Rick LePage:
I had an interesting conversation with someone the other day, one that I felt was worth recounting here. I was at a bookstore, perusing photography books for possible review here on the website.
It was clearly a very slow day at the bookstore, and while I was at the register, the checkout dude murmured something like, “these look interesting. I’d really like to take better pictures. I really need a better camera. Which one should I buy?”
To which I replied, “Which phone do you have?”
“An iPhone 7,” he said.
“Then you don’t need a new camera; you’ve got a pretty awesome one right there with you,” I replied.
He shook his head and said that his photos “just sucked.”
Like Rick, I have this conversation on a regular basis and his advice mirrors mine. As I teach in my classes for beginners, the camera you have really doesn’t matter. What you know about it specifically and photography in general are much more important.
Shawn – any fave camera apps for the iPhone? I use the builtin one for quick snaps and I’ve been playing with Halide for ‘real’ photos.
Many people who call themselves photographers are really just camera enthusiasts.
Seeing is more important than teching.
As a musician I get a version of this all the time; people who think replicating the gear you use will make them sound better.
Depends. For quick stuff, the built in app is fine. I’ve used most of the well known ones but find myself coming back to Snapseed for editing and Lightroom Mobile for “fancy stuff”.