It’s Not the Camera, It’s You
Posted November 21st, 2008 | Filed under: Photography, ReadingKarenkun mentioned tonight that she really liked a posting I sent her from Google Reader so I’m adding it in the blog to share with everyone.
Originally posted by Sean Marc Lee
“it’s the stuff like this. cameras. technology. people always talk about the newest digital thing. the newest red camera (though i am excited in ways too). how many megapixels so and so have. or how they want a lomo or a holga to get that “cool saturated look.” or only shooting on polaroids.
why don’t people ever wonder how to take a better photo? how to make a better film?why don’t people ever question their motives? why don’t people ever stop to think about the thought why they shoot something? why aren’t people challenging a vision… a singular vision of how they see the world? instead of asking how i can get that look, why not wonder how that person lives to see the world the way they see it?we’re all obsessed with the “look” and style of what we do… we forget about the thought and the deepness creating often involves. “I want it to look like this film… or like so and so’s pictures. I want it to be noir, or jump cutting, or hand held.”
why can’t we ask a question like, “i wonder what makes so and so take photos like that? i wonder why that film works the way it does?” Why does the setup from one scene to another make it so much more effective?
why is it always the question of “WHAT CAMERA ARE YOU USING.”
If i ever meet my heroes, i’m not going to ask what fucking camera they are using. i’m going to ask what drives them. what inspires them. what motivates them. i’m gonna ask them what’s the first thing they think about when they wake up in the morning. what’s the feeling they get when they click that shutter, direct that scene.
is art is the study of human condition, then why are we so obsessed with the technology that helps create it?
my rant for today. (i am guilty of this too). I just took a long debate with myself whether i needed to buy a mamiya rz67 pro ii medium format 6×7 film camera. will it make me a better photographer? no. but that’s a question i always ask myself.
PS. nice “bokeh” does not make a good photo.”
http://feeds.feedburner.com/idleglory
