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Are there only two types of photographers?

by 16 Comments

I will probably get a bunch of hate for this post but whatever. Hopefully, my message will help some of you. I realise this website is filled with enthusiasts, professionals, camera geeks, etc… but this post is pointed more at people that want to make it as a portrait or fashion photographer.

I’m a photographer that lives off photography shooting a campaign every few months and I just wanted to share some advice that I wish someone had told me years back.
I’ve met a lot of photographers in my time and they always break down into two categories. The ones that are artists and the ones that obsess over camera gear.

 

I find that the people that are obsessed with camera gear tend to be relatively bad photographers. I’m not saying they can’t take a nice photo, I mean generally these photographers are so tied up in trying to get the best camera setup they can, that they don’t focus on the art of photography. There’s nothing wrong with loving cameras but realise that practice shooting everyday for a week is going to improve your photos immensely as opposed to buying that new Sigma art lens. Stop relying on new camera gear to better your photography. Regardless of whether you’re using a top of the line Hasselblad or not, your photography is not going to improve unless your skills do.

When I speak to top fashion photographers, the conversation of cameras never comes up, it’s always about the art, the story and the image they’re making. Not what f/stop, ISO or shutter speed they’re using. In fact, the vast majority of fashion photographers are using relatively cheap slr’s with basic lenses. I used to be the kind of person that obsessed over camera gear myself but a few years ago when I really got into photography I realised that it just doesn’t fucking matter what camera you use, it’s 100% about the lighting that you’re working with. During the past few years I’ve used the same basic kit and haven’t even thought about changing my camera setup.

Start focussing on creating your own style and aesthetic that makes you stick out from the millions of photographers on flickr who’s photos all look the same and just be happy with the camera you’ve got.

Again this post isn’t meant to be a nasty dig at anyone but I just wish someone had told me this a few years ago as it would have helped me focus on the important part of photography which is the art.

About the Author

This article was also published here and shared with permission. The author’s wish was to remain anonymous, but we thank him for sharing his article with us.

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  • Vladimir Khudyakov

    Start focussing on creating your own style and aesthetic that makes you stick out from the millions of photographers on flickr who’s photos all look the same and just be happy with the camera you’ve got.

    Aha. :))) Easy to say, hard to do…

  • Nikon VS Canon *FIGHT*

  • Sean

    I agree with most of what you saying but gear is not something to be totally ignored. Do pro golfers use off the shelf K-Mart clubs? The tools should be adequate for the job but not ignored. If you think that you are that good, start using a cheap point and shoot to do your work. See what happens. I’m not saying that you need to best, latest, and most expensive gear and GAS is a problem (I struggle with it) but you can’t make broad statements, especially writing anonymously.

  • totally unnecessary profanity in this article. I’m an adult, I swear like a trooper, but cmon, there’s thousands upon thousands of words to choose from in the English language

    • DD

      So you use the same words but you’re bothered that someone else does?

  • From the teenager with his phone to the octogenarian with his 60 year old film camera not one person is the same kind of photographer…a photographer is just a person with a camera and we are all unique?

  • Spoken like a person who doesn’t shoot difficult environments.

  • Im pretty sure Ken Rockwell said this same garbage years ago. The fact is no, being an artist does not mean you dont appreciate good camera gear, and those who obsess of camera gear are not disqualified from being artists. This is a false dichotomy if i have ever seen one. Stop paying attention to their preferences of gear and start looking at their work if you want to find the answer.

  • Anthony Kerstens

    “I find that the people that are obsessed with camera gear tend to be relatively bad photographers.”

    If find that writers using the f-word when trying to make an argument are best to be ignored.

  • Fabrizio

    I totally that the camera and the lens is what make a photographer.

  • George Salt

    There are only two types of photographer in the world: those that believe there are only two types of photographer in the world, and those who do not.

  • He needs a copy editor; start with “people that”, try “people who”.

  • AlexisZ

    The camera is a tool, nothing more; if you can afford the better stuff, buy the better stuff. (Many years ago, before I could afford a 35mm, I shot some unexpectedly terrific pictures with a 110.) Still, the premise of the article is a false dichotomy and an example of very shallow and simplistic thinking and of the fact that too many people out there are madly in love with the sound of their own voices. (Unlike moi, of course!?)

  • Jimmy Harris

    Every hobby, art form, profession, or whatever is like this. Guitar forums are littered with people who own huge and expensive collections of boutique music equipment who’ve never given a public performance. Meanwhile there are tons of examples of famous professional musicians who own just a single instrument for everything they do. In any case, dualities are always dangerous presumptions. So I agree with the premise, that only a poor carpenter blames his tools, I disagree with the simplicity of the observation.

  • We all love gears but at the end its the photo that counts. Not the camera…

  • David Johnson

    There are two types of article writer in the world; those who have a grasp of grammar and a logical point to make and….oh dear!

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