The Image That Matter

Sophisticated equipment is used more and more to make a photographic image. As a result, it seems to many people that the best way of improving the results is to rely on technology. Favoured solutions are on the lines of longer focal lengths, faster film, techniques for focusing, and so on. To an extent, of cause, technical answer do help, but they encourage a one-sided view of photography. There is much more to the making of a good photograph than being able to wield the equipment proficiently.

The important decisions in photography are those concerned with the image itself: the reasons for taking it, and the way it looks. Camera and film technology remains vital, but the best it can do is to help realize the photographer’s ideas and perception. Moreover, there are many different ways of seeing anything, and consequently a great variety of possible images. Using more equipment may not always be the best way of improving a photograph; simple changes of framing or viewpoint are the more sophisticated solutions for good images.

The reason why the intuitive approach to the image is so common lies in the way photographic images are made. Whatever level of thought goes into a photograph, the image is created in an instant, when the shutter release is pressed. This means that a picture can always be taken casually and without thought, and because it can, it often is. Bad habits apart, intuitive design is, however, necessary in any active photographic situation, such as in street photography. If there is really no time to consider the image, the only thing to do is to rely on experience and training.

Intuitive photography, therefore, can be based either on natural ability (or lack of it ) or on a good knowledge of the principles of design. In other graphic arts, design is taught as a matter of course; only in photography has it received less attention than it deserves.

Recently, i just accidentally read a forum, a guy who has enjoy shooting with his D70, beautiful colour rendering may be nice picture, but lately when he upgrade his camera to D300, and start to complain the camera produce bad colour image and bra... bra... bra... I was just wonder what he mean good picture and nice colour when he is using the previous camera. Images matter or equipment matter?