Someone burst my bubble today

[skieur]

I don't think that it is possible to generalize in either direction related to the importance of gear. It really depends on what you are shooting and in what area you wish to make your reputation.

I would not want to use a T1i to do important studio work for a magazine, but for senior photos, weddings, or shooting kids at a party, it is certainly useable.

Lenses are also very important in some areas. A tilt-shift lens or a fast, excellent wide angle prime or zoom is almost a requirement for real estate photography.

Sports and wild life photography are best with long, fast, expensive lenses although if you are in the right location even a compact camera camera with fixed lens can do a great job with some sports and some wild life situations.

By the way, some pros replace at least one camera body, every 3 years, others rent for some jobs, and still others feel that for the long term it is best to buy the most expensive camera with expensive lenses. All of these approaches make sense to me.

skieur

 

[BKMOOD]

Thinking back, I had some gear snob try to pull that crap with his high end DSLR...

I pulled out my 40-year old Pentax Spotmatic (some days I have to shoot old school film). I told him after 40 years it still works. Will his camera still be working in 40 years? Doubt it. Then I told him if we used the same quality lenses, I can probably match his picture quality. His camera cost $2000.00, mine cost $50.

He mumbled something I couldn't hear and left.

 

[skieur]

Thinking back, I had some gear snob try to pull that crap with his high end DSLR...

I pulled out my 40-year old Pentax Spotmatic (some days I have to shoot old school film). I told him after 40 years it still works. Will his camera still be working in 40 years? Doubt it. Then I told him if we used the same quality lenses, I can probably match his picture quality. His camera cost $2000.00, mine cost $50.

He mumbled something I couldn't hear and left.

Cost is not overly relevant to a pro that is doing reasonably well, since he/she can write it off as a business expense and I don't know any pro who expects or wants to be working with the same camera in 40 years.

Gear types are part of photography. Don't take them too seriously.

skieur

 

[BKMOOD]

You clearly missed the entire point I was trying to make. LOL.

 

[dietCoke]

Ok, I just posted under the equipment section looking for advice but it says the page will not load every time I try to see my post. Thought I would post a condensed question here since I already mentioned it and it is somewhat on topic.

I am looking to get different lenses and maybe just maybe a new camera too. I really do like Canon if that makes a difference.

Currently have: Canon T1I
18-55, EFS 55-250mm, 300 f2.8L (love/hate relationship -long story)

What equipment should I look into for doing outdoor portraits of kids, seniors and possibly food photography? By what I can tell most people are using f2.8 70-200? for portraits and macro lenses for food?

Thanks again for any advice, I sure could use it.

 

[skieur]

Ok, I just posted under the equipment section looking for advice but it says the page will not load every time I try to see my post. Thought I would post a condensed question here since I already mentioned it and it is somewhat on topic.

I am looking to get different lenses and maybe just maybe a new camera too. I really do like Canon if that makes a difference.

Currently have: Canon T1I
18-55, EFS 55-250mm, 300 f2.8L (love/hate relationship -long story)

What equipment should I look into for doing outdoor portraits of kids, seniors and possibly food photography? By what I can tell most people are using f2.8 70-200? for portraits and macro lenses for food?

Thanks again for any advice, I sure could use it.

Rent the T2i and compare it with what you have now. Reviews indicate that it is much better without being really costly.

For outdoor portraits of kids and seniors the 18-55 is great if you are working in fairly close and it is a 2.8. Don't get too close, or you will be dealing with distortion. The 2.8 70-200 is great for blurring out the background and backing off a little. Working too far toward 200mm may however "flatten" the look of a face which you may not want to do, unless your subject has a long nose for example.

Food photography works best with lots of lighting/strobes and perhaps even reflectors, along with with excellent quality, expensive medium focal length lenses. I would rent a Hasselblad or Leica S2 medium format digital for that type of work.

skieur

 

[dietCoke]

Thanks for the advice! I chose the T1i over the T2i at the time, T1i was a great deal as the T2i just came out. However, I am looking to bump it up even one more level if I were to get a new camera.

But your ideas give me new thoughts as far as lens for portraits and food. I also was reading a lot about the Lensbaby. Not sure how I feel about that lens, I swear some pictures I look at taken with this lens on here make me dizzy.

 

[FattyMcJ]

Ok here goes the link..... (but remember, please be gentle....not only did my child begrugdingly go out with me to take this "senior shot"....it was my first ever "senior shot"...okay, enough I know!! I'm so nervous, here it is in it's raw form...

I won't comment on the photo itself, others have already nailed it.

What I will comment on is your lack of confidence. How you perceive yourself will be reflected in how others see you as a "pro". If you're shy, timid, and constantly need positive feedback on your work...you won't make it long, and "customers" won't be confident in their choice of you as their photographer.

Be more confident!

Also, yes, you need to have a thicker skin. Photography is, after all, an art. No matter if you're Ansel Adams or not, some people just won't like it. That's the way it goes. Buck up, you know you did your best with what you have (both gear and knowledge) and that's all there is. You can't control whether or not everyone will like it.

 

[Croissant Seven]

Ok here goes the link..... (but remember, please be gentle....not only did my child begrugdingly go out with me to take this "senior shot"....it was my first ever "senior shot"...okay, enough I know!! I'm so nervous, here it is in it's raw form...

I won't comment on the photo itself, others have already nailed it.

What I will comment on is your lack of confidence. How you perceive yourself will be reflected in how others see you as a "pro". If you're shy, timid, and constantly need positive feedback on your work...you won't make it long, and "customers" won't be confident in their choice of you as their photographer.

Be more confident!

Also, yes, you need to have a thicker skin. Photography is, after all, an art. No matter if you're Ansel Adams or not, some people just won't like it. That's the way it goes. Buck up, you know you did your best with what you have (both gear and knowledge) and that's all there is. You can't control whether or not everyone will like it.

Don't forget that timeless axiom: you ain't somebody until somebody hates you.:mrgreen:

I discovered this when I was in graphic design classes. I'd work my butt off in Illustrator for hours to get something right, and I'd present it and it would get lambasted...by the same crew of kids, every time, which would have been fine if it wasn't silly stuff like "So would you wear that on your hoodie?" or "Yeah, my mom does similar stuff in Paint". Yet the professor would give me A's on all my work. I eventually realized it was the kids who didn't "get" graphic design that would slather on the hatred, and it showed in their art. The biggest way I could return the snub: sit quietly and not say anything about their work in the critiques. Most of the class did this to avoid this clique's ire, I sat there and smiled at them with my hands behind my head, and said "I got nothin'"

Thinking back, they were all hipsters with fixie bikes and beards, but that's another story altogether.

Now, on web forums, it's quite a bit different, because you can skip right over the baseless criticism and get right to what's real. For every clown that replies to your CC thread with "Sucks, hate it, lame.", you get 3 or 4 guys with genuine, constructive criticism, and the experience to back it up.

 

[Hannah Webster]

I have been working as a photographer part time over the past 6 years and have finally decided to give up my other job and go at it full time! Very scary!

I started with quite ameture kit, and found some jobs difficult because of this, but over these past years I have put the money I have earnt from my photography back in to my photographic kit.

I now have the required kit to go pro full time - I don't have all the top of the range stuff, but enough stuff to do most of the jobs I'm asked to do. I will still save up to improve my kit as I go along!

I know that was a very "me me me" post, but thought my story might help inspire?!

Good luck!

 

[ryderwylde]

Ok, I haven't read the whole thread but I would like to chime in here.

First off, I have to say gear IS important. Although no what camera you use. The most essential item is your lenses and you lights. Cheap crappy lenses will not give you good results. Lights are even more important IMO. You can photograph without lights but you will be severely limited in when/where you can shoot due to the sun or being too dark and the like.

Do a search on youtube for iphone photoshoot and find the video by fstoppers. Fantastic quality images all using an iPhone and some lights!

 

[iSee]

Obviously the other 'photographer' is nothing more than an uneducated pompous [insert expletive].

It's not the gear, it's the eyes that make a pro...gear won't make a bad eye look good but it will enhance a good eye

qft


ryderwylde: I've shot with 1 lens for nearly a year now through multiple weddings and events ...and I never stopped improving. You can be successful with 1 lens if you've got it. It is not about the gear. Better gear makes a good photographer great, not a bad photographer good. Its best to master 1 lens at a time in my eyes. I've just recently ordered my next lens, a 50mm 1.8. I plan to spend months with only this new lens on my camera, not touching anything else until I feel experienced with it

 

[Josh66]

I've seen that video...

Fantastic quality images all using an iPhone and some lights!

If I remember correctly, it looked to be about $10,000 in lighting equipment - not to mention the PRO models, PRO PP guys, PRO hair and makeup, pretty much pro everything, lol.

A little more went into it than just having some lights.

 

[FattyMcJ]

I've seen that video...

Fantastic quality images all using an iPhone and some lights!

If I remember correctly, it looked to be about $10,000 in lighting equipment - not to mention the PRO models, PRO PP guys, PRO hair and makeup, pretty much pro everything, lol.

A little more went into it than just having some lights.

Yeah, I've seen that video too...that PRO retoucher had his work cut out for him on those photos. A testament to how valuable PP work really is.

 

[Natred]

In my opinion, I think this other photographer was just trying to talk you out of going pro because she doesn't want the competition. I use a canon rebel XTi and have since I started 5 years ago. I consider myself a professional and so do others. I'm not proud of what I shoot with but I have perfected it and it works great for me. Plus I don't have the money to get one of the fancy camera anyway, although I would LOVE LOVE LOVE one. It shouldn't matter if you have a point and shoot or a Canon mark II or III, all that matters is that you know how to work your equipment. Don't worry!!! Keep shooting and don't let ANYONE get you down. There is always going to be someone out there that will try and put you down. It's all a matter of opinion and everyone has one.

Happy Shooting!!