| I have been asked countless times, "Wow, what | | | | pictures. Camera quality, at this basic level of |
| type of camera do you use?", or "Must be some | | | | photography experience, does indeed play an |
| camera that you have". or "My camera doesn't | | | | important factor. Their logical conclusion is: the |
| take pictures like that", etc. One time in particular, | | | | better the camera the better the print. |
| a gentleman was looking at my work in my booth | | | | What these individuals do not understand is that, |
| at an art show and said something along the lines | | | | sometimes, there is more than meets the eye |
| of, "Sure must be a great camera you have to | | | | when it comes to photography and fine art prints. |
| get these great pictures". | | | | The camera is simply a tool - a very important |
| I looked at him for a moment, and responded | | | | one at times for sure - but it is just one of many |
| with a smile, "No. Actually, it was some great | | | | variables that come into play when producing a |
| photographer who did this." The expression on his | | | | fine art print of the utmost quality. The real |
| face gave me the feeling that he was thinking | | | | "magic" comes from the printing. It is with the |
| that I was trying to pull one over on him, and he | | | | printing that the artist's intent fully comes to life. |
| smiled while responding, "Sure, but it still bust have | | | | The camera is just a tool used to move one |
| been a great camera!" He was fully expecting me | | | | along the path towards the final destination that is |
| to reply, "Yes, you caught me - I have the best | | | | the print. A bad print from a Hasselblad can be |
| camera in the world and that is the only reason | | | | worse than a good print from a cell phone |
| why these prints look so good." | | | | camera. |
| My actual response was, "I am sorry, but it is not | | | | I am selling the final print - I am not selling based |
| just the camera. In fact I can produce beautiful | | | | on the camera I used. If I "fooled" someone into |
| work with any camera, even yours." His smile | | | | thinking that I used a Hasselblad, is it now all of a |
| dropped and he looked me in the eyes and said, | | | | sudden an inferior print once known a Hasselblad |
| "Come on, you use a Hasselblad." I replied, "I am | | | | wasn't used? |
| sorry to tell you that you are wrong, but you are | | | | Is it worth less? |
| wrong. I do not use a Hasselblad camera." At this | | | | Maybe it should be worth more!! |
| point, the conversation was over - he thought I | | | | Printing is the most important part of the process |
| was flat out lying to him and the only reason why | | | | for me, and the part that consumes the most |
| I have the quality I have was because I used a | | | | amount of time. Countless hours of work go into |
| Hasselblad camera. | | | | each and every one of my prints. While there are |
| What this individual was not able to comprehend is | | | | some images I am able to print with only a few |
| that the camera is just one of many tools for the | | | | hours of work, others have taken months (not |
| photographer. It is not the end all, be all. | | | | continuous, fortunately) to produce a print I am |
| Is it the high end kitchen utensils that popular chef | | | | completely satisfied with. I even have one photo |
| Emeril uses that makes his dishes so renown? | | | | that I worked on, from time to time, over the |
| Take him into your kitchen. Would he be able to | | | | course of a full year before I was satisfied with |
| produce a meal far superior to yours using your | | | | the print! |
| own utensils - utensils that may not be the "best | | | | I wasn't bothered by that gentleman walking out |
| in the industry"? | | | | of my booth convinced, in his own beliefs, that I |
| Part of the misconception of, "the better the | | | | simply had a "really good" camera. In fact, it was |
| camera, the better the photo," comes from the | | | | a compliment to my printing, technique, |
| basic fact that nowadays just about everybody | | | | experience, composition, vision, creativity, and, the |
| has a camera. Everyone has experience taking | | | | least of which, the camera I used. A great |
| photos. And yes, everyone takes some photos | | | | camera is not going to make a great |
| that perhaps they even surprise themselves with | | | | photographer. |
| by the way the print turns out. But not as many | | | | I will write future articles discussing the methods |
| prints come out as great as they would like. | | | | and procedures I use in doing my own printing. |
| What's the most obvious thing to blame - their | | | | For those not interested in that, and only want to |
| technique? No. It is definitely the camera that | | | | focus on the camera I use, I will tell you that I |
| took the bad photo. The print doesn't look | | | | currently use a Canon 5D Mark II camera. It is a |
| anything like what they remember. They assume | | | | 21 megapixel digital camera. It's not a top of the |
| if they purchased a better, more expensive | | | | line camera, nor is it a bottom of the line camera. |
| camera, they would get better photos. | | | | But boy, you should see the pictures this camera |
| So they buy a more expensive camera and find | | | | takes... |
| that, yes, they are now sometimes getting better | | | | |