Equipment

Hello again and welcome to this latest musing… 

After the last few blogs have been about image reflections, thought I’d talk about something that is quite important in the process of capturing the moment, that’s the equipment (you will not find it called gear here!)

Thinking about equipment came about after I had an idea for the monthly image which needed a different than usual approach applied to it, needed to take flash. A close focus but not macro lens, 10 step neutral density filter and autofocus so it’s back to the trusty canon setup.

Which in turn got me thinking about when I made the choice for Canon and why, If I think back I have a feeling that it was on the advice of the people recommending equipment that swayed me over to Canon, one of my first cameras was an A1 then progressed to an Eos600 then went back to a T90 (another signifier of NathanPhoto DNA there!)

I think at that time Nikon was for the beardy old guys who rattled on about its merits which I can’t remember and didn’t seem that important, whereas Canon just seemed so much more practical, friendlier and cooler, it also seemed to have ‘less’ baggage surrounding it… I don’t know it’s such a personal choice…

Anyway, I went out to make some images with my canon and flash and it was such an interesting experience going back to auto focus and using flash as I hadn’t for a while, ( think I touched briefly on the fact that my change in practice facilitated a move, so joined the Leica club recently, this was to facilitate a move in image making practices going forward mainly as part of my research practice that NP tags along with in occasional areas.) 

I don’t think I’d have made the images that I did on that day with the Leica though, I captured one of a guy leering out of a car window at some passersby in the sunshine, one that possibly would have been in more Leica territory but I’m not sure I would have seen it in time as I’m not 100% sure I would have been taking the previous image that facilitated the capture of the leer…

It does get you thinking about the equipment you use to make images, does the image making influence the equipment or vice versa? I know so many, myself included, say that the camera doesn’t matter but does it to a certain extent? 

Thinking you’re not going to capture a candid wide life shot with a 16mm, well you are but it will need to be facilitated in another way, hiding the camera, wireless triggers, patience of a different sort, etc. 

So yes, I believe cameras are important, but they aren’t the whole argument to be had about image making, equipment can make you think and work in a certain way and that may be good or bad. Which may seem contrary but isn’t that just photography in a nut shell. 

To surmise then, you can make an image of anything with any camera, but you may have to think differently to get the image you want, it all depends on knowing what you want.

Thank you reading and any thoughts, critiques, ideas etc. get me on the usual channels. 

To the image then, as a blog needs an image like corruption needs politics but which to choose?

I made a decision that I won’t show the leering image just yet, as I need to think about the connotations of showing it and what it means. I’ve decided on this image, which has ended up being quite a straight architectural shot.

Buildings in Manchester shot by reflections was a huge thing at one point, think it’s something I look out for a bit too much, remembering how the Saturday Go picture editors used to love their reflections and chocolate box images for the picture of the week.

Not sure about this image, do think the light has made it though, as I’m not 100% sure I’ve seen that building that way before. Looking at it’s not very, erm how can I say this, it’s not very grabbing is it? Although it does add some fuel to the question of what makes an image, a good image? 

Again, let me know what you think via any of the usual channels.

Thank you for reading 

Endnote:

Fates an irregular thing isn’t it, after writing about this, my year-old strap on my Leica broke, brought new last March so a bit disappointed, it sent my Leica crashing to the floor but it seems ok, working but not sure if there is any internal damage so that makes for a joyous time! I’m now plunged back into equipment reviews and Instagram ads; places and reviews and all that heteronormative viewing of stuff is tiring…