Your camera doesn’t matter – except when it does
There’s this specific narrative that gets pushed that your camera and photo gear don’t matter all that much. That it is your imagination and your eye that counts for the most. Perhaps, perhaps … but without the necessary gear to enable what you’re trying to capture, you’re lost. It seems so self-evident.
I would even insist that you need photo gear that are better than your abilities – this way you’re not constrained by your equipment.
With this performance by Team Circus which they asked me to photograph for them, I had to decide on what cameras and lenses I should take with me – part of the usual planning. This would be in a small theater during performance. The Nikon D4 has a subdued “kerlunk” sound, but the Nikon D810 has a sound that is noticeably more muted than the D4. Obviously I couldn’t use flash or additional lighting. It’s theater. You use what’s there. This would mean fast primes. Great!
In my shoulder bag:
– my Nikon D810
– the awesome Sigma 35mm f/1.4 ART lens
– the super-sharp Sigma 50mm f/1.4 ART lens
– and another favorite, my Nikon 85mm f/1.4G
With this, I was as ready as I could be for whatever would come my way, with what could practically fit into a shoulder bag.
So that’s the gear. But you’re probably wondering what is going on in that photo – that’s Brian, and he is handling buugeng – these S-curved sticks that become a flowing ever-changing pattern in the right hands. Mesmerizing to watch! You really have to see this in video to get the full effect. Youtube will show a host of these, and I am hoping to get together with Team Circus and shoot a video clip of this unusual performance.
So this was the challenge on the night – photograph someone dressed in black, focusing on his masked face which is often shaded from the single spotlight above. All of this against a dark background. That’s a tough combination for any camera to handle – your subject is low-contrast and shaded in a dark venue.
Camera settings: 1/500 @ f/1.8 @ 3200 ISO
Yet, out of the 35 shots I took, the D810 nailed 29 of them at this wafer-thin aperture setting! I was impressed. The shot above is the 100% crop to show that the focus was right on. The photo is as sharp as I had any right to expect. Sure, there is skill in anticipating the movement, and knowing how to handle the camera and use the correct settings – but the camera and lens had to be up to the task.
That’s pretty much it. Your camera doesn’t matter … until it does. Then you’re better off with the appropriate gear. If you can’t justify an f/1.4 lens, the f/1.8 lens will carry you much of the distance. Similarly, a Nikon D750 is a viable alternative to the more expensive Nikon D4 for most applications. Same reasoning with the Canon 6D, for example. But let’s just be done with one of the most banal clichés in photography – “the camera doesn’t matter”. End of the lecture.
More about Team Circus
Brian and Annette are a multi-talented performers who create imaginative acts that include heir skills include, Acrobalance, trapeze acts and juggling. Acrobalance is their forté. You have to see them in action to appreciate the skill that goes into that.
- Team Circus – official website
Related articles
- Photography clichés
- Photographers: what’s holding you back?
- When style, technique & choice of photo gear converge
Promo video clip
A short version of the longer performance by Brian of Team Circus, as a promo piece.
Neil Great article!
I’m glad someone had the guts to write an article about this. If the gear doesn’t matter then why do SLR’s even exist? surely a point-and-shoot camera what suffice for all situations.
Their are times during my career that the limitations of specific cameras / gear have caught me out in tough lighting situations. However if you are quick thinking you can often improvise and get the shot. The correct gear gives you peace of mind, and the confidence knowing that you (a skilled photographer) can get the shot without hesitating.
Keep up the great work it’s much appreciated.
I agree with you 100% Neil. I get tried of reading/hearing it’s all about the photographer. However, on the reverse side, it does help keep those with inferior or unsuitable gear from taking business away from those with it. So there is a bright side. Thank you posting this.
I’ve been arguing this for years. Next time someone says “It is a poor craftsman that blames their tools,” hand them a hammer and ask them to paint your house. Or hand them a paintbrush and tell them your toilet is plugged.
The trouble is, the argument is couched in the wrong terms. It says that an artist can make art with whatever they have on hand. Okay, I’ll buy that. But it makes that an absolute. Which means it also says that an artist can realize their vision, a craftsman can realize a commercial shoot using whatever they have on hand, and that’s where the problem lies.
Michelangelo could sculpt and paint, but I bet he would be hard pressed to have sculpted David with a pot of burnt umber and a bunch of camel hair brushes. And I’m sure the Creation of Man wouldn’t be quite as finely detailed if had to use a hammer and chisel to paint it.
Moose Peterson could take an interesting photo with an iPhone. But hand him an iPhone and ask him to take a close-up photo of a wild eagle in flight, and chances are he’s not going to be able to get a very good shot, because the tool is not appropriate for the situation. If I need to trigger a flash, then the iPhone is not the tool for the job. There’s a reason why there are 8 mm lenses, and there are 600 mm lenses. Both are tools. Both have their place.
Or how about this. I have an old Canon D30 (not 30D, D30. Resolution, 3.1 glorious megapixels) sitting in my closet collecting dust. I get hired to shoot a billboard. I could break out that camera and slap on the best lens in the world, but the images it produces are not going to have enough resolution for a billboard. Heck, it’s not even good enough for most magazines….
An artist can make art, yes, but if you task that artist to do something specific, then they will need the right tools and the right materials for the job.
It’s the click-baiting world of today. Articles about what so and so did with a smartphone camera, or how nobody needs full frame. People mistake “I did without once and it went OK” with “I never need X ever in any situation.” People want to feel they know some ‘secret’ that makes them better than pros who buy pro level gear. Now I can point them to your cliches page :)
Btw how fast was he moving? To get it bang on at f1.8 is pretty amazing.
His movements were slow. So that wasn’t the challenge.
(The show is all in what he does with his hands.)
I remember how naive I was, when couple of years ago I`ve offered to photograph my cousin wedding with …. Nikon D5100 and 18-55 kit lens !
Well, you have to try to really understand the difference :-)