Hi!
Maybe I would like to ask you a question.
"Does buying an expensive and good car turns you to a better driver?"
A. It's not about "
better"... the checkered flag doesn't care who's the "better" driver, just who crosses the finish line first. Would you rather be the owner of the 'best' quality restaurant in your town, or a very busy McDonald's fast food restaurant? When it comes to getting paid, I think you get my point.
B. It's not about who's the better painter, artist, or photographer when it comes to getting paid... rather who's the better businessperson.
(1) No, but an
average driver will turn a faster lap time (pick any track), 0-60, 1/4 mile, etc.
consistently in a Porsche 911 GT3 as opposed to a Honda Civic R, Volkswagen Golf, Subaru, or any of the typical hot hatches. Paying a lot more money doesn't make you a better driver, but it does buy you better performance most of the time irrespective of your driving skill.
(2) Does better equipment and expensive ingredients make one a better cook? ... no, but it usually makes the
food taste and look better. An old gas stove can cook more evenly compared to an old electric stove with uneven coils. A 'Burger made with ground round and expensive ingredients is generally better tasting compared to "beef patties" comprised of binders and fillers, irrespective of the cook's skill level.
(3) Will a 1200hp single turbine engine make a person a better airplane pilot? No, but it will allow one to face less life threatening situations when compared to cheaper, lower powered equipment (faster climbs through icing layers, safer altitudes over mountains, able to take off from higher/hotter altitudes and climates with far greater safety margins compared to piston aircraft, etc.. Skill matters... but equipment alone can notably increase performance, thus widening one's ability to get paid with increased safety margins or artistic and compositional options in the case of photography.
(4) My granddaughter can take self portraits using my 4mp Nikon D2hs, yet the same shots look better when she takes them using the 645z; her eyes are larger in the photographs, with irises and lashes more detailed. Does equipment matter? Yes, and in many cases it (lighting, camera, and lenses alone) can matter a lot irrespective of one's skill when it comes to getting paid.
(5) An average photographer shooting location portraits with an 85 f1.2, doesn't yield the same results as the same photographer using a 200 f2 lens. It's not about which lens is "better" but whether or not the more expensive lens allows the photographer, irrespective of skill, more opportunities in the same circumstances to create portraits
that are more apt to be purchased.
It is basically the same logic as your question been popped here. To be a better photographer it does not just talking about getting the most expensive equipment. A good photograph comes with excellent composition and knowledge of utilizing the right lighting in order to set the correct mood for the shot. Of course if one could afford expensive equipment will add more plus to your pictures.
Agreed. The problem is that "good" work does't always sell as well as cool, cheesy, camp, or kitsch.
When the consumer market got hit with digital cameras, anybody would like to be called an experience photographer. Nowadays using the cameras are a lot easier than before. Most of the settings are make easy to use by anyone. Whereas in the film materials time, a photographer needs to learn how to set the correct setting for the shot. So the concept of been a good photographer, the more expensive equipment means you are a better photographer..
No, it simply means that with the better equipment one may be able to walk away with better looking shots, compositions, etc., via cropping and post work.
A couple of months before, a friend of mine called me to ask me which brand of camera to buy. I asked my friend what does he intended to use the camera for. He said it was mainly to take photos of his children as they grows up. In that case,I told him either to use a phone camera or any cameras below US$800. It didn't matter as all his pictures were mainly seen from computer screens. He does not need expensive cameras. I hope you see my points.
Computer screens sizes today aren't very relevant; small today but considerably larger in comparison years from now. One must realize that larger screens and monitors are quickly becoming more prevalent. A 50mp image on a large flat panel isn't going to be considered huge in years to come. An cell phone photo might look great on Facebook, but noisy and not-so-great on a larger panel.
While I highly recommend the cell phone camera for many things... the sole instrument of documenting children growing up is not one of them.
Generally speaking, the more you pay, the more advantages you may realize on more than just one front- advantages that can be applied today and the future; advantages that can be realized irrespective of whether you're piloting aircraft, driving a sport motorcar, or working behind a camera.
Kind regards
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Teila K. Day
http://teiladay.com
