Carry that Camera By Elijah Fisher

Carry that Camera!

Written by Elijah Fisher Photos by Elijah Fisher

Carrying a camera with you is extremely beneficial in many ways and has many nuances that help you advance in areas you want to improve. There are numerous things you can do in order to learn your camera better and improve your composition. Composition can be accomplished with only your phone where as, hauling around your DSLR to learn how to use it better can sometimes take up a good amount of space and time.

Carrying your camera around is similar to the 365 Day Challenge, although it can be different. I highly encourage you to post the pictures that you take while carrying your camera and to make sure that you have a goal of taking some pictures. Otherwise, what is the point of carrying a camera with you? Obviously, the biggest difference between the 365 Day Challenge and committing to carry your camera around is that you are not committing to take a picture every single day. On

the other hand, the reason you are taking your main camera with you, or purposing to use your cell phone, is to get better the same way you would with the 365 Day Challenge. So while there are some differences, there are important similarities as well. Purposing to carry your camera and post some pictures is often useful if you are extremely busy and do not have the time to organize and edit pictures. There are two separate types of benefits you gain from carrying your camera with you. First, if you carry a DSLR or a physical camera, other than a phone, you begin to learn that system really well. Not only will you learn from using it when you take it out, you will also feel a stronger pull to become familiar with and really learn the camera because you carry it with you all the time. What is the point of carrying a camera that you do not know how to use thoroughly?

Secondly, if you are using your phone you can learn a lot of composition techniques and tricks along the way. Having a phone makes it so you do have a camera with you at all times and are able to capture images whenever you want to. This helps you to further train your eye for when you have opportunities to shoot with your DSLR or other camera. Tim Searfoss, the Director of Photography at Grace Family Church says, “Practicing composition with any available equipment on a consistent basis is really helpful if you’re trying to learn the basics of photography or study as a more advanced student.” Along the lines of the first point, if you carry a DSLR or a physical camera you will also learn to use your phone to take better pictures. Additionally, you will also learn composition if you carry a real camera with you as well. There are similarities to both of the benefits that you gain.

When I first began carrying my camera for the 365 Day Challenge it had a huge impact on

the way I photographed things and looked at the environment around me. I learned a lot of environmental viewing habits and began to see the area around me in a different light. It really helped me later when I began doing live, concert videography where seeing images and shots really quickly is very important. I went through my own, unique developmental steps when I carried a camera with me all the time. Each person will have their own sequence of events and learning experiences that carrying a camera or being purposeful with your phone will help them with. According to Pastor Heredes Ribeiro in charge of Video Production at Grace Family Church, “Knowing the basics of your camera and how to study the area around you is really important. It’s one thing I really like to see in people who come and work for the church in the Creative and Video Departments.” A lot of what you learn as you carry a camera purposefully are skills that benefit you if you get a job in any area where you deal with cameras. Personally, I would attribute my abilities with video camera equipment in a live video setting to the fact that I have carried a camera with me almost all the time for the last three years. Unlike the 365 Day Challenge, where the only thing you lose is a couple of minutes taking a picture and posting it, carrying a camera with you can be quite a big deal. Since I have carried one in my school backpack for almost 3 years I am familiar with the extra work required. However, the rewards of capturing a beautiful photo are worth it. So far, we have only talked about the benefits you gain skill-wise but it is also really fun having your camera with you to take professional, quality pictures whenever you see something of interest. Going forward, consider giving it a try. The benefits, in my opinion, do outweigh the cons and can, over time, help you gain experience and also get some really unique shots.