Posts from — April 2008

One constant source of irritation for all photographers is the idea that it is the camera which does all of the work. I’ve always said, why is it that whenever someone looks at a great photograph they remark that you must have used a really nice camera, but no one ever looks at a Picasso and says that he must have used a really nice brush.

A camera, like a paintbrush, is simply a tool of the artist wielding it. I’ll admit that using pro gear generally provides a better tool with less limitations, but Picasso still could have created masterpieces with a handful of straw, and any photographer worth his salt should be able to make a fine showing with anything from a pinhole camera to pro gear.

Recently I was asked if it was possible to produce nice images with a point and shoot camera, and I decided to put myself to the test. My nieces were in town for Easter, presenting the perfect opportunity to grab my wife’s point and shoot and give it a whirl. The key to the exercise would be to entirely avoid the inherit weaknesses of a P&S, while maximizing its advantages. This meant outdoor/daylight only. On camera flash and good photographs are like oil and water. They just don’t mix. The obvious advantage of the camera was its size and weight. I could easily slip it into a pocket, and use it in situations where my normal gear would be far too cumbersome. A visit to a local playground drove this point home, as the camera came with me on all manner of equipment.

Above is a series of images from that day. Was it a success? I can’t decide for you, but I’d be satisfied with images of these quality any day. The real kicker is that I captured some images that I wouldn’t have with my normal gear.

Picasso probably would have told me that its not about using the best brush on the market, but the right one for the job.

Going to get some new cards printed up soon, playing around with a few different designs. This is my latest.

I’ve been shooting a lot, but not writing much so this blog has been somewhat neglected. The return of baseball, and its usurpation of every spare moment of my time may have played a role as well.

However, new updates will be coming shortly, and new images are already loaded into the recent project gallery.