What makes the picture, the artist or the camera?

[phillip_thompson]

I am frustrated with the inherant philosophy surrounding much of these forums. What makes the picture,

the expensive tool or the artists eye? It is just a fustration of mine, as I see myself thinking more about

the camera than wanting to go take pictures. what good does an slr do if it sits on a shelf? And who lugs

their slr around all day? Its just funny how we debate over camera features while others are out there

taking pictures! On the topic of content, are we just a bunch of national geographic wannabees? In the

same way that many bicycle riders will adorn spandex, we adorn pricey lenses and produce pictures of elk

and eagles.-just a thought-Phil

 

p.s. im guilty of this myself...well mabey not the eagle photography

[Uhooru]

The answer is pick up your camera, what ever camera it is, and go out and take pictures instead of whinging about it. I mean your right, but just go out and shoot. Its not a team sport.

[Uhooru]

btw...I often "lug" a dslr around all day ...as the add says, just do it.

[graybrick]

I lug my dSLR everywhere I go. I stopped obsessing over what kind of camera it was about the same time it arrived via UPS. I just like to shoot, and I would shoot with a toy camera or the newest digital Hasselblad, depending on which camera I had in my hand at the time. I don't have any expensive lenses, though, so I can't help you with that one...

[wilsontsoi]

In general, it's <a href="http://www.photo.net/photodb/member-photos?user_id=198623">the eye,</a> IMO. However, there are few <a href="http://www.sportsshooter.com/members.html?id=4637">niches</a> that equipments weigh heavily. I personally adorn what's necessary to get the job done.

[ronald_moravec1]

In the end, differences are small unless you appreciate the difference in German and Japanese optics. Commercial processing obliderates the differences if you don`t do it yourself.

 

I will post some samples on digital when the adapter comes so I can put Leica lenses on a Nikon digi. I`ll do some side by side. I will tell you the difference is not sharpness.

[Uhooru]

Ronald, is there such an adopter? For R lenses I would imagine?

[herma]

What about location, location, location? Better pictures on an exotic trip? Or in your own back yard?

[ellis_vener_photography]

in your case. Neither does.

 

"And who lugs their slr around all day? "

 

I do. But then I'd rather spend my timemaking photographs than worrying about silly stuff

like "What makes the picture, the artist or the camera?"

[synnacdesign]

The Artist. Always the artist, even a crappy camera can take an amazing picture with the right artist using it

[phillip_thompson]

um well if want exotic pictures thats not new infact the orientalists did that around the late

end of the 19th century...i saw an awsome photo the other day that was of a salt mound and

well it was deceptivley child like amazment that overcame me...a salt mountain that rivaled

everest-Phil

 

p.s. ill try t get the artists name

[herma]

"in your case. Neither does"?

 

mmmm, that's nice. Lugging around your SLR since 1984 vs lugging it around since Dec. 2006, might also have something to do with it. Your experience as a "professional photographer since 1984" must be of great value. Others are brand new to photography and hopefully someday their pictures might show they have "the eye" too. And BTW, a nice lens or piece of equipment doesn't hurt that process either.

[stephen_w.]

The artist, of course. But, it would be impossible without the camera.

[ellis_vener_photography]

It might. but the fact remains that photography isn't rocket science and f you haveany talent

at all making and really looking at photographs regularly and learning how to ruthlessly edit

will make you a fine photographer within a year or two. But it does take doing the work to

learn how to photographically see in your unique way.

[frank uhlig]

Philip,

 

you must be joking, neither the whole camera nor the artist photographer makes the picture.

 

The picture is made by light falling on the film or on the sensor.

 

Does that answer your question? If so, you need not worry about your original dilemma (camera or photographer) any longer and can just place your film or sensor in its most advantageous spot and thus enjoy photography. No worries.

 

Note that the artist, the "artiste" in French, may be you or klutzy me. The camera may be your father's old Kodak box, a pinhole camera or a leica, or a $8,000 DSLR. No matter what camera and which photographer, the only decisive thing here is the "film/sensor in the right spot" behind a lens. Monkeys can do marvellous art. Some around here set the self-timer and throw their camera up in the air with beautiful shots also.

 

And - of course - also with lots of garbage.

 

Losen up, please, and take the brain and your worries out of the dilemma which in dialectic reality DOES NOT EXIST. Enjoy instead!

[oceanphysics]

The idea that participation in photo.net in some way correlates negatively with the actual production of photographs is as old as the site, but I don't think there's any evidence for it.

 

If I had to guess I'd say that most photo.net time is stolen from other non-photographic activities. Breaks from work are undoubtedly a big one. Breaks from that "quality time" with the wife and kids.

[dave_nelson___atlanta__ga]

This is a simple question with many different and complicated answers.

 

From a technical standpoint, simplified, the artist, Camera (body and lens for an SLR), memory card, and a printer, make the picture.

 

But from a more philosophical point of view the artist uses his/her eye and the tools available to create the picture.

 

As a craft an artist can outgrow the tools they have available and at that point require different tools to continue to grow. In the world of photography the new tools are not always the most expensive, but different (think lensbabby).

 

Other artist are being held back because they have not invested the time to learn the tools they do have available. Yet others are held back because they do not have access to tools of a high enough quality.

 

Some would argue that more people are held back by perceived issues than any real issues. The desire for expensive equipment may cause a lot of wasted energy and even impair the artists ability to create work that maximizes the tools that they already have.

 

But personally, I think the artist, Camera, memory card, and printer, make the picture.

[bruce_margolis]

"What makes the picture, the expensive tool or the artists eye?" You can have two people standing next to each other photographing the Grand Canyon. Their results might be night-and-day.

 

Why? Because of talent, imagination, and maybe the quality of their equipment. One is happy with a digicam shot, the other wants something more expressive and creative.

 

Photography is wonderful because it has room for beginners and experts. Obviously you don't want to carry a camera all day. Fine, but others do. All of this comes down to choice.

 

National Geographic wannabees? I don't think so but there are a lot of people that show up on this forum that would like to improve their imaging and techniques. And there are a lot of people here who are willing to help them. What am I missing here, is there something wrong with that?

[craig_gillette]

Copyright goes to the artist, not the camera (or pen or typewriter or brushes).

[stormchaser]

The answer is pretty obviously the artist. Cameras can't compose, don't know what exposure will look best, don't know what lighting looks aesthetically good.

[margaret1]

A good artist with bad tools can still make something wonderful. A good artist with great tools can make something even more wonderful. A good artist with great tools and the knowledge of those tools can take the work to an even higher level. Spend the day shooting, and the evenings studying. It is the best of both worlds.

[mike_stemberg]

Neither or all of those I say.. <br /> ..it's THAT 'split moment in time when the shutter is open'<br /> ...so the answer is actually THAT!

[focus mankind]

...don't forget camera built-in optimization algorythm and Photoshop skills, the fact that you can shoot 1001 shots from a single subject -

at the end still: your imagination combined with your skills and the perfect timing brings the outstanding results IMO.

[tudor pc]

Nadia Comaneci without Sport Arena,

Shakespeare without pen

Salvator Dali without brushes