Photographers, cameras, style

[Roger Hicks]

. . . Professionals tend to be far more practical about equipment -- what gives the best results most easily, now, period . . .

Dear Vince,

Isn't that what everyone does, amateur or professional, if they're serious about photography as distinct from camera collecting? The only variation is in definitions of "best".

Cheers,

R.

 

[kossi008]

6. Yashicamats? Hipsters.

Oh, come on... 🙄

 

[kbg32]

What's nice - the internet makes equipment anonymous or should. Unless people shout out and profess what they're using ad nauseam.

 

[redisburning]

Making blanket judgements about people (or the photos they take) based on a single metric is always a bit sketchy to say the least.

why?

IMO the problem is not in the generalization, the problem is in the failure to recognize that it is possible to fall outside of it.

American schools have failed to do any better in teaching measures of central tendency than they have sex ed, evolution or climate change. Combine that with the natural human instinct to be incredibly self-centered and take anything as a personal insult, and it seems to me that the problem isn't with the people making the claims but the people getting angry about it.

 

[redisburning]

also I shoot exclusively macro and super speed lenses but rarely shoot macros. from Leica, Zeiss, Olympus and Nikon

that probably says something about me.

 

[nikkor-watching]

Do different brands of cameras attract photographers with different styles?

This would be the ideal justification for different brands... but the state reached now is just the random commoditisation of photography.
It would be an ideal synergy for a a camera to encourage and aid a particular style of photography but you'll find most people like to claim it's about their own talent so the tool is supposed to be neutral. Most of the brands are chasing the same ball.

I would find it odd to see someone coveriing a tennis match with a Leica rangefinder, and if someone were to whip out a Leica in a parisien café for a shot I'd feel it intruded less than a 1DSIII + 24-105. But I could not exclude the possibility of the café picture being from Canon brick afterwards.

 

[eric rose]

Interesting theory however in my experience for my photographic vision the choice of camera has no influence on my "style" so to speak. I have used RF's, TLR's, SLR's, view cameras and digital whatever's. My style has matured to an extent that it is not affected by the camera I use.

 

[Kwesi]

Various thoughts on the relationship of equipment to style:

1. There is large format, medium format, and 35mm (or, rarely, smaller). Plus digital but that don't count.\

How do you expect anyone to take the rest of what you've written seriously when your second sentence in your argument is so blatantly false?

 

[telenous]

there definitely can be a relationship between the style of photography and the camera that a person uses. people often ask "what kind of camera does (famous photographer) use?" because they like his or her style and want to technically be able to get the same look.

also, communities define their own unique styles. sometimes you see people announcing a new purchase by saying "i've joined the (camera brand) club." they identify with the group, and they conform to its aesthetic and cultural values.

This is key, I feel. Conversely, looking at the content of a photo, you often get a rough idea of the cultural identity and aims of the photographer. That gives a foothold on the possible make of camera used because some brands clearly aim to buttress that feeling of identity with (real or invented) projections and associations to their glorious history and the photographic example of famous people who used the brand in the past. It's easier to see this with Leica (although by no means exclusively), where the connotations of the brand often seem to extend an invitation to a role-playing game. E.g. 'here, get a Leica, be a vagabond photographer yourself' (or macho pj or craftsman dedicated to the same uncompromising standard of excellence Leica is etc.). That may be what people express when they say different camera brands associate with different styles.

Even so, finding the camera used just by looking at a photo will still be a guessing game. It's just that it becomes more of an informed guess and less a random toss of a coin.




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