For the past 2 or more years I’ve been teaching a class called “Meet Your DSLR”. As a result, many more cameras have crossed my path than is the case for most people. Since it is incumbent upon me to show people how to use their cameras, I have by necessity had to learn about many more cameras than I ever bargained for. As a result I’ve been able to form a few opinions about which camera someone should buy. Plus, even though the people in that class have already bought a DSLR (Digital Single-Lens Reflex) camera, they do ask me what the best camera to buy is. I have the answer. It may surprise you.
Archive for June, 2011
Photography is a Language
I’ve been reading this book by Bruce Barnbaum called “The Art of Photography”. The sub-title is more revealing; “An Approach to Personal Expression.” WOW! How many of you have actually considered the idea that photography can be a form of personal expression? I’m not talking about taking snapshots of things that you think are cool. I’m talking about using the medium of photography to express yourself…..and I mean YOURSELF! The more I thought about this idea, the more I came to realize that in the end, photography is a language. Just like any language, it has its own rules of grammar (exposure, depth of field, motion blur, etc), but those rules are NOT communicating anything by themselves. As photographers, we need to use those rules to actually SAY something. Therein lies the rub.
