Camera Gear + Experience + Post Editing = Better Photography

Article Length: 749 Words 

Don't Stop At Gear - That's only the first step!

Please don't take this gear section out of context. Having a nice camera doesn't automatically make the user a better photographer. Owning a camera beyond a cell phone, preferably with interchangeable lenses and settings that can be adjusted by the photographer, is simply one step in the right direction. Too many new camera owners seem to think the camera will make them a better photographer and that's partially true to a point.

In addition, photographers sometimes think that if they just had the model above the camera they own now or the most recent camera on the market or if they had a pro camera that their photography would be magically better. In reality, it's better for photographers to use what they can afford, not get hung up on gear and add experience plus post editing to achieve better photography results.

The Canon 70D image above is from Adorama Camera ( not an affiliate link ) and as of this writing the body and lens shown are $1,249. Pricing will change from time-to-time for various reasons.

What's the definition of a nice camera anyway?

It seems that consumers often define a nice camera as one that ranges from about $500 to $1,500, has interchangeable lenses, comes with a neat little carrying bag along with a few accessories and is better than their phone camera. In the pro-photography world, that price range will not buy much gear at all. So the definition is often in the eye of the beholder.

Don't get me wrong. A nice camera kit for $1,249 is far better than a phone as a primary camera source when it comes to actually making money with a camera, but that nice camera without experience and post editing are just not the same.

Side Note: There are beginning DSLR camera kits for under $500, like the Canon SL1 currently $499 at Adorama, so you don't have to spend $1,249 to dive into the more advanced world of photography ( beyond a phone ) of interchangeable lenses, buttons, menus and raw files.

Experience - Comes with lots of shooting and testing - Digital makes it easy!

The green button on the camera dial is not the cure all for new photographers. It's a waste of a good camera to set it and forget. At the end of the day, it's the person behind the camera that makes a difference. Learning how to use various settings and what all those buttons and menus will do will make a huge difference.

When I started in 1982 shooting High School Sports while still in High School, I had no idea what I was doing. It took several rolls of film and spent days waiting for prints to come back through the mail to see the mistakes that I made. In the digital age, it's instant gratification. So play with the buttons and the menus. Don't forget that YouTube has plenty of free tutorial videos and Karl Taylor has both beginning and pro level videos available.

Post Production Editing - Don't give images straight out of the camera

Lightroom and Photoshop make a huge difference in the final image results. Below is a before and after that my wife Brenda edited. I had no choice but to shoot the shot full length in a hallway. I couldn't give the client the image on the left
straight out of the camera.

Take a look at the next image and notice all the differences from the image on the left vs. the image on the right. Again, don't use images straight out of the camera as general rule especially if you are charging for your services.

Brenda really likes the tutorials from Glyn Dewis on YouTube. There are also a lot of other great Lightroom and Photoshop training videos on YouTube. If you are considering an affordable paid option, you may want to check out KelbyOne.

Remember: Gear + Experience + Post Editing = Better Photography 

About The Author:
David Williams is an International Commercial Photographer based in Raleigh, North Carolina who focuses exclusively on photography for business including corporate events, headshots and commercial use photography.

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