If you want to take good pictures use one camera lens combo

[raytoei@gmail.com]

koven,

don't really agree with your
assessment but your pictures
speak for itself, i like the "location"
pic best.

raytoei

 

[MCTuomey]

is improvement as simple as "copy the gear choices of others whose pictures are better than mine"?

 

[msbarnes]

is improvement as simple as "copy the gear choices of others whose pictures are better than mine"?

Maybe not but it gives some inspiration.

 

[MikeAUS]

Quotes from Tokyo Camera Style:

I don’t think about what camera I should use that much. I just pick up the one that looks nicest on the day

-- William Eggleston

If you want to change your photographs, you need to change cameras. Changing cameras means that your photographs will change. A really good camera has something I suppose you might describe as its own distinctive aura.

-- Nobuyoshi Araki

 

[msbarnes]

I don’t think about what camera I should use that much. I just pick up the one that looks nicest on the day

-- William Eggleston

Have you seen Eggleston's camera collection?

 

[arseniii]

Ever seen a painter with one brush?
I like to have variety: digital, film, various lenses with different signature, medium format cameras e.t.c. I's all down there for me to choose from and the process is part of being creative. one camera one lens is not my cup of tea

 

[airfrogusmc]

"The fact is that relatively few photographers ever master their medium. Instead they allow the medium to master them and go on an endless squirrel cage chase from new lens to new paper to new developer to new gadget, never staying with one piece of equipment long enough to learn its full capacities, becoming lost in a maze of technical information that is of little or no use since they don't know what to do with it."-Edward Weston

I've shot with Deardorffs and Horsemans, Hasselblads, Bronica's and Mamiya's, Canons, Nikons and Leicas both professionally and for my personal work. I think many of those i mentioned are better at some things than the others. Each a good tool for specific jobs. For me and the way I am seeing at this point in my life and for the type of work I am now doing for my personal work, there is not a better combo for me than the MM and 35 lux. That could change in a year but for now this is it.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

For a year
...

Haven't read all three pages. Forgive me if repeat.


In the past, millions of people used to have one camera, one lens for ... years.
My family and my first years in photography were not in exclusion.

It was cool. I even used only one film brand and type.

 

[Margu]

Ever seen a painter with one brush?

have you ever seen a painter create 1000 paintings in one day by pointing at things and clicking and then sharing those paintings on social media?

comparing painting to photography is like comparing Monet to Bill Cunningham of the new york times.

 

[jsrockit]

have you ever seen a painter create 1000 paintings in one day by pointing at things and clicking and then sharing those paintings on social media?

In todays world, I'm sure there is a digital painter out there doing it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_painting

comparing painting to photography is like comparing Monet to Bill Cunningham of the new york times.

Totally different mediums and purposes. Monet couldn't have done what Bill does with his brushes and paint and vise-versa.

 

[Margu]

In todays world, I'm sure there is a digital painter out there doing it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_painting



Totally different mediums and purposes. Monet couldn't have done what Bill does with his brushes and paint and vise-versa.

every painter can be a photographer, every photographer cannot be a painter.

 

[jsrockit]

every painter can be a photographer, every photographer cannot be a painter.

I guess you are insinuating that it is just easy to pick up a camera and click a photo. Well, it's also easy to pick up a paint brush and paint.

It's not easy to do either well. I've known good painters that have been very frustrated with their results in photography. Quality painting and quality photography are both extremely hard to do.

 

[furbs]

Just an MM and a 35Lux...HEAVEN....

Got my 35 Lux in the post yesterday, and after slapping it on the M4 I heard the faintest sound; perhaps an angelic chorus...? 😀

I have, since the beginning, veered towards the one camera/lens philosophy. I think some of us work better with more choices and some with fewer. I have always fallen into the latter category. I know that 4 or 5 months down the line my M4 and 35 Lux, loaded with Tri-X or FP4+, will feel as comfortable as my oldest pair of jeans.

 

[Margu]

I guess you are insinuating that it is just easy to pick up a camera and click a photo. Well, it's also easy to pick up a paint brush and paint.

It's not easy to do either well. I've known good painters that have been very frustrated with their results in photography. Quality painting and quality photography are both extremely hard to do.

when HCB started photography, he did not join some photo forum, ask for gear help, ask what focal length lens to use, what camera accessories to buy. he also did not spend years perfecting his technique.

hcb did not watch moriyama or burce gilden on youtube, and read eric kim articles on ten ways to be a great street photographer. hcb was great to start with, he pointed and shot but the talent itself came through and the rest is history... he never did anything better than his initial years.

photography or art for that matter is brutal like that. its all about talent and the effort simply follows that. the spark has to be there and then the spark itself drives the person.

 

[froyd]

every painter can be a photographer, every photographer cannot be a painter.

I don't see why not. But being good at either is something few achieve. And even fewer are good at both.

 

[furbs]

when HCB started photography, he did not join some photo forum, ask for gear help, ask what focal length lens to use, what camera accessories to buy. he also did not spend years perfecting his technique.

hcb did not watch moriyama or burce gilden on youtube, and read eric kim articles on ten ways to be a great street photographer. hcb was great to start with, he pointed and shot but the talent itself came through and the rest is history... he never did anything better than his initial years.

photography or art for that matter is brutal like that. its all about talent and the effort simply follows that. the spark has to be there and then the spark itself drives the person.

This is like saying that you have to sit under apple trees like the proverbial Newton, rather than learning from the real Newton's work...in other words, pretentious exclusivism...talent need not be inborn to get much enjoyment from and indeed become quite proficient in photography. There are as many roads to greatness as there are travelers along the way.

 

[airfrogusmc]

when HCB started photography, he did not join some photo forum, ask for gear help, ask what focal length lens to use, what camera accessories to buy. he also did not spend years perfecting his technique.

hcb did not watch moriyama or burce gilden on youtube, and read eric kim articles on ten ways to be a great street photographer. hcb was great to start with, he pointed and shot but the talent itself came through and the rest is history... he never did anything better than his initial years.

photography or art for that matter is brutal like that. its all about talent and the effort simply follows that. the spark has to be there and then the spark itself drives the person.

He did formally study art for years before picking up a camera though. That really helped him in the way he framed and saw.

 

[msbarnes]

every painter can be a photographer, every photographer cannot be a painter.

This is so silly.

 

[Jamie Pillers]

I'm a big fan of using one camera/lens *at a time*. Meaning, I'll go out with my X100, or M6 with 50/1.5, or X-Pro1 with the 18, or Mamiya 7 and 80/4, and explore that combo for a time.

Then I'll switch to something else tomorrow.

I'm in this camp. I only go out with one camera & one lens at a time. But I like seeing how the world looks different... subject matter changes character when I'm looking through a different lens. Today I might go out with a 24mm and see if I can fill up the frame with interesting stuff. The next day I might go out with the 100mm and see if some interesting details/abstracts pop up. Do whatever keeps the juices flowing, I say. 🙂

 

[DougFord]

For me the basic one lens/camera is a form of 'learning by rote'. Perhaps usefull as a teaching aid.
As some sort of formulaic process that in and of itself will magically fill in the content for you? Not so much.