I sometimes laugh at how seriously most of my photographer friends and I take the gear. We're always so quick to move on from old stuff to new stuff. Almost like we're running marathons and switching from running in hiking boots to running in progressively better and light shoes. Too bad it doesn't really work out that way. Maybe it's even more like moving up from a Porsche to a Lamborghini in an attempt to get through commuter traffic fast... when, perhaps, a nice economy car makes the difference when everyone is going forward at 12 miles per hour....
When I recently came across a small collection of images I took in my free time at a project location I reflexively searched for the file info to see what camera and lens I used. Not a Leica. Not a Hasselblad. Not even a full frame camera. Nope. It was a Nikon D7100 and the early 24-200mm VR zoom lens. Yeah. I was a bit surprised too.
But there it is. I guess this just adds to the idea that being in the right place at the right time is much more important than having the latest and most spectacular gear in your hands. These images are pretty much right out of the camera. Minor exposure tweaking not withstanding.
Can't imagine they'd be any better if taken with a camera that's twelve years newer. Sometimes we might want to stop and look at what our gear (and we) were capable of doing back in the "dark ages" of digital photography. It might slow down the frantic research to find the next great thing.
And I'm so glad you asked about swim practice this morning...
A nice, gray day. A smattering of splattering rain on and off during the swim. No lightning or thunder but fun gusts of chilly wind. Reminds a swimmer to stay low and streamlined in the water.
Warm water and cold air mean the insides of one's goggles tend to fog up quickly. The cure? Lick the insides of the lenses before putting them on. It's a temporary fix but it beats not being able to see where you are going.....
Spit. who knew?
4 comments:
To prevent fogging of your goggles, rub the inside of the lenses with a piece of raw potatoe. Problem solved
Yes. we often have pans full of raw potatoes at the pool side just waiting to be made into vodka and goggle cleaner.
Oh boy.
Best is being in the right place at the right time AND having the latest and most spectacular gear in your hands.
One of my favorite photos from the last few years was first time out with a new camera/lens at a trade show with spectacular exhibits and perfect weather. No matter that I didn't have a clue what all the buttons and knobs on the new camera were.
My job was to not screw up.
I still own my D7100 and although I occasionally think about selling it, I never do. IMO, just about any camera purchased from 2012 going forward is going to check all the essential boxes for making good images in today's world. Of course your vision, creativity and sometimes having a bit of luck is the other half of the equation.
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