.
Peter took some photos with the super-cheap Canon EOS T100/4000D and the new Canon EOS R mirrorless camera. Can you even tell which photo was shot on which? Take a look at the examples and try to guess, you may be surprised.
August and September have been pretty exciting as far as gear announcements go. Nikon Z7 and Z6 are out, along with the lenses and adapter. Canon’s full-frame-mirrorless system has also been launched, and Fujifilm X-T3 is out, too. Many photographers are thinking whether to switch systems or gear brands, and it’s a kind of a big decision to make. In this video, Mark Denney discusses three very important things to consider before you make the final decision. Because, when you take everything into consideration – you may not need to buy the new gear after all.
So I’m down at the dock at the cottage and I decided that I wanted to snap a photo of my coffee to post a fairly typical, quick and easy Instagram banger.
Since the purpose of this photo was straight to social, I arranged the composition and then pulled out my phone to snap the picture (because why would a manufacturer build a camera with Android to be able to do this on an actual camera…).
After snapping the photo, I decided that it actually looked pretty decent – nice enough that I had to run back up to the cottage to grab my DSLR with an 85mm f/1.4…because, well, you know…bokeh.
In the past couple of years, we’ve heard of many photographers switching from DSLR to mirrorless. Some of them have gone the other way around, and yet some have changed from MFT to mirrorless. They all have their reasons for these decisions, but switching systems isn’t a trend that came with mirrorless cameras. The “godfather of sports photography” Don Morley changed systems a couple of times in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. In 1976, he ended up using Canon and he told the story about why he made the final switch.
Photographers invest a lot over the years. Not just in their gear, but also in their knowledge and skills of photography, retouching, marketing, and business. We all aim to make perfect photos, but Daniel DeArco shares an eye-opening video on this topic. He calls it “the photographer’s paradox” and he discusses whether you really need “perfect” photos every time and whether you really need to use all the gear you have. You can consider it an important lesson in marketing, and it will make you look at photography from a different perspective.
You can find out more about John on his website and follow his adventures on YouTube and Facebook.
can change a lens mid-rappel, swap a memory card while treading water, or use a camel as a light stand.
To see more of his work please visit his studio website blurMEDIAphotography, or follow him on Twitter, 500px, Google Plus or YouTube.
JP’s photography is available for licensing at Stocksy United.
FIND THIS INTERESTING? SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!