Exposure IT WAS ALBERT EINSTEIN WHO FAMOUSLY SAID “IMAGINATION IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN KNOWLEDGE.” RELATING TO PHOTOGRAPHY, HE GOT IT SLIGHTLY WRONG SAYS SIMON BURN, DABBLE’S PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHER. On a recent shoot in Europe I realised how many people are checking out my camera equipment, actually coming up to me and asking what I shoot with. On every trip, each time, this happens more and more. My answer usually is “Does it matter?”. Photography is hugely popular and virtually everyone has a DSLR. I’m sure for many, a fancy camera is more a fashion accessory that rarely gets used. Hobbyists are easy targets for the marketers that invent “essential” accessories. Things like widgets to diffuse the flash, or revolutionary (and overpriced) camera straps, or phone apps too numerous to mention. Everyone is concerned what their equipment looks like or what their sensor resolution is, egged on by manufacturers selling you the promise “Shoot like a pro!” if you buy this or that. Here’s the deal. It’s all rubbish. You don’t need all the latest gizmos, large megapixel cameras, nanocoated lenses, fancy straps, or anything. Other than a reasonably decent camera, to make a good photo you simply need to have an understanding of the principals of photography and know how your camera works (knowledge),
About the photo
I made this image at St Paul’s Square in Rome, one late autumn afternoon a few years ago. Yes, I “made” it, I didn’t “take” it. I used my knowledge of aperture control to get maximum depth of field. I walked around looking for the best view of St Paul’s, one that no one else was seeing. When I found a creative angle I thought about my composition, using the horses to draw the eye into the centre of the frame towards the building. By getting low to the ground this was achieved, along with the inclusion of the warm stone floor and dramatic shadows to add texture foreground interest. A lot of thought went into the image,
and—here’s the big one—creative vision for making compelling images that tell a story or evoke an emotion (imagination). Instead of getting hung up reading web sites written by guys who spend their time photographing brick walls with different lenses and discussing sharpness and colour aberration, the thing to do is grab your camera and shoot something. The family cat, a flower in the garden, or get the kids to pose – just play with creative compositions and practice practice practice. When people examine my equipment they are often dissapointed. The camera has black tape over the manufacturer’s logo and black permanent marker scribbled over the model number for security reasons. The lens I usually have attached to the body is about 20 years old and smaller and a lot more unimpressive looking than these new extra large beasties people are buying today. The point is, it doesn’t matter what others think, or what your gear looks like. If you are continually looking at unique ways to create images, and working at bringing the best out of your subject, that’s all that is important.
yet it was made using modest camera equipment, and not a fancy strap or bolt-on widget in sight! It was interesting to note everyone with fancy equipment stood in the same spot by the edge of the square, as they do by the hundreds every day, taking the same shot, some throwing a sly glance over to the next person to check out their gear, like it matters. Ignore the marketers, ignore others and what they have. Just get out and get creative, using knowledge and imagination to improve your shots, not the latest accessories.
Knowledge and imagination are more important than equipment