You don't make a photograph just with a camera

You don't make a photograph just with a camera. You bring to the act of photography all the pictures you have seen, the books you have read, the music you have heard, the people you have loved. - Ansel Adams

Ansel Adams is arguably one of the most influential photographers of our time. I know that his work has greatly influenced me, shaped my view of photography and the world around me. I have studied his work far more than that of any other single photographer. It is almost impossible for me to see a moonrise without thinking about his photo - Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico. It is one of my favorite images - if you aren't familiar with it, you can read about it here, or search for it on YouTube and listen to Ansel recount how he got the shot. I have written about the importance of studying the work of others in an earlier blog post - Improve Your Photography: Study other Photographers and Artists so I won't get into it here.

I chose the quote above as the inspiration for this post because it is about as insightful as any I have read over the years. Ask any photographer what his most asked question is - more often than not they will say, "What camera do you have?" or the variant, "You take such great pictures. You must have a great camera." Okay, so the second is a statement, not a question but the sentiment is the same. The camera is just a tool, no different than van Gogh's paint brush, Julia Child's frying pan or Stephen King's typewriter. The creative process is a deeply personal one, as are the tools used by the creator. The best camera in the world does not "take a picture", it is merely a tool used to convey what the photographer sees and feels at the moment he trips the shutter. A great photograph can be made with virtually any camera.

There is nothing worse than a sharp image of a fuzzy concept. - Ansel Adams

Absolutely! If you spend $48,000 you can buy a top-of-the-line Hasselblad H6D-400c MS Medium Format DSLR Camera, add a 35-90mm zoom lens for $8,500 and I guarantee you will get incredibly high quality images. They will be tack sharp, crisp, clear - almost everything necessary to be a "great picture"! You've now spent more than $56,000 and not a single person has told you that "you must have a great camera." Why? You haven't done your homework, you haven't taken the time to learn what makes a great photograph. It could be something as subtle as the focal length of the lens or moving the camera a couple inches in one direction.

The single most important component of a camera is the twelve inches behind it! - Ansel Adams

That brings me to my last Ansel Adams quote for today. This is, essentially, a summation of the first two. The photographer is responsible for the success or failure of an image and not the equipment being used. We decide the composition, the aperture, shutter speed and the exact moment in time to trip the shutter. We don't always get it right but if we are passionate about our work, we will learn from our mistakes and not repeat them.

I have been an avid photographer for more than 45 years and I am still learning my craft. I am constantly trying new techniques when I am out or developing new editing skills. I follow a lot of photographers on YouTube, Twitter and Instagram. I am still a student and I hope that never stops being true. I never want to feel totally comfortable with my art, never want to feel like I have gotten as good as I will get.

I hope I have given you something to think about. I will end this post with another of my favorite quotes but not from Ansel. This quote is one that I found quite a while back and is one that I firmly believe.

Which of my photographs is my favorite? The one I’m going to take tomorrow. ― Imogen Cunningham