4 Nov 2010

New camera technology? Who cares?

Photography is and always will be first and foremost about creating memories! Years from now that great new wonder camera will be forgotten, but the memories that remain in print will be passed on from generation to generation. One day you will forget what resolution that Japanese techno-wiz ultra spec had or how sharp that German wunder kamera was, but you will always be able to step back in time and recall those memories from yesteryear just by looking at the photos you once took, regardless of the quality of the camera or lens.

Here is one of my late Grandpa, (who I loved very much) taken with my first camera, a Box Brownie. Who cares if it is out of focus, or the colours are not quite right? Who bothers to remember what the specs were of the camera? This is my enduring memory of Grandpa, a cheerful, loving grandfather with slightly wild eyebrows!


How about that first day off to school? I don't even remember how ugly the cars were back then except by this photo! And boy, was I ever a cute kid! ;-)


And finally, here are my great-grandparents that I never even met!



After all these years the memories remain!

So here are the lessons to be learnt from this little walk down memory lane:

1.) Always have a camera with you.
2.) Take lots of photos of your family, you never know how long they will be with you.
3.) Worry less about how sharp your pics are in the corners wide open, it really doesn't make for better memories!
4.) Your ancestors were probably better looking than you. ;-)

(If you are doing paid work for clients the advice above doesn't count, give them the best you possibly can.)

Add some of your own benefits below:
Posted by

5 comments:

  1. John5 November 2010 at 00:00

    Absolutely, the image is the thing, but at the same time there is something nice for me in using old kit, just because it is old kit. It's funny that years ago I wanted the new kit, the old wasn't good enough. Now I'm older I appreciate the old stuff and the disciplines that go with it. But it's still only a way to produce an image.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lanthus Clark5 November 2010 at 06:45

    For me the image has always been the thing, the camera is secondary to that. These days most people seem to be into the kit rather than the pic. I might be wrong, I frequently am...

    Of course a good camera is a pleasure to use, although sometimes the older, manual stuff is just plain fun!

    ReplyDelete
  3. T. Becque8 November 2010 at 03:35

    Lovely images and thoughts. And true!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Roger Gauthier13 November 2010 at 05:30

    Hey Lanthus!

    Who cares? But I do, of course, I won't insult you and lie to you... you would not believe me anyway.

    But I get your point loud and clear. The first picture, your Grandpa, is a wonderful snapshot whatever the focus. An unforgettable souvenir. But the camera used for you great-grandpa was not cheap. It shows and gives an extraordinary portrait.

    Speaking of Brownies, I've got a Brownie Junior right in front of me at this very moment. I will finish cleaning it up and post a photograph of it, buy Jove! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Lanthus Clark17 November 2010 at 14:53

    Hi Roger!

    Tech is great and all (I would love to have the money to splurge on a D700, a few select lenses and some lighting with all the bells and whistles) but nothing beats the memories that we will have 20/30 or more years from now!

    Would love to see the pic of the Brownie Junior when you post it!

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)