That really resonated with me. It’s the first half of a quote the other evening by Bambi Cantrell (amazing photographer, go check her out then come back and read this). I heard it yesterday evening but it’s the second half that holds the true meaning.
Cameras don’t take pictures. People take pictures. Click to Tweet
I think it goes a bit deeper than that though and here’s why…
Pictures in the digital age
I’m sure there are pedants out there queueing up to tell me that cameras actually do take pictures and they’re absolutely correct. They do. That’s why they were invented.
Nowadays though cameras rely on some very sophisticated software to figure out what the lens is pointing at and determine how to set the exposure correctly. But it’s not perfect. The camera’s meter and fancy software do make mistakes and lots of them too.
If we step back in time, my very first SLR was an Olympus OM10. I still have it in fact although rarely use it these days. It was very basic compared to the pocket super computers we lug around today. It used an analogue meter, not much more than a fancy light sensor I suspect, no auto focus, manual film advance. Other than taking pictures it was the Ford Model T to today’s Formula One DSLRs. But I loved using it, and we made some great pictures together.
Stepping back still further, the camera didn’t have a meter. Everything was completely manual. Focus. Exposure. Everything. It was in those early days where the photographer hadto know his or her craft. There was no relying on software to get you out of jail.
Now let’s come back to the present. The modern DSLR is capable of some truly amazing things. We’re almost at the stage where we can wave the camera bag at a scene and create a masterpiece.
Or are we?
The software is good at what it does. It relies on literally thousands of exposure curves and meeting patterns to work out what to do. It measures the light from multiple parts of the frame simultaneously and compares the reading to a big database to know how to set the exposure correctly. But it will always, always, always “make” a very safe decision. It only has a limited perception of the world around it. It can’t possibly understand the scene or the picture you’re trying to make so it guesses. It’s an educated guess, but a guess nevertheless.
So yes, cameras do take pictures but its people that make pictures.
There is a reason that the very best photographers in the world do most if not all of their work in fully manual mode. It gives them control. They read the light in the scene. They know what’s crucial. They adjust and compensate for it accordingly.
I’d like to propose a slight variation to the quote…
Cameras take pictures, people make pictures. Click to Tweet
Over the years I’ve lost count of the number of people who have asked me why, now that they have upgraded their camera to the latest model, their images look just the same. The answer is very simple. They’re using it the same way. Making good images isn’t about buying better equipment, its about knowing how to use it. Buying a Ferrari won’t make me a racing driver. If you buy the top of the range camera and leave it on fully automatic, you’ll get the same images as the guy with the entry level camera on fully automatic. They’ll no doubt be larger and have less noise but they will be very, very similar because the software is similar.
To get a difference you need to make a difference.
But photography is more than that. It’s more than just the technical. It needs emotion and passion and feeling. And that’s the bit that the photographer adds. Anyone can go ‘click’ and they might get lucky. If you start thinking your way towards not just what but also why you want to make the image you will improve. And that is why pictures are made and not simply taken.
