PhotoBlography - JN Photography

Does Your Camera Really Matter?

"Amateurs worry about equipment, professionals worry about money, masters worry about light..." -Vernon Trent

"A good craftsman never blames his tools." -Unknown

No matter what camera you use, your photos will look like you took them.
When I was younger I bought many new cameras that promised better photos, but every photo looked the same. Sure there were differences in resolution, noise, and color, but the overall photos looked like the previous camera. Any camera is just a light-proof box with an opening on one end. It captures the light from whatever you aim it at. To make a difference in my photos I had to learn to take better photos myself.
Don't get me wrong, a full featured SLR camera can do things that a cellphone camera can't. But you have to learn how to use those features. Likewise, a cellphone can do things that a fancy SLR cant. It's about using the right tool for the job and knowing how to use that tool.
A good example is this- When you go to a restaurant and enjoy a delicious meal, do you complement the chef or say the chef must have good pots & pans? The chef probably does have good pots & pans, but it is the chef that makes the meal.
So, if you want to improve your photography, don't depend on a camera to do that for you. Get a camera that you like, that feels comfortable in your hand, and learn how to use it creatively.

Demystifying Camera Sensors

You have heard the term "megapixels" used to describe cameras. A higher number DOES NOT mean the camera is of better quality. The term simply means the number of pixels in a digital cameras imaging sensor. One megapixel is one million pixels, so a 12 megapixel camera has 12 million pixels. But more is not always better.
The number of pixels is also called "resolution." A high resolution means you could print a photo larger than a low resolution photo. If you have no plans to print your photos then a high megapixel count may be of little value to you.
All cameras are light-proof boxes with an opening on one end. The light that enters is focused by lenses onto something that records the image. In film cameras the light causes a chemical reaction on a piece of film which produces a negative image. In digital cameras the light strikes an electronic plate covered with tiny light-sensitive dot called a pixel. That creates an electronic signal that is processed by a small computer and saved as a photo on the cameras memory card.
Which one is best? Technically large-format film is probably best, but digital is also good enough for most people, including me.
What size sensor is best? Small sensors in phones and small cameras can produce decent photos good enough for the vast majority of people, but they do have limitations. Small sensors also create a lot of electronic noise between the densely packed pixels. This noise is dealt with by the cameras computer and often results in smeared details in the photo.
Large sensors have more pixels but they are less densely packed, so there is less electronic noise and better fine detail.

Cool Nature Quotes

  • The richness I achieve comes from Nature, the source of my inspiration. -Claude Monet.
  • Nature abhors a vacuum, and if I can only walk with sufficient carelessness I am sure to be filled. -Henry David Thoreau.
  • The goal of life is living in agreement with nature. -Zeno.
  • In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous. -Aristotle.
  • In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks. -John Muir.
  • Mans heart away from nature becomes hard. -Standing Bear.
  • If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere. -Vincent van Gogh.
  • Keep your love of nature, for that is the true way to understand art more and more. -Vincent van Gogh.
  • I experience a period of frightening clarity in those moments when nature is so beautiful. -Vincent van Gogh.
  • Come forth into the light of things, let nature be your teacher. -William Wordsworth.
  • One touch of nature makes the whole world kin. -William Shakespeare
  • The clearest way to the universe is through a forest wilderness. -John Muir

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