Do you take your camera everywhere?

Dubie · Jul 16, 2007

I guess the title says it all.

But I guess it also depends what kind of photography you do to.

lifeafter2am · Jul 16, 2007

I keep my point and shoot with me all the time, but not my D-SLR. I just don't like the idea of having it sit in my truck, in the Florida heat, for most of the day if I am not using it. Now, when I can afford a waterproof housing, that may be a different story! :mrgreen:

Jon, The Elder · Jul 16, 2007

Wow....A self answered question. Doesn't leave much room for discussion.

sothoth · Jul 16, 2007

One of my photo instructors always said you need to take it everywhere with you, you need to eat, sleep, and make love with it.

Personally, making love with/to my camera sounds rather painful and unappealing. Maybe that's just me.

I think the guy who owned the newspaper company where Clark Kent worked (Superman and Lois Lane's boss) said something similar in the original Superman movie. I think if you're a photojournalist it's probably important to actually have it with you always.

When I'm on vaction I have it with me everywhere. Most of my shooting is for landscapes, but for that I plan landscape shots ahead of time, so I only have the camera when I'm off to my landscape of choice.

carusoswi · Jul 16, 2007

Jon said:
Wow....A self answered question. Doesn't leave much room for discussion.

What about the question doesn't leave much room for discussion? I think there is plenty of room for discussion.

The problem with taking your camera everywhere is that, to do so, you usually have to choose between the convenience of a small, very limited unit (I'm thinking as basic as a cell phone camera or one of the new wafer thin point and shoot cams) or lugging around what may be a heavy, but most certainly will be a relatively bulky slr of some sort.

To have really versatile shooting capability with you at all times is, I think, difficult for most of us. There are many times when my point and shoot (and certainly my cell phone) are simply not up to the job, and, so, I skip photo opportunities because I know I will not be happy with the result.

OTOH, the cell phone that I carry actually has a camera built in that is capable of shooting the sort of pictures I need during the course of my work day, so that I can use those photos and forgo having to carry my more bulky equipment.

Additionally, while I am a product of the film era, having a digital camera (even a cell phone model) with which you can check the results often is a better option than a more capable film camera.

If I am shooting to gather onsite evidence, it is more important to do so confidently than to take a chance on shooting film only to review the shots after the fact and discover that I do not have what I need.

It is absolutely wonderful to be able to whip out my cell phone that is with me 24/7 and grab shots that function for their purpose. These aren't works of art, but, as mentioned before, they serve their purpose and then are destroyed.

I often find myself in situations where I yearn for my full kit. Unfortunately, there is just no way I can carry my stuff with me all the time.

I am an avid cycler (bicycle), and my riding takes me through unbelievably beautiful outdoor scenes, most of which, I cannot capture because all I carry is my cell phone camera. My 35 mm stuff is too heavy, and I am not at all in love with the current crop of point and shoot digitals.

I apologize for being a little long here, but, the above represents my take on carrying/not carrying a camera.

Caruso

Dubie · Jul 16, 2007

Caruso...thanks for that answer.

When I'm driving down the road , I see lots and lots of stuff I would love to stop and shoot. I guess making a trip for just that is not so bad.

I'm one of those people that run a business from home so I am ball and chained every minute of my day to my office except weekends. A run to the grocery store is a reason to grab the camera. And I guess most of the time that I do leave the house, it is to take pictures.

WDodd · Jul 16, 2007

I definitely don't take mine everywhere. I plan ahead of time to go out and shoot, and I will take my camera and go for a drive. And even further if I'm going for a walk or a hike I will take just what I need to accomplish my goals.

However, I am always looking for things to shoot and places that might be of interest. There is a good chance that someday I might have the opportunity to come back.

three_eyed_otter · Jul 16, 2007

I don't take mine everywhere but really wish I would. There are so many cool shots that I have to pass on. I've never really just taken drives for the sake of shootin': perhaps I'll give that a go.

have a good one
3Eo

ksmattfish · Jul 16, 2007

I almost always take a camera with me when I leave the house. Many times I have no intention of taking any photos, but you never know what might pop up. Worse than lugging a camera around without using it would be to see something that I wanted to photograph, and not have a camera.

Dubie · Jul 16, 2007

ksmattfish said:
Worse than lugging a camera around without using it would be to see something that I wanted to photograph, and not have a camera.

And that's exactly what happen to me. I seen something that was great and the next time I went by, it was gone.

deanimator · Jul 16, 2007

Isn´t this the same discussion, currently running since the 4th of July with 45 or more posts...?
http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=86823

InTheViewFinder · Jul 16, 2007

ksmattfish said:
I almost always take a camera with me when I leave the house. Many times I have no intention of taking any photos, but you never know what might pop up. Worse than lugging a camera around without using it would be to see something that I wanted to photograph, and not have a camera.

I agree! I take my camera pretty much everywhere I go. It would suck if you wanted to take a photograph of something, but you didn't have your camera.

Dubie · Jul 16, 2007

deanimator said:
Isn´t this the same discussion, currently running since the 4th of July with 45 or more posts...?
http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=86823

And now it's running here.

ANDS! · Jul 16, 2007

Yea - toss it in the backpack, hop on the sv650 and I'm off.

ksmattfish · Jul 16, 2007

Dubie said:
I seen something that was great and the next time I went by, it was gone.

I've learned the hard way that it's important to get the shot when you see it. Sometimes the light is amazing, and it may never look that way again. The weather and the position of the sun can really affect some locations. Like ancient religious sites designed to track the sun and seasons, I've seen places that are only lit by the sun at a certain time on a certain day. If you miss it you have to wait a year, and hope it won't be overcast.