Cameras and Photographs - Common Sense Photography

WARNING: This is not a treatise on how to take professional photographs. Rather, it is my attempt to put equipment in it's proper perspective. A hopeful by-product is better photographs.

I am continually asked what kind of camera I use and what cameras I recommend. I can tell you what I use, but the other question is more difficult. I carry two cameras: a Sony A700 with four lenses and a Canon SD800 IS. I have a belt pack for the Sony and the Canon goes in a shirt or jacket pocket. I have had to resort to DSLR with Image Stabilization because of tremors that I have developed in the past 6 months. I carry a small, light tripod for night photographs, and a polarizing filter. Sometimes I carry a small dedicated flash. That's it. What cameras do I recommend? Any camera that gives you what you NEED (what we WANT is a different story).

Taking pictures is nothing more than getting an image through a lens (which can be a piece of glass or a hole in a cigar box or shoe box) and onto a piece of film or an image sensor. Everything else is physics and chemistry. Most people don't know the science behind the photographic process, the physics of light, or composition and design. Most people want clear, in-focus pictures. Mostly, we want memories.

True story. In Brussels, Belgium 2 years ago I met a man with an absolutely marvelous camera system that he was lugging all over Europe. I was interested in the camera and how he liked it and he told me that, "It takes great pictures, but I wish it wasn't so heavy." It was a beautiful camera, complete with a bag and four lenses, and a laptop computer so that he could use just one 2G SD card and transfer his pictures to the laptop at night. That way he did not have to purchase more memory and thus, saved some money. I asked him how big he made his pictures and he told me 4x6 inches. Then he got really excited and told me about the "big" one he had made. "How big?" I asked him. "Eight by ten," he said proudly, "And the salesman told me that I can make even 11x14's and 8x12's really well." I swear that this is the truth.

I told him that with his 12 megapixel (MP) camera he could make "good" pictures to 24x30 INCHES, and excellent 20x24's. He looked at me strangely and said, "Boy, I really got screwed then, didn't I?" I said, "No, you didn't get screwed, you got a lot more camera than you need, but it's a great camera." He then told me, "You know, I paid over $8,000 for this camera." I said, "Again, for what you got, it's not a terrible price, it's just a lot more than you need." He shook his head and said, "All the doctors in our practice go to this guy." I told him that he should find someone who didn't know that he was a doctor and who wouldn't sell him and his colleagues more than they needed. Then I suggested that he go home and take a photography course at his local community college and decorate his home with things that he has done, especially pictures of his family. He left happy saying that what he really needed was someone to carry the damn stuff. (At last contact, he had finished his second photography course. He emailed some of his pictures of his wife, kids, and dog from which he has had large prints made. They were super, one shot of his dog was a show-stopper, and he is still looking for someone to carry the damn equipment.)

The moral of the story is obviously to buy only as much camera as you need. This requires questions that the salesman needs to ask, the answers to which you need to know. They are not complicated. These are the main questions:
1. How big do you want to make your pictures?
2. What kind of pictures do you want to take? Family, sports, vacation, general, close-up?
3. As a rule, how many pictures do you take?
4. Approximately how old are you?
5. Is this camera more for your family, for vacations, just general use, for you alone?
6. What is your price range?
7. How much do you want to carry?
There are other questions, but I deem these to be the most important and this is why:

The maximum size of a finished picture tells the salesman how many megapixels (MP) in size will suit your needs. I started with a 5.1MP camera and made perfectly acceptable 16x20 prints. If the maximum size picture you want to make is 8x10, all you need is a 3.2MP camera. If you don't want to fiddle with controls on the camera, don't spend the money for a camera with lots of controls. Ask yourself what you want, honestly.

The kind of pictures that you take has a big influence in the equation. How much you know and how much you want to learn is important here too. If you are going to take pictorials and semi-posed pictures, you don't need a camera that can stop action through the use of a fast shutter speed. If you want to take pictures of your grandchildren playing soccer, that's another story. (I'll talk briefly about lenses in Part C.)

Some people need just a basic 3.2MP camera because you are not going to take many pictures and all you need is a small "point and shoot" (PnS) that is uncomplicated. With a camera that uses AA batteries that are available anywhere and a 1GB SD card (memory), you should be set for anything.

Age is actually important. As we age, we are not as steady as we were when we were younger, and image stabilization (IS) will help. If you go to places where flash is not allowed (most museums and many cathedrals in the world), IS is worth having even though there is additional cost.

If you need nothing more than a general purpose camera, that is all you should buy. All the wonderful things that you can do with a sophisticated camera are of no use if you don't use the camera enough to remember what to do.

Your price range is what you can afford.
Bells and whistles are expensive. Don't buy more than you need or can afford. A lightly used, inexpensive camera sitting on a shelf creates a lot less guilt than an expensive one. You can always raise your standards when you have more money and more knowledge. Also, if you can wait, that "nicer" camera will probably come DOWN in price as newer models come out. When new cameras are released, the gadgeteers buy them and sell their barely used cameras on EBAY.

I used to have a very sophisticated film camera system that I dragged all over Europe (all my pictures and negatives from before 1999 were lost in a flood, sad to say). When I bought my first digital camera (Sony DCSF717) I rediscovered photography that wasn't WORK. It was so nice to not have a bag of lenses and accessories to lug around. I have since replaced that camera with the one's listed above.

My suggestion about how much to spend on a camera is simple. If the camera is so expensive that you can't afford a trip, pick a less expensive camera and go on the trip. The camera is a tool, the trip is an "experience." The cemeteries are filled with people who left behind expensive toys.

Speaking of cemeteries, whenever I think about or go to a cemetery, I am reminded of a man who was walking through a cemetery and came upon a very old man cleaning up a grave site. The traveler looked at the old man and said, "How old are you?" "I am 98 years old," piped up the old man, proudly. The traveler said, "Wow, it doesn't even pay for you to go home, does it?"

Last thoughts. Buy a camera that you can afford and want to learn to use. Take lots of pictures; the more pictures that you take, the greater are the odds that you will get one that is a great photograph. Wide-angle and telephoto lenses are convenience items that 70% of the time just mean that you don't have to get as close to or far away from your subject (see Part C). Remember that most amateur photographers take pictures from two distances: too close and too far. Think about it.

The lesson to be learned is that a camera will not give you experiences; it will give you memories of those experiences. The experiences are more important than the camera used to record them.

Please go to Part B.

A friend of mine read "Cameras and Photographs," and told me that I should add something about the "buying a new camera” in today's marketplace. I understood exactly what he meant, so here goes.

How NOT to do it!

This was a "bought" lesson. In early March, 2007 I purchased a "Canon SD800 IS" over the internet. I found an outlet that sold the camera at a much lower price than most of the others. One day after I placed the order, I received a phone call from the seller who was, "confirming the sale." I was then informed that the battery in the package that I selected was only good for 20 minutes. If I wanted to, I could elect to take a "better package" which included a 6 hour battery and full English documentation for only $80.00 extra. I agreed and received my shipment. Although the camera looked exactly like the one ordered, it had a different model number. I called the seller. He told me that the models were interchangeable and not to worry. I then asked if the camera was "gray market" (same camera, but sold in Europe, not in the US, with a totally different warranty). I was right but told not to worry because the warranty was good anywhere in the world. Then I told him that I wanted to return the camera at which time he informed me that there was a 15% “restocking charge.” Ignoring my better instincts, I kept the camera, and went to Europe. The camera performed wonderfully and I was very happy with it, until it was stolen. When I returned to the US, I really wanted that camera, so I ordered another from one of the biggest retail internet outlets in the world. The upshot was that I got a new camera with the correct model number, battery, and warranty for $103.00 less than the first one. I got caught in the "bait and switch" game. I went for the lowest price. And I knew better! So should you.

Everything has changed - yes and no.

The biggest change has been in cameras. Digital cameras have put really good snapshots into the hands of everyone. Not long ago, photographers had to set and focus their 35mm cameras on every exposure. Aunt Harriet brought her Instamatic to every family function and the biggest name in photography was Kodak.

Today, most digital cameras will focus automatically, determine the correct exposure, tell you when you need a flash, show you the result instantly and allow you to delete it if you don't like it. You don't buy film, you buy memory. Your computer (or somebody's) will store your pictures or you can transfer them to a CD. You can print your pictures yourself, or download them to your favorite printing house and pick them up in one hour or have them mailed back to you for ten cents each. I could go on and on, but... Suffice it to say, the cameras of today are much more complicated electronically, but much easier for the user. This seems to be true of everything in our lives. Even toasters have electronic chips to tell us the exact condition of our piece of toast.

So, amateur cameras have changed, but those changes for the consumer are in cost and convenience. People forget the old Kodak Brownie which debuted in 1900! It cost one dollar! The next big change was the Kodak Instamatic in 1963. Everybody could take flash pictures. The difference between then and now is that the old cameras used film and now we use sensors and electronics. The cost has gone down because we purchase "memory" once and only print the pictures we like.

As significant as these changes are, however, the laws of physics (light) and the rules of composition, art, and design are the still the SAME! The changes are electronic. A good photograph is still a good photograph, and just because a picture is clear and in-focus doesn't make it "good." Content and interest make it good. That hasn't changed and it won't!

Purchasing a camera versus purchasing the "right" camera for you. There's a big difference.

In "Part A" I suggested some questions that a good salesman should ask in order to find the right camera for you. You need to know the answers these same questions before you purchase. When dealing with a camera salesman, start this way. First, suggest your needs based on the list. Then, also based on the list, ask any questions to which you need answers. Next, and this is critical, assume that you know NOTHING about cameras or photography. This is really hard to do. Psychologically, you don't want to appear unintelligent, and, unless you are totally uncaring, you don't want to make the salesperson feel bad. But, keep repeating to yourself, "It's MY money!" The salesperson's job is to know the products and have the ability to explain them to a customer - YOU. If the salesperson gets frustrated because of YOUR ignorance, it's HIS fault, not yours! When you ask a question and don't understand the answer you receive, say "I'm sorry, but I don't understand." Make sure that you understand the question and the answer. Nothing is too technical for you. You have a good brain and it is the salesperson's JOB to explain things so that you can understand. If the salesperson's explanation is still unclear, ask to see someone who might be able to answer your question in a way that you will understand.

Internet prices are quite good and you can save money. However, if you want help in using your camera, the store salesman will be there to help you with “hands on” service. If the camera cost $50.00 more in the store, consider the help you get from the salesman to be cheap lessons.

Point and Shoot (PnS) cameras versus Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) cameras

The most popular amateur cameras are the "point and shoot" (PnS) variety. These cameras do everything for you. They read the amount of light, set the lens and shutter speed automatically. You find the angle with the “zoom” control, press the shutter and the camera does everything. These cameras may or may not have an optical viewfinder - a small peep hole on the back of the camera that you look through to see the scene that you are pointing at. They will all have an LCD viewfinder which is the screen on the back of the camera that you can see what the camera sees. Try both to see which is more comfortable for you. Cameras with both types of viewfinders are usually slightly more expensive than those with the LCD only.

PnS cameras come in all shapes and sizes. Some are very small and some look a lot like the old 35mm cameras that we used to use. Most have zoom lenses which allow you to get closer or farther away without moving. One of my cameras is quite large and it is still a PnS. The difference between the PnS cameras and the digital single lens reflex cameras (DSLR) is two-fold. First, when you look through either DSLR viewfinder, you are looking directly through the lens. Second, the lenses are interchangeable. The controls allowing you to adjust your camera to conditions as well as all the other gimmicks are available on both the PnS and DSLR cameras. The biggest difference is the interchangeability of lenses. (There are a lot of other differences like four or five shots per second is one example, or amount of time between shots is another) DSLR's give you more controls, but not necessarily more control. Plus, both the cost and the learning curve are much higher with the DSLR cameras.

I carry a Sony DSC F828 and a Canon SD800 IS. They are both PnS cameras. The Sony has a full compliment of manual controls, but no Image Stabilization (IS - the camera has a mechanism to help eliminate camera movement so you still get sharp pictures in low light). The Canon has no manual controls, but has IS. I carry the two cameras for a couple of reasons. They both have a 28mm wide lens, and the Canon has a flat back so that I can set the self timer and lay the camera on the floor to get pictures of art on the ceilings. The Sony is a good tripod camera for night photography and I can hand control the zoom.

I do not have a DSLR because I want to carry as little as possible when I travel. Remember the story about the guy I met in Brussels in Part A. One of his lenses weighed more than both my cameras combined! My backpack weighs about 20 lbs and the cameras weigh another three pounds. That's all I want to carry!

Next up, more purchase information in Part C.

Continuing from Part B.

I need to say a few things about lenses. A lens is any piece of glass or plastic through which an image is projected onto a flat plane. So much for that.

Actually, it really is not important to know how a lens, which is made up of multiple clusters of ground glass elements moving back and forth, transfers the reflected light of the image back to the film plane or sensor. So much for that, too.

The only thing important to know is how to use a specific lens to it's best advantage. There are three basic lens groups (keeping it simple): normal, wide angle, and telephoto. Each of those terms has to do with the angle of view. A "normal" angle of view (AOV) is the angle that we see with our eyes. On a 35mm camera, that angle is expressed between a 47mm an a 55mm lens. A larger negative format would have a larger number for the AOV, but the AOV would be the same for both formats. As you can see, this is where the explanation gets complicated. That begs the question, "Why the hell is this important?" The answer is, "It's not!" A wide-angle lens simply pushes things farther away and a telephoto lens brings them closer. Normal is in the middle. That's that! The only thing that is important is that when you take a picture, you get what you want to see. To put it simply, push the "W" button as far as it will go and that is your widest (and largest) angle of view. Push the "T" until it stops and that is your narrowest (and smallest) AOV. It won't make any difference when you're trying to take a picture of the Grand Canyon and you need just a little wider lens, and if you back-up just one step and you'll go straight down 2,000 feet. Right? Same as being at the zoo and wanting a picture of that really pretty tiger who is too far away for your telephoto so you'll just go into the cage. Right again. I probably should have said all that first, huh?

Most of the cameras sold today are digital. They are very complicated electronically, but the user doesn't need to know what is happening inside that little box. As long as the user knows that when he looks into the screen on the back of the camera and pushes the shutter (button) he will have a picture just like the one in the screen. Don't worry about how the camera does it. When your camera doesn't do it, that means either you or your camera doesn't know what it's doing. How's that for simplicity. Great!

So, now we know that if we turn the camera "on," and we look in the viewfinder (or screen), push "T" or "W" until we like what we see, we're good to go. PUSH the "DO IT" (shutter) button! That's all there is to it. Next, let's tackle rocket science.

OK, seriously now. That is how easy it is to get a technically good image or photograph with the modern digital cameras of today. The cameras actually do everything for you except to choose the subject, compose the scene, and push the shutter button (and if you use the self-timer, it will even do that for you). The old days of just hoping to get what you wanted are gone. Today, there is little or no excuse for not being able to get nice pictures of your best times. Gone are the days when you had to find the camera (I hope), find the instructions, buy some film, buy flash cubes, load the film into the camera, and pray that you did everything right. Then you wait to process the film until you use it all and then have it processed. Those days are gone. Taking pictures is no longer a hassle. Today, you can take very good pictures of your family being a family. Have you got some bare walls? Hang a little love on them. I am really serious! With a simple, inexpensive 3.2MG camera, and a little patience...

Now, back to cameras, lenses, and photographs for a few serious lessons.
1. Crop in the camera. No more or no less. Assume that you have very little wiggle room.
2. Horizontal or vertical? Which looks better to you?
3. Best angle of view (AOV)? Play with the "W" and "T" buttons. Converging lines.
4. Is there a "frame" available? Trees, arches, etc..
5. Rule of Thirds? Composition points?
6. Lighting? Front, side, or back?
There are many, many more, but that's for another time. I'll try to explain each.
1. The word "crop" is used by publishers to mark a picture so as to eliminate details which are not needed to tell the story. What "crop" in the camera means is to get close enough or far enough away from your subject to tell the story. No more or no less.
2. Horizontal or vertical. Look at the picture with the camera both horizontal and vertical and decide which tell the story the best way. Also, look at the scene horizontally and vertically from standing and crouching positions.
3. Angle of view is very important to the story. If you want to show the expansiveness of a subject (Grand Canyon), you need the widest view possible. A close-up of a child, means a narrow angle or telephoto. Here is an example of where a person's first inclination is wrong, and you don't know why. Say that you want a picture of a person sitting on a castle wall, and in the distance there is an object (part of the castle?), that you want to include. Your first impulse is to get close to the person with a wide angle. Usually, this is wrong. The best way of including an object in the background is to take the picture from a longer distance away so the the angle of view is narrow, and just wide enough to include the object in the background. This takes some practice, but once mastered, it will become automatic.

Converging lines cause crooked-looking walls. For example, you take a picture of a building and the walls appear to be slanting toward the top. What you need to notice is that the farther you get from your subject and the more narrow the angle of view, the straighter the sides of the building will appear. Try it.
4. Framing a subject is done easiest with an arch of some kind. Overhanging tree branches are good frames. A frame is any object that appears on any side of a picture that leads the viewer's eye into the picture. Picture a tree-lined lane with a house at the end. The tree branches will form the frame and lead the eye into the picture. Once you do this a few times, you will see how dramatic framing can be.
5. Rule of thirds. I am just going to touch on this because people start concentrating on putting the subject at an object point and forgetting about the rest of the picture. The rule of thirds is nothing more than dividing your screen in thirds both horizontally and vertically. The subject should be at one of the four intersecting points. Many of the cameras today have a setting called "grid" or "gridlines." It's an important rule, but if you are photographing a wiggly child, ask yourself if you really care about the rules.
6. Lighting. When I was young we were told to, "keep the sun over your left shoulder." That made people use frontal lighting which was best for having pictures "come out," which was good for Eastman Kodak. If you put the sun behind you (and into your subject's eyes), you will get a better exposed subject with squinty eyes. There is somewhat of a problem with "backlighting." This means that the light is coming from behind the subject and the background is brighter than the subject. The camera will read some of that brighter light and expose for it. Your subject will will therefore, not receive the right amount of light. Taking pictures with the light at your back or coming from the side will give better exposures, but there will be a section in your manual about backlighting. Read it and you'll have a starting point. It isn't difficult, but each manufacturer measures light a little differently, each claiming that their system is best. Done correctly, backlighting can be beautiful.

Last thoughts, remember who you are trying to please with your photographs. If your results are good enough for you, then they are good enough.

A very famous photographer, Gehard Bakker said, "Do the usual in an unusual way." That is how you get great photographs. The camera is nothing more than the tool that you use to record your memories.

Ready for Part D?

Continued from Part C.

I have put small bits about lighting throughout these pieces, but other than "seeing" light, I have not talked much about how we see light. This becomes a good place to talk about how WE as human beings see things as opposed to seeing in terms of photography. Hundreds of books have been written about the nature of light and it's control in terms of the photographic process. While it is not important to know that much about this phenomenon, it is important to understand that what we see with our eyes will not translate exactly onto a piece of photo paper.

I'll explain it this way. In junior high school we all learn that the camera is like the human eye. This lesson has confused some people for years. The fact is that the LENS of a camera may indeed be like the eye, in that the eye has an iris and a camera lens has a diaphragm, both open and close depending on the amount of light. However, you don't get pictures from the lens; you get pictures from film or a sensor. Further, you don't "see" with your eye; you see with your BRAIN. The eye is just the mechanism for sight. The brain is the translator. Where the eye and lens may be similar, the brain and the sensor are nowhere near alike.

To illustrate that difference, think back to a picture of yourself that you hated because you had such "bags" under your eves. Remember the one? Well, where your brain has the ability to see a wide spectrum from light to dark, the film or sensor can't. The photographic spectrum is much more narrow. The bags under your eyes are actually shadows that you see through with your eyes (and brain), but the film and sensor see as black.

It is said that the film or sensor can see approximately 10% of the full spectrum of light seen by the human eye. Here's the kicker. The photo paper on which you print your picture can only see about 20% of the latitude that the film or sensor can see! That's the difference between what you see and what your picture will look like and why you have to learn to see the way the the sensor sees, which as explained, is so much different than your brain.

A good way to learn is to just put your camera on a tripod and take a couple of pictures of your back yard on a sunny day, but with clouds. Take a couple of pictures of different scenes when the clouds cover the sun and then the exact same scenes when the sun shines without cloud cover. Then load your pictures into your computer and look at the differences, especially the amount of detail in the shadows when the sun is covered. When the clouds cover the sun, the curve from light to dark is flattened (is not as great) and your sensor or film can see into the shadows. When the sun is not covered, the shadows become black. The same thing is true with your eyes but to a much lesser degree. The most important thing to remember is that difference. It is not important that you understand all of the physics involved. As long as you understand the principle and the difference between human sight and photographic sight, you will understand the principles of "fill-in flash," for example. I apologize for making this complicated, but it is fairly crucial to understanding the photographic process.

So, what does all this mean to you? It means a lot. It allows you to not only take a good photograph, if you understand the concept you can repeat it whenever you want. For example, notice the silhouette in the photographs for this part. How do you create a silhouette? It's simple. All you have to do is expose for the light sky, and your subject (roof lines) will be a silhouette. It really is that simple. Now, what happens in the same situation and you expose properly for your subject? You get a white background! Instant "high key!" As long as the background receives at least four times the amount of light as the subject, the background will be white. You can take a blackboard outside and put it in the sun. Position the subject in the SHADE in front of the blackboard. Then, expose for the subject, and the blackboard background will be white! Many of the wonderful photographic techniques exist simply because of the lack of latitude in the photographic process.

Here are some good rules to follow. They are not complicated and will improve your photographs. The most important rule, obviously is THINK.

Rule 1. "IF IT LOOKS GOOD, SHOOT IT!" There used to be a saying in photography: "Film is cheap." Today's memory cards are cheaper, AND you can reuse them!

Rule 2. Take lots and lots of pictures. The odds of getting good photographs increase with the number of pictures taken. Take pictures from different angles and distances. To paraphrase another great photographer, Andreas Feinninger, "Pictures, pictures, and more pictures; it is experience that counts. The ability to do something successfully is based on having done the same thing or something similar often enough to know how to do it successfully."

Rule 3. "See" the full picture in your camera. Incidently, most people do not respond well to pictures of their "rear view" and some don't like their side view. If you want pictures of your friends tell them to look at you. If there are a lot of people in the scene that you want to photograph, wait till the crowd thins out. You don't want anyone closer than 15 - 20 feet away if they are not part of the picture.

Rule 4. Use a zoom lens for necessity, not convenience. In other words, use wide angle when you need it, not because you don't feel like walking backwards some distance. Have a REASON for the distance you choose. The most "real" looking photographs are taken with a very slight telephoto lens, about 65mm if the normal lens view is a 50mm lens. This leads to a minimal amount of distorting and foreshortening. Take the picture BOTH ways to see which looks better to you.

Rule 5. READ the instruction manual that came with your camera. It was written to inform YOU.

Rule 6. Any weather is good weather for pictures. Umbrellas will cover you and your camera. Waterproof shoes will keep your feet dry and warm. The softest light and most pleasing to peoples' faces is overcast with few shadows.

This is a good place to mention a couple of points about "flash" photography. The reason that flash pictures are not allowed in museums, castles, palaces, and cathedrals is because the light emitted is ultra-violet, just like the sun. With enough flashes, the colors will be bleached out. That is also the reason that you don't see many fluorescent fixtures in museums. Please observe the "no flash" rules. Once these old pieces are gone, there is no replacement possible.

NOTE: I asked about why they do not allow ANY photographs at the castle at Neuschwanstein (Mad Ludwig's place and the original idea for the "Disney" castles) figuring that it would be because of the ultra-violet rays. "Not at all," the guide said. "We have 7,000 people a day go through and if we allowed people to stop to take pictures..." I got the message.

Fill-in flash is a practice used to fill in the shadows created by other things. It is most often used in portraiture and it is not supposed to be the main source of light. It "fills in" the shadows by allowing you to see into them. Try using your flash outdoors when photographing people. Use the lowest flash setting and see what happens. On a really bright day you may have to go to a higher level.

----Lens technicalities or my answer to those who talk constantly about the technical side of photography.----

Photography is a wonderful, but very technical science. There are lots of laws and rules of both chemistry, and physics. Good professional photographers may know these laws backwards and forwards, but today, it is the rules of ART that are most important. I am not making light of the physics and chemistry part, it is just that camera manufacturer's have eliminated the need for much of that knowledge because it is now built into the cameras. If you want to waste a day reading about technical photography, look up "gamma density," circles of confusion," and "hyperfocal distance." Simply knowing the rules does not make a good photograph. Please yourself and remember that a photograph does not have to be technically great to be a "great" photograph to you.

The topic for Part E will be a surprise - for all of us.

Continued from Part D.

What has changed.

One of the things that is true today and is better than yesterday is the fact that the actual cost of photography has gone down. True, the inexpensive cameras cost more than the old cheap film cameras, but once you have your camera and memory card, the only thing that you need to purchase is batteries (if your camera doesn't have a built-in or rechargeable battery). You can take your camera or memory card to any of thousands of photo shops, look at your images on their computers (in case you don't have one of your own), make corrections, and order and receive your finished pictures in one hour. Not bad. These changes have happened in just ten years. Don't be fooled for a minute that it is because of all of the technical changes. Profit is the engine driving these changes, and "profit" is not a dirty word.

First though, and most importantly, we need to understand that the rules of art, photography and composition have never changed, neither have the laws of light and physics. A good, professional photographer, like any artist, knows these rules and laws. People still run around and take pictures with their little "point and shoot" cameras. What has changed is that now they are taking really good pictures. Most of their pictures "come out." As previously mentioned, this has happened twice before on a huge scale with the invention of the Kodak Brownie and its' evolution into the Instamatic camera also by Eastman Kodak. The film giant almost gave the cameras away. They didn't give film away though. Neither did they give away the paper and chemicals needed to produce the pictures. The more cameras that they gave away, the more film, flash cubes, chemicals and paper they sold.

Today these new, affordable, and technically amazing little cameras have made people even more conscious of photography than they were in the past. People are actually proud of the pictures they have taken. When coupled with the new photo processing speed, quality, and price, there is little wonder that there is a huge competition for the amateur photography dollar. How big is that dollar? A number of years ago I confronted a Kodak representative about his corporation's obvious lack of concern for the professional photographer because they took care of the amateurs' needs first and not the professionals'. I felt that I had done a pretty good job at "ripping him a new one," and he asked, "Are you through?" I nodded and he said, "Let me tell you something, sonny. Eastman Kodak makes more money from the amateurs on one sunny weekend than they make from all the professionals it a year." I hadn't thought of that.

The impact of the digital world has been huge. First, the decent cameras of today are actually less expensive than they were in the past. Cameras that automatically calculated the exposure, automatically focused the lens, and automatically advanced the film cost over $1,000.00! Today you can buy a camera that will do all of this for less than $50.00. Add a zoom lens and the price goes up about ten lousy bucks!

So, if they sell stuff so cheap, who makes money? The answer is everybody! I bought my first digital camera in 2003. It cost $110.00 for my first 128MG Memory Stick which was good for 55 pictures. A couple of months ago I purchased four 512MG memory sticks for $14.00 with free shipping! In other words, if you want to have the newest and best, you will pay for it. If you wait...

Have you noticed how CHEAPLY you can buy a photo printer? Have you noticed how EXPENSIVE each sheet of paper is? Have you noticed how EXPENSIVE the ink is? The manufacturers give away the printers. They make their money on the paper and the ink or toner. If you have a printer, have you ever made the first print perfect? How many sheets of paper do you waste to get a good picture. Have you ever figured out what you paid for ink and paper per finished picture? You are paying a small fortune for convenience. That's where the money is. The camera manufacturers make a lot of other products that you need and will have to pay for, and even with all that, you are getting more and better photographs for less money than just 10 years ago. Guess what? The manufacturers are doing great too.

The new digital camera boom has had a number of positive effects. Because the quality has improved so much people are decorating their homes with pictures that they have taken. More and more pictures larger than 8x10 are being printed for people to put on their walls. Family pictures or pictures of family are really back in style. Grandparents have more pictures of their grandchildren than ever before. The internet wires sing with emailed pictures being sent all over the world. It's not just cameras either. Many people carry Ipods loaded with their photo library; cell phones and PDA's are filled with pictures. People carry CD's and DVD's with vacation and family pictures with them. Pop them into a player or computer and there is an instant slide show. The list goes on. All in the last ten years.

Another true story. I was at Best Buy one day early this week to replace a piece of computer equipment and I got to talking to one of the young men in the computer section. I asked him how the Christmas business had been, and he said, "Great! Best Christmas that I've ever had." I asked him what had made it so good and he said, "I have this group of senior citizens who are buying laptops like crazy." He explained that it is a large group of seniors who live in a retirement housing complex. Last Christmas one of the group had given her daughter, who lives in another state, a digital camera to use to send pictures of her grandchildren back to her. The plot didn't work very well and when the senior asked her daughter why she wasn't getting pictures in the mail, the daughter said she didn't have time with three kids in diapers. Then the daughter said, "Mom, if you had a computer, I could email them to you." Grandma bought a computer. Grandma started getting pictures to show to all of her neighbors in the complex. The young man with whom I was talking had gone to grandma's house and set-up her system. He did not charge her for the set-up. "That started it," he said. "All these seniors started coming in to see me. They bought cameras and PC systems. After I had sold and set-up four or five systems, I realized that if the seniors had laptop computers, they could take their family pictures with them. I eventually wound up giving some classes to the members of the complex that wanted them, and sold even more machines. They purchased cameras and laptops. It was a great Christmas." After I found the power supply that I needed and was leaving, I saw a little old lady being escorted to the salesman. I sure hope that they don't get into on-line betting.

Another positive effect has been the reemergence of many very talented professional photographers. When the amateur photographers started to take pictures that were as sharp and clear as a professional's, the "Professional Photographers of America, Inc. (PPofA)recognized the threat to their existence and pushed even harder for education and training among the ranks. A new crop of young and very talented photographers has emerged. They are educated in art, fine art, design, and business. It is not a vocation to enter into just because you can take good pictures. Business practice skills must achieve the same level of competence as the photographic aspect.

Speaking of improvements in photographic quality, think of the photographs being produced by the school photographers, store photo studios, Wal Mart, etc.. They had to improve their photographic quality and provide their photographers with more and better training just to keep ahead of the amateurs. And for most of this we can thank the digital revolution.

Last thought...

Remember that a "great" photograph can be accidental and this one thing separates professionals from amateurs. Professionals know what they did to get the picture, and under the same circumstances could repeat the same results. As an amateur photographer, remember that is most important person to please is yourself. What good is a technically perfect photograph if it says nothing to the photographer or the beholder?

Well, that's about it. If you have read all five Parts of this journal, I hope that you have found it informative and interesting. If you find errors, please email me regarding them. If you have questions about any of my statements, please email me. Thanks for your patience and your critiques.

Update:

I used to carry heavy cases of medium format photographic equipment as well as a large bag of 35mm gear with AE finders, motor drives, lenses, and other miscellaneous equipment. When I traveled, my camera gear weighed more than my backpack. And I hated it!

Perhaps I should start at the beginning...

I spent most of my adult life as a professional portrait photographer. When I retired from the field of photography, I did not pick up a camera for 5 years. In my closet I still have 6 Hasselblad bodies, multiple lenses and attatchments. I also have 2 Canon F-1's with attachments, motor drives, etc. I should have sold all of this equipment long ago when it was worth much more that it is today.

One day, in 2002, I was reading about digital cameras when a good friend stopped by to show me his new digital camera, a Sony F707. The camera had a 5x zoom, a Zeiss lens (best in the world), auto exposure and focusing, and no film to buy or have processed (I am computer literate). I liked the idea of having just a small camera bag with NO film, extra lenses, or any other attachments. Finally, in April 2003 I bought a Sony F717 (later version of the F707). I went to Europe twice that year and loved taking pictures of the castles and palaces and churches and old buildings because it was so easy. The exposure meter in the camera was spot on and I didn't need any other lenses or attachments or film. I could change ISO's any time I wanted. That camera was my buddy.

In 2006, I purchased a Sony F828. I stayed with Sony because the F828 used the memory sticks that only Sony uses (and of which I had many), and because I wanted a little wider angle lens. This was an 8 mega-pixel camera with a lens that was the equivalent of a 28mm lens in the 35mm format (the F717 was a 37mm equivalent). I thought that the F828 would be the last camera that I would purchase in my life.

Then came 2007. After a five week trip to Germany and Austria, I spent some time in the hospital for heart problems, diabetes, and a couple of surgical procedures. When I finally stabilized on a medication regimen I found that I had developed slight tremors. These tremors don't actually cause any problems for me except for one - camera shake. I can't hand-hold my camera at less than a 1/125 of a second without camera movement. My first attempt at solving the problem was with my Canon SD800 IS. The stabilization helped only a little. Then I remembered one of the reasons why I resisted using 35mm cameras years ago. The law goes something like this: Within reason, the heavier the camera, the slower the useful shutter speed. In other words, the heavier the camera, more stable it is to the body.

So, in August, 2008 I bought a Sony A700 DSLR. Again, I stayed with Sony because of the luck I have had with their products (all kinds), and because their IS is part of the body of the camera. This saves two or three hundred dollars per lens over most of the other manufacturers who put their IS system in each lens. I use four lenses: a 16-105mm, a 100-300mm, a 28mm and a 50mm macro. While I had sworn that I was done with carrying a camera with more than one lens, if I want to photograph the spontaneity of life, I guess one more little, ol' lens ain't much - or maybe a three. So much for that...

I'll keep you posted...

One other subject that I should have covered is why lenses are described as "equivalent to xxmm 35mm lens." I am going to try to explain this without using technical terms or acronyms. First, the standard camera is and has been for many years, the 35mm camera and much of the nomenclature of a digital camera is based on that familiar terminology. Film is purchased in certain lengths determined by the number of exposures on the roll. That can be 20, 24, 36, etc. A digital cameras does not use film, it uses a sensor. The size of one 35mm negative is 24x36mm and that is the basis for the "35mm equivalent." That is also the basic definition for the term "full frame." In other words, a "full frame" sensor would be 24x36mm. Currently, most digital cameras use sensors smaller than "full frame." Most commonly, the sensors are are approximately one half the size of the "full frame" or just the center of the 35mm frame. A lens is manufactured to cover the entire "full frame," but since the sensor is smaller and the lens is not capable of reducing it's projected image size, the photography Gods have put everything into 35mm vernacular. Consequently, since a lens covers an area of 24x36mm but the sensor is only one half the size it means that the area covered by the lens is 1.5 times the size of the lens. Therefore, a "normal" 50mm lens (a lens that "sees" approximately the same angle as our vision) is a 75mm lens because only the center of the projected image is used. Basically, if you have a 135mm lens, it is actually 1.5 times that or 197.5mm. The same would be true of zoom lenses. Multiply both of the lens numbers by 1.5 to get the actual size of the lens.

Now that I have totally confused us both, I should also say that there are a few "full frame" sensors manufactured and the cameras that use them are very expensive. Eventually, many digital cameras will use "full frame" sensors and then this writing becomes obsolete and I will have wasted both yours and my time.