RE: NSPART - A One Off Art Piece in Color and Black & White with with the very Beautiful Nikola Weiterova IFBB Bikini Fitness competitor (Images and Video) - ANOTHER STEEM IT FIRST POST!!!!
Relevant rant and one I have often felt myself.
"it seems that people no longer value professional photography or understand what goes into it regarding, time, expense, etc... And some feel a camera phone picture of a ham sandwich or a selfie has equal value regardless of the difference in production time and cost. Almost every professional photographer I know has been adversely affected by the devaluation of professional photography due to mass proliferation of camera phones and the perception that all photos are created equally..."
And yet, years ago I traded in most of my film photo gear (excepting those cameras I'll leave to my kids for sentimental & monetary value) and went on to pursue other interests. Even so, I did eventually breakdown and buy a couple of digital cameras and occasionally work with them on my computer, forsaking the darkroom of yesteryear I do so miss now.
But my point is... Photography - GOOD photography in my opinion - can be made with a 1950's box Brownie and still be good IF the photographer pulls it off. The craft can be taught, but not all will learn it, though the goal of a teacher should be to show visual aspirants how to make it something of importance to their own personal point-of-view. Good photography IS an art form, but not ALL art is accepted as art in its time. It is what it is. One can only encourage the communication and try to see what the creator saw and felt - as the art's creator struggles to understand it themselves.
I agree that it's not equipment but the eye. But there are limits and constraints to lower end equipment so it does help to have good equipment and if you want to compete professionally in the Photography Market you need it. As a hobbyist you don't.
There are things I'd love to blow up that I can't because it was shot on a Camera with too low a MP count sadly.
Not to criticize your statement here, but there you go depending on digital metapixel resolution. I believe it was Robert Capa (superb WWII war photographer esp. of the D-Day landing) who once said, "If you're not getting good pictures, it's because you're not close enough."
Koichi Sawada, perhaps one of the best to cover the VN conflict shot limited frames on his 35-mm Leicas, but EVERY damn frame was worthy of publishing!
As you so rightly said, it's not the equipment, but the eye that matters. (Of course, it HELPS to be in focus! :-)
Well I guess he never tried to blow up a 6mp image to wall size and have it still look good. Because they only had film back then. Trust me there are equipment limitation you have to deal with these days. Or Pros would not spend $5k to $50K for Camera bodies and $2k to $10K lenses. They do it because it produces the best image quality for printing.
I hear ya... Nothing has become cheaper except for the phone/cameras made by cheap labor. Like anything else you wish to excel in, the list of equipment to pursue that goal ever grows longer!
Yes it does. I try to get the most out of my gear before I upgrade and actually need to. Improving my skill and ability rather than being a gear junky that was not only do I become a better photographer, but also save money!
As a pro - that's a critical factor!