So here I am back again.
As an update to the last post for those playing at home… It didn’t feel right to ask anything, and I think that was the right decision. I’m really good friends with her and that’s awesome. It means good chats and good times spent hanging out.
Onto this post though…
Ever since I bought my first camera at the start of 2006 I’ve been hooked. Over the past few years I’ve seen my skill and experience increase, and so has my gear. From the beginning with just one camera and 2 lenses, I now own probably just under $10k in equipment. Many I know will scoff when they read this, but it’s true. One of the reasons why I’ve been able to amass such a large amount of gear has been that I don’t drink of smoke. I’ll still happily go out with friends, but won’t drink. That isn’t to say that I am against alcohol or anything like that, don’t mind a glass of wine when catching up with friends or at a dinner, but generally I’ll be the soft drink kid. But I’m getting side-tracked, so back to the point.
The thing with digital photography nowadays is that everyone with a digital camera thinks that they can take a photo that will be as good as one on a magazine cover. To some extent this can be achieved, but there is a point at which you need to expand into better gear to get the better results. Expensive gear does not make a person a better photographer though. You have to be skilled so that you can get the most out of what you’ve got. I didn’t really expand into a pro camera until last year, mainly due to money, but also due to the fact that I needed more from the camera. This is when you upgrade.
Coming back to less expensive gear, everyone should try and get the most out of what they’ve got. I try and teach this every week as I go up to the local primary school and help out with the photography program. What I do in the program is get the kids to become familiar with all of the functions of the camera. First you start with the basic principles of photography and then move up. From every group there are always a handful of kids that something clicks and everything that I’ve said starts to register. This is why I coach youth sport and help out the kids, to see that moment when the light bulb turns on, and suddenly they are into it and excelling. The kids only use little digital cameras, and there are always a number of photos that so many people that went straight into DSLR’s couldn’t get. It’s about refining your eye and visualising what you want to do. These principles apply to many experiences in life. By getting the kids to concentrate early on and keep practicing you know that you’re setting them up for something good 
So as you can see, most of the time it is not the gear that makes the photographer. However, there are many times when it is best to get someone that does have more knowledge and better gear than your own for an event or certain project. This is where I step in. What got me thinking about this recently was an opportunity to take some photos for a number of uni teams at the uni games in september. Already I take lots of sports photos, so that isn’t the issue. The issue is that no one ever thinks of getting someone to take photos, or they think that a mum of dad on the sidelines will get a good enough photo simply because they have a digital camera. This annoys me immensely. I’ve now coached sporting teams for 3 years at my high school, and it annoys me how little emphasis is put on recording the students playing. When I was in grade 12 and got my first camera I was out at most rugby games and took quite a few photos. I’ll admit now that my skill has progressed a long way since then, but it was the fact that the boys had a physical memory of their time playing rugby for the school. A number of parents even told my mum to thank me for doing it. I’ve taken photos over the years that I’ve coached, and they’ve always been met with great appreciation. People want physical memories, and no one is letting the organisational bodies know. I even sent a letter in to the high school the year after I graduated offering my services for weekend sport fixtures. I was turned down and told that ‘as I did in grade 12, other boys have also taken up photographing weekend sport’. This was total bullshit crap. I knew that no one was, it was the fact that people didn’t see photography as a worthy expense. Their loss though.
I play club touch football, and over the past 2 seasons I’ve started taking photos at the odd match. These have been greatly appreciated, because once again no one had a physical record/memory. So this season I’m looking to spread the photos over most of the club’s teams and get people that memory that is missing.
What got me thinking about this issue of photography neglect was a conversation with a mate about the upcoming uni games. It was a bit pricey for me to participate but I said that I’ll turn up and get some photos. He said that, ‘photos would be awesome’ and suggested that there are lots of other sports that I could take photos of as he was sure everyone would appreciate having quality photos of their games. THANK YOU! This type of thing is what I love to hear. When people can actually appreciate that I can deliver a high quality result and that it will be enjoyed. Sure you can take a little digital camera down and stand on the sidelines, but nothing will be as crisp, as close, as detailed, or even as well framed. So that’s my plan. Head to uni games and take some really good shots of as many UQ teams as I can get to. I’m going to try and contact someone close to the organisation of the teams, so that maybe we can set something up
Ok so I don’t know if this all flowed well, or even makes sense to a lot of people, but it was on my mind and I thought it would be good to get down in type.
I saw an advanced screening of the upcoming film ‘District 9′ last night, so I’ll give you all a taste of what it’s about and why you should all see it in the next post.
Nelson
