For a long time (years), I regretted the purchase of my Nikon D3400 camera. The technical reasons for it aren’t important, things to do with video autofocus and color accuracy, etc. When I realized these deficiencies about my camera, I began to obsess over the possible upgrades I could begin saving up for. “If I switch to Sony I can get this lens for mirrorless…”. I created spreadsheets full of different options, looking at different hundreds of dollars I could drop on a new camera system.
You know what I wasn’t doing? I wasn’t creating. I wasn’t spending time behind the camera, really learning the things you can’t learn from a YouTube video or photography book. I wasn’t spending time trying to maximize what I could create from what I already had. I wasn’t outside, taking pictures with my friends for fun. Instead, I was watching reviews of cameras, comparing spec sheets, and overwhelming myself with choice.
I’ve found that a lot of creativity can come from the limitations of a camera. Cramming yourself into a box forces you to get creative in situations where newer cameras compensate. Incredible low-light performance, remarkable color accuracy, built-in filters for film replication – all these new features take a layer of fun out of the art of photography. In a production environment, sign me up for the best of everything I can get. The more quality photos to the client the better. But, in exploring photography as a form of expression, the ease provided kills the fun.
What attracts me to film, digital, VHS, and cheap DSLRs is not for any sense of perfection, but the mere imperfection. The fact that you won’t capture every shot perfectly is part of the attractiveness. Getting a quality photo out of a film camera, with none of the assists of modern cameras, is a struggle. That struggle is what makes the art. For me at least.
I still don’t love my Nikon, but she’s certainly grown on me, placing me permanently in the camp of “your camera doesn’t matter”.
End of photography rant. Buy a cheap DSLR or Digicam and go have fun.
Cover photo taken on a $30 camera from eBay
Leave a Reply