The status photographer

[Kawarthabob]

Probably well before the "Digital Age" of photography some people have "bought" their so called status in various aspects from the marketplace. Photography is no different. Now you're asking yourself ,"What is he getting at?" Look at it this way. A $1000.00 fishing rod wont make you catch bigger fish, A ferrari dosn't make you a better driver and a High end top brand camera will not make you a better photographer if you don't know how to use these products.
Let me start off with something that happened to me just over a year ago. I was outside enjoying the summer with my camera in hand when my neighbor came over and started a chat. He noticed my Dslr and with cocked head and superior attitude said," oh you have a Rebel, Mine's a 5D mark II." I felt a little inferior camera complex starting. I just said ,"yeah". And went on my way. Now like most of us ,we all have that itch to check out and wanting the top end stuff. But that was all I could afford at the time. Now I have seen pictures on the internet that my neighbor has taken and have come to the conclusion that a high end camera to him is just a status symbol. His pictures really aren't that striking. I get a laugh now from various photography sites I vist when I see a "Product list" detailing every peice of equipment they own in their signiature line as if they feel the need to "Impress" the rest of us. All I see is that they have more money and are a potential target for theives on the internet.
Today I read two articles in one of the online photography mags. One point the first author wrote about was he was at a seminar when one father and son duo approached him and asked what type of camera did he use for the pics he was displaying . The photographer replied Leica. The father turned to his son and said" I will buy you one when you get better ". Obviously the father was ignorant to the fact that the camera was not high end. The author continues his story by telling us that he has beeen to galleries in which all the photography was done with point and shoot cameras. The gallery was full and the pictures were selling. The author even bought one himself. In the the same article the writer mentions that the magazine he works for had an issue where all the photographers assignments had to be shot with an entry level DSLR. I thought that that was an awsome idea.
In the same issue another writer was aked how to become a pro. His answer in short was that one has to have high end gear to make it in the industry. Did the editor not catch this??? I could only shake my head.
I have read that some photography students have gotten a scholarship with just using their iphone.
A store I frequent for some gear gives me the service of someone buying high end gear when in fact I'm there asking questions and buying a lens hood or a filter for a newly aquired peice of gear that i bought on the internet for a fraction of the cost. And they don't balk at my gear. I asked one salesperson if he had sold any $30,000.00 Hasselblad cameras i see on display. He said he has never seen any sales on that item. But also went on to mention that while attending a college photography course , one of his classmates had one ( his parents had bought it for him). He didn't have it a few days before he dropped it in class and destroyed it. You might think that a purchase such as this one would have insured it for such a reason. But the sad fact is he didn't and now has a really expensive paperweight. Staus symbol? I think so! LOL!!!
Once in every while i see a post in which one asks "what camera do you have?", or ,"which camera should I buy?" Every newbie has done this. i think i did as well. For me it all comes down to what i could afford and grow with. I'm not knocking the few of you that have the high end models of whatever brand you have that know how to use it. It's the people out there that buy the most expensive things in life as to show off. Don't get me wrong I too want better equipment and i will as time goes by. But for right now I work with what i've got and learn with what the limitations of both me and my equipment are. Being a member on this sight has made me a better photographer , not my budget.

[kat]

I started off with the Nikon D40X, one camera above the lowest on the end of beginner dslrs. That baby did me well! I still use it today when I don't feel like taking the big one out. The point for me when I decided to upgrade..was when the camera wasn't to my level anymore. I am proud to say, I outgrew the camera and was ready for more functions and abilities. With the new camera, I have more options for my shots..but who would know that if they are only using auto?

I get asked all the time what camera to get. My reply to every person (and some really don't like it) is to by a beginner dslr. When you have that camera used and it begins to have limits for you..then you can decide on your own what camera to get..because by then you'll know what you want out of a camera.

I see too many people spend soo much money on gear and personally..it makes me jealous. lol. Yes, jealous that I can't do that. Especially when I know they don't have a clue how to use it.

And with all that, please don't think I know it all. I am having fun learning my new camera, always learning!

[Kawarthabob]

Your right on with what my point is kat! thats a great addition

[Iguanasan]

A familiar story and an even more familiar viewpoint! Cheers! I'll chime in agreement with everything said!

[Norotso]

Being the newest kid on the block, I do know that what it is costing me to enter the DSLR world, is about the same $$ as what it cost me to buy my first olympus C740 with 10x optical zoom, many moons ago I can't believe that i dished out that much money way back then, for what amounts to a simple P/S by todays standards.

Good point though....

[AcadieLibre]

I have said this before and say it again, it is not the camera but the photographer. I have sold two prints now that I had hanging in a gallery shot on a Kodak Z710 and I did not make less money because they were shot on that kodak. I have never sold a single print where anyone asked what camera I had. At shows I get the occasional question but I usually just say a mix of digital and analogue equipment and leave it at that.