Use what you have!

[Zoot]

Every day I see that people are asking which camera to buy in order that they might become better photographers.  Forget new cameras - use what you have, and get out there!  Sometimes our desire for cameras and gear could be getting in the way of actually becoming better photographers.

A new camera and expensive lenses do not create a good picture - you do.  Processing software such as Photoshop or Lightroom will not turn a bad picture into a good one, but they will certainly help make a good image even better. A new camera will not make you a better photographer, it will only make you a new camera owner.  To become a better photographer, learn to see - photography requires vision.  Learn to see the new and to see the familiar as new.  Take photographs!  Work on a daily or weekly project. Give yourself assignments or goals.  Most importantly – get outside your comfort zone.

If your work is not improving, then practice before you buy more gear.  If your work is improving, and you feel limited by the equipment you have and you have the funds, then maybe it’s time to invest in a better camera body or a new lens.

It’s true that a more advanced – and expensive – camera system can improve your work, but only if you already know how to take a good picture with your current equipment.  Even iPhones can produce good shots. There are also plenty of bad pictures shot with fancy, expensive equipment. When someone sees a truly great image, they don’t ask which camera was used. They say, “Wow, who took that amazing photograph?” The most iconic photographs of the last century were all made with far less sophisticated equipment than the most basic point and shoot we have today, but they all had something in common: they were taken by people with passion and vision.

Inspiration is everywhere – online, in photography books and in the work of others. Get inspired, but don’t try to copy them!  The idea is for you to develop your own style, not imitate others. Style comes with vision, technical expertise, and experimenting – it takes time to develop. A better camera may make you look cool, but it will not provide you with a better photographic style.

Limitations are challenges.  If you own ten different lenses, carry just one on your travels for a day, or for a week.  That one lens can help you to see the world in different ways. Even if you can only afford a used DSLR and a 50mm f/1.8 – take photographs with that. In the long run you will improve your craft and shoot some great images along the way.

We all have to start somewhere - our cameras are just tools. It’s okay to want the latest gear; we all do to some extent, but there's no point in wishing your life away. Get out there and use what you have - that is what will make you a better photographer.

[Harry7mc]

Agree Zoot !
 photographers make the pictures, the camera only records what the photographer shoots.

Remember Bert hardy produce a seaseide classsic with a Box Brownie!

[ironclad]

I know exactly what you mean,more sophisticated cameras don't mean better pictures.
many people are sad victims of the manufactures glossy very sophisticated marketing,they have loads of expensive camera equipment draped around their neck,and to put it bluntly couldnt organise a party in a brewery.
Concentrate on why you want to take a picture,what equipment  as taken a picture  means nothing

[Chocky]

My new  Nikon lens is far better , more expensive and givesm much better photos than did the Tamron and the sgma

[BigAl]

Ansel Adams took great photos on what (by today's standard) was crude equipment. But, with that same kit, he would never have got as good a photo of a bird or butterfly as Chocky produces. I remember Chocky's Tamron and Sigma days when the pictures were not very sharp and the sudden improvement.

So, whilst I agree with the general principle that it's the photographer and not the camera that makes the image; there are subjects and times when the special equipment is needed.

[Chocky]

Yes. A bad workman always blames his tools

[WhiteHat]

Then there are us newbies without tools that just want an idea of what to get!  We ask what cameras took the photos that look the sharpest to us and have the quality we think is good in our price range so that we do not get the wrong tool. .  Learning to use the tools you buy is another matter altogether and takes time.

[Chocky]

Exactly.  The thing is a camera is like a football team. You will never get the answer your looking for. I love Nikon Some one else will love Cannon  another will like Olympus and we'll al, argue ours is the best

[Zoot]

I would never argue on that point, Beryl.  I KNOW Olympus is the best!   

[Chocky]

Lol.