It's long since I updated this blog. But have been constantly going through a lot of blog posts that talk about tips on photography for beginners. Many of them are really useful and unfortunately there are some of them which are really sickening. Just wanted to add some of my thoughts on them, especially in a reverse way - notes to professional photographers.
1. Please don't say "A Camera doesn't matter".
This is the most misguiding comment from people who call themselves professionals. Off late I'm able to read a lot of blogs by professionals who keep saying "The equipment I use doesn't matter. My eye is the best camera." I do accept that human eyes are the best optical systems in the world. But that's not sufficient to produce a photograph. In one of the interviews director Balu Mahendra said, "Did anyone of you ask Kannadasan what pen did he use for his poems? Then why are you asking me what camera I use?". If you want to debate in that manner, I would firmly answer his question, "Kannadasan don't need a pen or any other equipment to pour out his thoughts. He can simply say it and it can reach other people (at least one who stands near by). The quality is going to be the same whether he writes it or not. Can you produce a photograph without any equipment?". I do accept that a good photographer can come out with something creative even with a 2 MP phone camera. But that's definitely not sufficient for someone to learn photography. At a very minium you need a camera which supports manual settings. Accept that the quality of your photograph depends "also" on your equipment and please educate others that each camera/lens has its own purpose, which you would've learnt from all your great experiences.
2. Please don't say "Everyone with a DSLR call themselves a photographer".
What's wrong in that? Photography can be a hobby, passion or profession. It all depends on the person who does that. Who are you to comment on them? None is born as a professional. People can learn only as much as they get used to it and expose it. I read in one of the blogs where the writer has mentioned, "Just because the technology has improved so much and the equipments have become cheaper and you can buy a DSLR, if you call yourself a photographer, what are we who spend so much money, time and learning ?". This shows absolute egocentrism and resentment that is a result of not being ready to accept the reality. I spent around 15000 Rupees to buy a 5 MP 3x Zoom point-and-shoot camera 10 years before. Now a camera with that configuration might cost you just 2500 or 3000 Rupees. For that I cannot keep criticizing people today who have got a better camera for the same cost. You have all the rights to comment on someone's photograph (that's what every budding photographer expects) but not on someone's photography.
3. Please don't say "Zoom or mega pixels is not important".
This is again very much misguiding. If zoom is not important, why should the wildlife photographers use these ultra-expensive lenses for their coverage? As I said earlier, each equipment has its own purpose. May be the zoom is not very much important for a closeup or portrait shot, but your ability to zoom increases your chances of getting a wonderful wildlife/bird photograph which could be very much difficult otherwise. Some examples includes a close-up of a tiger or the plumage details of a sunbird. Zoom is really fascinating and I'm experiencing it for quite sometime now. I accept to a certain extent that a large resolution (may be more than a 12MP) is not very much necessary for just desktop or computer viewing or small prints. But if you want to take photography seriously, you need a camera that supports larger resolutions and again that depends on the requirement. So a general statement that a photographer shouldn't worry about the zoom or resolution is not true.
4. Please don't say "Uploading pictures in flickr, facebook or other free portals is a cheap thing".
This is more disgusting. There are a lot of professionals and popular photo enthusiasists who keep uploading pictures in their pages/photostreams in facebook, twitter, flickr, 500px and other portals. Not everyone is interested in spending money in setting up their own website to expose their pictures. It might happen when they start earning out of the same. Until then they need these portals, both to explore and expose photographs. More than that, it is definitely good to have accounts in one of them so that you get a chance to browse through different photographs from all around the world and develop your understanding on photographing different objects. Because, you can become a good musician only if you are a good listener and in the same way you can become a good photographer only if you are able to appreciate the work of others and learn from them.
5. Please don't say "Adding a watermark is absolute non-sense. No one is going to steal your 'master' piece".
Watermark may have been introduced to protect image piracy but it also silently serves another purpose. Watermarks are nowadays used as signatures (similar to an artist signing on his painting). Every photographer has a right to sign his photograph irrespective of that being a master piece or damaged piece. So please don't place a general comment on that; tips on adding watermarks that don't affect the picture's subject is always welcome.
Disclaimer: This is not meant for all professional photographers. But these apply to most of them who in the name of giving tips show their hatred on the beginners. Sorry if you think my approach is rude. Also it is really unfortunate that my first post on photogtraphy is this one. :) Even I would like to learn how others think about this. So feel free to add your comments, be it negative or positive. Thanks.
1. Please don't say "A Camera doesn't matter".
This is the most misguiding comment from people who call themselves professionals. Off late I'm able to read a lot of blogs by professionals who keep saying "The equipment I use doesn't matter. My eye is the best camera." I do accept that human eyes are the best optical systems in the world. But that's not sufficient to produce a photograph. In one of the interviews director Balu Mahendra said, "Did anyone of you ask Kannadasan what pen did he use for his poems? Then why are you asking me what camera I use?". If you want to debate in that manner, I would firmly answer his question, "Kannadasan don't need a pen or any other equipment to pour out his thoughts. He can simply say it and it can reach other people (at least one who stands near by). The quality is going to be the same whether he writes it or not. Can you produce a photograph without any equipment?". I do accept that a good photographer can come out with something creative even with a 2 MP phone camera. But that's definitely not sufficient for someone to learn photography. At a very minium you need a camera which supports manual settings. Accept that the quality of your photograph depends "also" on your equipment and please educate others that each camera/lens has its own purpose, which you would've learnt from all your great experiences.
2. Please don't say "Everyone with a DSLR call themselves a photographer".
What's wrong in that? Photography can be a hobby, passion or profession. It all depends on the person who does that. Who are you to comment on them? None is born as a professional. People can learn only as much as they get used to it and expose it. I read in one of the blogs where the writer has mentioned, "Just because the technology has improved so much and the equipments have become cheaper and you can buy a DSLR, if you call yourself a photographer, what are we who spend so much money, time and learning ?". This shows absolute egocentrism and resentment that is a result of not being ready to accept the reality. I spent around 15000 Rupees to buy a 5 MP 3x Zoom point-and-shoot camera 10 years before. Now a camera with that configuration might cost you just 2500 or 3000 Rupees. For that I cannot keep criticizing people today who have got a better camera for the same cost. You have all the rights to comment on someone's photograph (that's what every budding photographer expects) but not on someone's photography.
3. Please don't say "Zoom or mega pixels is not important".
This is again very much misguiding. If zoom is not important, why should the wildlife photographers use these ultra-expensive lenses for their coverage? As I said earlier, each equipment has its own purpose. May be the zoom is not very much important for a closeup or portrait shot, but your ability to zoom increases your chances of getting a wonderful wildlife/bird photograph which could be very much difficult otherwise. Some examples includes a close-up of a tiger or the plumage details of a sunbird. Zoom is really fascinating and I'm experiencing it for quite sometime now. I accept to a certain extent that a large resolution (may be more than a 12MP) is not very much necessary for just desktop or computer viewing or small prints. But if you want to take photography seriously, you need a camera that supports larger resolutions and again that depends on the requirement. So a general statement that a photographer shouldn't worry about the zoom or resolution is not true.
4. Please don't say "Uploading pictures in flickr, facebook or other free portals is a cheap thing".
This is more disgusting. There are a lot of professionals and popular photo enthusiasists who keep uploading pictures in their pages/photostreams in facebook, twitter, flickr, 500px and other portals. Not everyone is interested in spending money in setting up their own website to expose their pictures. It might happen when they start earning out of the same. Until then they need these portals, both to explore and expose photographs. More than that, it is definitely good to have accounts in one of them so that you get a chance to browse through different photographs from all around the world and develop your understanding on photographing different objects. Because, you can become a good musician only if you are a good listener and in the same way you can become a good photographer only if you are able to appreciate the work of others and learn from them.
5. Please don't say "Adding a watermark is absolute non-sense. No one is going to steal your 'master' piece".
Watermark may have been introduced to protect image piracy but it also silently serves another purpose. Watermarks are nowadays used as signatures (similar to an artist signing on his painting). Every photographer has a right to sign his photograph irrespective of that being a master piece or damaged piece. So please don't place a general comment on that; tips on adding watermarks that don't affect the picture's subject is always welcome.
Disclaimer: This is not meant for all professional photographers. But these apply to most of them who in the name of giving tips show their hatred on the beginners. Sorry if you think my approach is rude. Also it is really unfortunate that my first post on photogtraphy is this one. :) Even I would like to learn how others think about this. So feel free to add your comments, be it negative or positive. Thanks.
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