Sometimes It May Be Beneficial Not To Listen To The Photographic "Experts"

During one of my neighborhood walks, I discovered this bridge and pond in a back yard. (click to enlarge)

I think it is a real disservice to individuals who either want to get into photography or are relatively inexperienced in photography and turn to YouTube or the Internet for advice as to what they need to get started or improve.

I read a lot of photo related blogs.  I read a number of photography articles each week and follow quite a few YouTube photography related channels.  In doing so, I regularly see and hear the following generalizations, sometimes outright but often implied through example, not only from gear reviewers but from respected or established photographers as well:

Only full frame cameras are worthy as cameras with smaller sensors are inferior.

You must have a 45-50mp sensor camera as sensors with less resolution just won’t cut it.

You must use a tripod.

You have to have a $1000+ Really Right Stuff or other similar top-of-the-line tripod otherwise you’re wasting your money, time and efforts.

You have to use a top of the line ball head and L-bracket.

Buy only the expensive professional “holy trinity” of f/2.8 zoom lenses.

When buying prime lenses you must buy an f/1.2 or faster lens as absolute minimal depth of field is what you must have.

You should only shoot at the lowest ISO on your camera.

You should never stop your lens down to f/16 or so as diffraction softening will ruin your photos.

You must buy a MacBook Pro as real photographers only use Macs.

You are always better off using expensive editing software such as Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom as the free software available or other less expensive software can’t get the job done.

Expensive glass square filter systems are what you need.  Round, screw-in filters are inferior.

You’re better off with graduated neutral density filters than making multiple exposures and blending them while editing.

You should only photograph in the golden hour or blue hour otherwise the light and contrast will be horrible.  Never photograph after 10 a.m. or before 2 p.m.

You have to shoot only in RAW only as JPEGS are crap.

It’s not a real photo unless you print it and you must print your own photos in order to fully express your vision.

"Real photographers shoot in manual mode.  If you don't you can’t get the best results.

You better buy your camera manufacturer’s best flash otherwise it won’t work well with your camera and your photos’ exposures will not be very good.  Stay away from Chinese flash units as they are cheap and break easily.

You have to buy only the best studio flash units, like ProPhoto, otherwise you’re wasting your money.

…and so it goes.  I phrased each of these in a manner so you would get my point.  

All of the above is nonsense.  B.S. in capital letters.  You don’t need any of those things to produce beautiful, meaningful photographs.  But I see it everyday if not by words, then by example.  Those photographers to whom others admire use the most expensive gear because they can afford to.  Also, many get the gear for free or at a heavy discount just to influence others to buy it.  They show it off, talk about it and imply that you must also buy the same kind of gear so you can potentially get the kind of results they do.  That is what I think is shameful.  By doing so, I would suspect there are some who immediately think they can't afford to get into photography so they give up.

I'm here to tell those young, inexperienced photographers that a decent new or used camera with 16, 20 or 24mp, even an APS-C or m4/3 camera, with decent lenses and, if needed, a half-way decent tripod with whatever kind of head you feel fits your style will produce excellent results for a third of the cost.  You don't need the latest, greatest and best of anything.  You can do just as well with moderate gear that will give you the experience to make excellent images and truly enjoy your photography.

Sometimes photographic “experts” tell you things or imply things that you should “take with a grain of salt” instead as the final word on anything.

Join me over at my website, https://www.dennismook.com.  

Thanks for looking. Enjoy!  

Dennis A. Mook  

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