Thinking Out Loud; Isn't Now a Great Time to be a Photographer?

Adobe Ruins, Arizona (click to enlarge)

Isn't now a great time in the history of photography to be a photographer?  I think it is. Let me tell you why I think so.

First, we have more photographic cameras, lenses and accessories available to us than ever before.  Not only do we have digital gear, from cameras in phones to high end digital medium format as well as everything in between, we still have access to every kind of film, glass plate, etc., cameras ever made! It may not be easy to locate a 12" X 20" banquet camera, but I bet you could find one if you really wanted one. I don't care what type of camera in which you are interested, but they are out there and available for you to use.  
We have flash units that are now a part of systems in which you can wirelessly activate several flashes at different light levels all in an automatic fashion for perfect exposures. 

We have so many new and better tripods of every size and shape made with several different materials that will meet everyones' needs.  It just gets better and better.

Second, our gear is than ever.  Every camera, both digital and film, is of better construction and higher quality than at any time in the past.  Additionally, cameras are lighter, stronger and relatively less expensive than in the past due to manufacturing efficiencies and scale.  I think I remember paying over $400 for a Nikon F2 back in the late 1970s.  That was a basic film camera (although made like a brick!) with no automatic exposure, meter and no motor drive. If you wanted a prism with a meter you purchased one in an optional package. Same with a very expensive motor drive that was huge and heavy.

Today, our cameras have every conceivable feature which allows us to do things and make images under circumstances unheard of years ago—and better images as well.  We truly are fortunate.

Third, digital now dominates photography in every way, but all of those older photographic processes are still available to us if we want to explore.  Film is still alive, not very well, but still alive.  Film is still available in color, both negative and transparency.  Black and white film is still available.  Many different sizes of film are still available.  You can still coat your own glass plates if you like.  You could create platinum and palladium prints if you like.  Buy some silver plates, make some emulsion and go ahead and make some Daguerreotypes!  Mix your own chemistry from scratch and then develop and print you film and prints.  All available in one form or another. Photography in all forms is alive and available.

Want to go on a photo tour or workshop?  There are now hundreds available from which to choose to just about anywhere in the world.  The opportunities abound.  There are so many workshops to so many places available today, that I am astounded.  I guess there isn't much money to be made selling prints, so photographers—excellent photographers—now concentrate on taking others to great places at the best times of the year.  If you want to photograph in Patagonia, there are many tours available.  Yellowstone in winter? No problem. Iceland?  Plenty of tours.  How about Machu Pichu?  Yep, lots of tours or workshops available.  If you can think of a place, there is probably a professional tour or workshop with which you can sign up and go.  There are so many fantastic opportunities.

Need to learn Photoshop?  Need to learn basic photography?  Need to get better at printing black and white?  All of these topics and hundreds more are available for free on the Internet or on paid sites such as Lynda.com, Grey Learning, Creative Live, Digital Photography School, Craftsy, Kelby One and others.  There is more and better information for learning every aspect of photography as well as every aspect of editing/printing your images than you will ever be able to watch in a lifetime.  And, it is easy to find.

Take advantage of at least all the free stuff on You Tube.  It is amazing what you will find out there to solve a photographic problem.  Whenever I need to do something difficult in Photoshop, I immediately go to You Tube and find several tutorials out there to brush up on how to do it.  I've never been not able to find what I need photographically on You Tube.  What a great resource and I'm thankful for the generous people who post their tutorials to You Tube for free.  If you haven't taken advantage of them, you should.

How about opportunities to go out and make images?  Fuel prices are falling and it is relatively less expensive now than in the past few years to get in your car or truck and head out, wander around and make images.  I think there is nothing like exploring the backroads, backcountry, small towns, etc., and find great images of our country, culture and our people.

Don't really care to go out by yourself?  Well, there are more people involved with photography today than ever.  It seems everyone has a camera of some sort. There are organizations, clubs, groups and friends who you may be able to contact to go out together.  Look how photowalks have risen in popularity. Going out with a group of like-minded people enjoying the day making images as well as each others' company.  How great is that?

Being a photographer today is so much better in so many ways than in the past.  Now, I know there will be some out there who think that working alone with a 4" X 5" camera in the style of Edward Weston or Ansel Adams was the pinnacle of photography and things have gone downhill from there.  That's okay!  We all get to practice the kind of photography that satisfies our needs.  That is what I am saying.  That is the beauty of photography today.  However you want to practice it and wherever you want to go to do it is available and waiting.  It is all out there for you if you just seize the moment and do it!

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.


All content on this blog is © 2014 Dennis A. Mook.  All Rights Reserved.  Feel free to point to this blog from your website with full attribution.  Permission may be granted for commercial use.  Please contact Mr. Mook to discuss permission to reproduce the blog posts and/or images.