Back to Basics
Back to Basics
The 1-2-3 of photography and destroying the myth that better gear makes you a better photographer…
For a long time I have wanted to write this, but have always approached this subject with clenched teeth. As I am guilty of a lot of the opposite of what I say, and so are all photographers in many aspects. We all look at stunning images on the net and are amazed and aspire to create these sort of images. Mind blowing sharpness with silky smooth bokeh of a bird in flight, or the landscape image worth a thousand words, where a small fortune of LEE filters have been used and the processing time in Photoshop is longer than Kim Kardashian's marriage. But do we need to have this price tag to create really great images that we can look at and be happy with? Have images we can print and be totally satisfied with for years before we advance to a new level of knowledge?
The 1-2-3 or even the A-B-C’s of photography have not changed since the birth of photography. Understanding the Bermuda Triangle of photography is the key element and the success of every great photographer. Aperture, Shutter and ISO (ASA for the oldies) are, and always will be the only three things to control the capture of a great image. I don’t care what software advancements your camera can have, and I do love gadgets like this, but these stepping stones are the key of every image. Whether that be a cell phone, a mirrorless or a DSLR that costs close on the price tag of an entry level Volkswagen, the concept is the same.
Understand the relationship between choosing an aperture, and what artistic effect it has. Or choosing a shutter speed, and how to use it to create magic and not just have blurry images. And then add ISO to the mix, understand what it means, how it works and how far your camera can push it and you will have the recipe for success with every image.
Sure this sounds simple and easy, and yes it takes time and practice, as well as failure, lucky shots and frustration to master. However, look at learning to drive a car, at first you stalled, missed gears, or had difficulty focusing on the road and operating all else right? But after time you never glanced to see where the clutch pedal was, or where the gear lever slide into place… It all became automatic. The same with a camera, after spending time with it, making it an extension of yourself, all the controls become natural and an action done without thought. An extension of yourself. Setting up the various buttons allows you to master the controls, creating your own starship enterprise if you will. All the bells and whistles are there in artistic modes, color settings and contrasts. But do any of them matter at the end of the day? Not really, it’s about the basics, right amount of light, and right shutter speeds with the addition of the correct ISO setting.
So at the end of the day, expensive and fancy gear that costs you a second mortgage, or the sale of a kidney is not always the right way. I have seen many, and have many images that are world class that are taken on “kit” gear. So don’t fool yourself by thinking that money makes a better shooter.
Yes on some occasions and situations, those pricey additions can help and be the key, but not always. Knowing how something works will most times give you the result you are looking for. Take a kit wide angle lens. Shoot it as F5.6 and cry when you get home because the most epic sunset turned into deleted images. Find the sweet spot, perhaps it is at F8, or F11 or maybe F16. Maybe you had your lens stabilizer on and forgot to use a self-timer or shutter release. All elements come to play, but understanding is the secret and the ultimate goal.
Getting to where the image is sometimes more work than anything else, and that alone can be the reward. Ask Hougaard Malan…
Shoot to satisfy your passion, however shoot to fulfill the knowledge you have.
Peace and light