Equipment

Fine images can be made with any equipment provided you use it properly and know its limitations. What is your end purpose for the images you want to make? If you just want 4x6 snapshots then any basic digital or film camera will be fine. If you want to take more control over your photography I would suggest a 35mm/digital SLR or digital compact with manual override. Don't invest in digital gear if you plan on keeping your camera for a while. Digital cameras get replaced by better models on a regular basis and you can't improve the camera you already own. With a 35mm SLR you have the benefits of upgrading your camera at any time with a wide variety of lenses, accessories and new film stocks. Stick to popular brands like Nikon, Canon, Pentax and Minolta. Even if you found your dad's old Nikon FM2 collecting dust in the murky depths of his closet don't dismiss it. Outfit it with some high quality lenses, load up some film and you can make images just as good as any professional level camera system available today. The secret is in the light, not the silly camera. Remember, photography means "writing with light."

35mm gear can create wonderful prints up to 16x24 or larger using proper techniques. I was at a gallery in Jackson Hole in Wyoming and saw a 20x30 Ilfochrome print of a mountain lion staring back at me. The shot was taken in 35mm and I was impressed by the resolution and colour. Grain was evident but it actually enhanced the picture.

For finer results and even bigger prints larger film formats are essential. Currently my primary camera of choice is a Bender 4x5 view camera. The very design of this camera forces you to slow down the picture taking process. Everything is deliberate. There are no spontaneous shots. The camera must be used with a tripod. When setting up for a suitable composition I try to predict where the light will be. Generally I have to wait for better light or come back at a different time of the year. At almost $5 a shot I don't want to be shooting in less-than-ideal conditions. You may ask why I choose to lug 50 pounds of gear into the outdoors and frustrate myself with such a slow method of working. You know I've seen the digital camera! But what motivates me is the quality of a 4x5 transparency. In today's era of digital everything, nothing has yet come close to the detail and colour richness of an original piece of 4x5 film. Adiitionally, shooting in this way, I can connect with my subjects more intimately, resulting in stronger compositions and more expressive images. I trust that you can witness this fact in my print quality.

Although I have such a large camera, I do try to keep my equipment to a minimum. I carry 4 lenses and 6 film holders. A film holder has two sides so I have 12 shots before I must reload in a dark film-changing tent. For panoramic images I use a 6x12cm film back made by Cambo. It slides into my 4x5 camera like a regualar sheet film holder. Sometimes I use an old Rolleiflex TLR for square format pictures. I like to do my cropping in camera so I usually use the format best suited to the subject. After playing with a few film types I have settled on Fuji Velvia and Fuji Provia 100F as my favourites. Velvia gives me brilliant, saturated colour while Provia is more natural looking. I use Velvia for most subjects but switch to Provia for long exposures due to its good reciprocity characteristics and for subjects that require a gentler rendition, such as flowers and saturated sunrises and sunsets.

Using good techniques and understanding how cameras 'see' the world can make all the difference in your own photography, even with mediocre equipment. Don't succumb to the latest greatest gear. Many of us fall into this trap - including myself. Most of my equipmet isn't new and when I concentrate on things like light, colour and composition my pictures become more than just a snapshot.