It's OK to Like Gear

If you tuned-in to the This Week in Photo hangout last night, you heard a familiar theme surface once again: gear vs art.

Somewhere along the line, photography equipment became the mistress that everyone desired, but dared not admit it out loud. Instead I often hear: "It's all about the art." "People take pictures, not cameras." 

Come on. 

I can have a beer and not become an alcoholic. And I certainly can admire a finely crafted instrument without turning in to a Philistine. Just like everything else in life, it's about moderation.

I think about photography a lot. It's probably the second most pervasive thought running through my head. But I can't take pictures all the time. I have responsibilities: family, pets, laundry, bill paying, car maintenance, businesses to run and places to be. I'm lucky that I get to express my creativity as much as I do. 

And the cool thing about gear is, I can think about technology, lenses, and cameras while I'm folding my T-Shirts (yes, I do my own laundry). I can mentally debate between the Sony a7 and Olympus E-M1 while I'm buying kitty litter. These are the things that keep me excited about photography when I can't take pictures.

I'm fine with, "It's not all about the gear." Of course. I'm an artist too. But I'm not going to let anyone rain on my parade. I'm having too much fun. 

-Derrick

Sad Story of Singer Kelly Rowland

We say it all the time: back up your data. But in most cases, we might as well be exclaiming, "Woof, woof, woofwoofwoof!" Because there are still too many people who just don't understand. 

I mention this because of the sad story of singer Kelly Rowland (a founding member of Destiny's Child and a judge on Fox's the X-Factor). She dropped her iPhone, it died, and she lost everything on it. And everything includes "behind-the-scenes shots of her reunion with Destiny's Beyonce and Michelle Williams at the Super Bowl" (source USA Today). 

No iCloud, no Dropbox, nothing. .. but memories.

Kelly remarked afterward that she didn't realize how much stuff accumulates over time. And since those photos are no longer tossed into a shoebox under the bed, you can lose them without taking the proper steps. 

I know most kids aren't going to listen to me as I wax enthusiastically about the virtues or automated backup. But I'm hoping that some listen to Kelly. She's doing a good turn here, and on behalf of all the nagging nerds in the world, we thank her. 

-Derrick

Nimble Extremists

I love enthusiasm, but I am not a big fan of extremists. In part, I'm sure this is because I see the world in shades of gray rather than black and white. 

So I'm often a bit concerned when someone posts a comment or sends an email stating that they are going to "sell all my old equipment and invest in a compact system camera with all new glass. "

What's the red flag? 

In my opinion, no single camera set-up is going to accommodate every photographic challenge. I think we need a variety of tools to capture the world as we envision. It's like having a set of screwdrivers instead of just one. 

As we move forward and add new gear to our kits, I recommend that we sell off the redundancy. A perfect example is when I bought the Canon 70D DSLR. My 60D, which I absolutely loved, was sold to help me finance the new camera. 

What I didn't do was sell the 5D Mark II full frame body because it is my only full frame camera. And I certainly didn't jettison the OM-D kit just because I was suddenly enamored with the new Canon APS-C. 

I sell equipment all the time. My goal is to stay light and be ready to meet a variety of photography assignments. I love the little cameras. But I'm smart enough to know that I need the big ones too. 

 -Derrick

Fast Glass

One of the things that worked against my nimbleosity in the early years was fast glass. I couldn't afford it in the size I wanted. To get a relatively compact camera with an f/1.4, f/1.8, or f/2.0 lens, I would have to spend a lot of money -- like, Leica money. 

I want these lenses because photography is most fun for me when the flash is off, and the aperture is wide open. Suddenly I feel like Eisenstaedt, W. Eugene Smith, or Cartier-Bresson. The urge to take pictures with a prime lens in existing light is engrained in my photography DNA.

For a long time, I had to make do with DSLRs or slow point and shoots. Then Micro Four Thirds and the Compact System Camera revolution hit, and I could have speed I wanted at a price I could afford. 

I'm thinking about this right now because I spent most of the day Saturday shooting with an OM-D and a 75mm f/1.8 lens... wide open, of course. I was working with Nimble Fit Kit #11, and loving every moment. My two current favorite lenses for the OM-D are the 75mm and 17mm -- both with a maximum aperture of F/1.8.

I'll probably never own a Leica rangefinder with a bag full of their beautiful optics. But I feel lucky that technology eventually saved the day and fulfilled my desire to feel like a modern Life Magazine photographer, while still being able to pay the rent.

-Derrick

What Photographers Should Ask for the Holidays

Now that Halloween is officially behind us, we'll soon face the dreaded question, "What do you want for the holidays?" 

It's not like I don't have things on my wish list. There's plenty of photo gear I want. But it's also not like I can say, "Honey, would you please get me the new Panasonic GX7 camera body?"  And that's the problem. Photographers like expensive stuff.

I remember back in the early days of digital photography -- I needed a bigger memory card for my Apple QuickTake 200. They were somewhat pricy then. So that's what I requested. 

I did receive the SmartMedia, and was quite happy to have it. But I could also tell that it wasn't very satisfying for the giver. That's when I learned that gifts have to work for both parties involved. 

So now, when the predictable "what do you want" question surfaces, I reply, "Honey, I'd love a new cap. And how about this camping stove I've had my eye on?" Both items are a treat that I'd love to have. And they both actually help me be a better, more adventuresome photographer.

But most importantly, they are far more satisfying for the giver than a 1.4X tele extender. 

-Derrick