Does the gear you use matter? Well, as with most questions, yes… and no.

As someone who makes their living from using a camera should I be worried when I see how easy is it for “normal people” to take amazing photos?

We live in a golden age for people who love using cameras. I think it would be hard to get a camera these days that takes a bad picture or video in even semi-decent conditions. Even my iPhone produces amazing photos and video considering how small that lens and sensor is.

I was recently at an Australian Cinematographers Society meeting and I got talking to another, more mature, cinematographer and a young film student.  The film student was telling us that he had a really great idea for a story to shoot, but he couldn’t do it because he didn’t have the money to rent a fancy camera. Almost as one, both I and the other cinematographer asked him if he had a camera on his phone (and, let’s be honest, who doesn’t these days). Both of us told him the same thing: take the camera you have and go shoot your story.

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