The Futility of Chasing the Ghost of Ultimate Image Quality

As I have written in the past, I have been pretty much a perfectionist in all things in which I have great interest, especially photography.  From the time I first seriously picked up a camera in the spring of 1970 until just recently, I have strived for the absolute best image that could be made.  From the best equipment, to cutting edge techniques in the field as well as in the traditional darkroom as well as digital darkroom, I have bought the best, read voraciously, learned and worked are hard as I knew how for the end result of superior image quality.  That has now changed.

I realized recently that striving for the ultimate image quality is like chasing a ghost.  No matter how much effort I put into the art and craft of photography, just around the corner and up ahead there are more competent cameras with new features, better sensors and better algorithms coming to our friendly retailer. We will see sharper and faster lenses with better optical formulas that are computer designed using breakthrough materials.   There will be better image editing software that allows easier and better image editing than we now have.

Just think of the inventions in the past several years that allow us to now make better images.  First, fast zoom lenses that, for all practical purposes, are as sharp and as good as primes.  Image stabilization, either built into the camera or lenses that allow us to capture images with unheard of shutter speeds. ISO settings up to and above 104,000!  Shutter speeds up to 1/8000th of a second.  Automated single and multiple flash units that mate with the computers in cameras.  Photoshop features such as content-aware fill, content-aware move, content-aware scale, healing brushes, automated panoramic merging, automated merging of images that are focused at different distances, non-destructive image editing, automated high dynamic range image merging, simulation of films and image making materials (such as Ambrotypes, Daguerreotypes) of all types and ages, and it goes on and on.  Try to imagine what is coming.

 At some point in time, we, as individuals and as a photographic community, have to make a decision that we have enough quality, whether in cameras, lenses or software, to now create images of extraordinary technical quality and we just don't need anymore.  We have to decide that the gear we have fulfills and even exceeds all of our expectations for image quality and our photographic experience with our gear is fully satisfying.  At some point in time, we have to say to ourselves, we don't need anymore.  We must say "what I have gives me more than enough."  We have to say, "now is the time for me to fully concentrate on my photography as art and craft, my vision and my future photographic direction and keep what I have in my bag, ensure that I know it so well that I can allow it to become invisible and get out the way every time in every circumstance."

If we keep chasing this ghost of better equipment thinking our images will get better, we may be kidding ourselves.  Look at some of the best images ever made.  And I'm not talking about over processed, over saturated unrealistic images we see on the web, but images that have meaning.  Think about the equipment that was used to make them.  I suspect the lenses used to make those famous, meaningful photographs would today be relegated to some backroom bin as the reviewers would rate them all as poor or worse. Think of the simple manual cameras, that would now be panned as primitive and featureless and unworthy of good images, that were used and known so well by their owners, that they could change settings in an instant without looking at the camera itself.  Many of those photographers used one camera and one lens and knew it as well as anything in their lives.

I will give you this, however.  If chasing gear is your thing, then have at it.  Mine is not.  I like gear.  I read about it as I am interested in it.  Photography serves a dual purpose for me.  I like the aesthetic side of creating art and I like technology, all kinds of science and technology, But my "thing" is making images.  To me making images that meet my expectations are what count to me.  Technologically, we have been there for some time now.  If I do buy new gear, it is not because of chasing better image quality, but the new gear must allow me to a) accomplish something I want to accomplish and can't accomplish with my current gear or, b) because of ergonomics. As I mentioned in a previous post, today, ergonomics is more important in selecting a camera than image quality.

Thanks for looking.  Enjoy!

Dennis Mook

Many of my images can be found at www.dennismook.com.  Please pay it a visit.  I add new images regularly.  Thank you.


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