Digital SLR

[nicolodeon]

Photography as an art is not really about having high tech equipment: it is about thinking creatively, seeing creatively and understanding light. While having a flexible system i.e. a DSLR that can allow you to change lenses, add filters, etc - can assist you in taking good pictures, what separates a good picture from a great one is "seeing" what is not there. Therefore, it would be best to learn to think and see creatively.

One might have a $1000 camera but only produces a $1 picture everytime while another might have a $100 camera but produces $50 pics almost everytime. It's not about the toy - it's the boy behind the toy.

One good thing about digital cameras, whether it's a big-boy DSLR or a small P&S is that you can shoot and shoot until your finger hurts and your memory card shouts "Stop! I'm friggin full!". So, there is no barrier for one to shoot many pictures until he or she develops the craft.

However, there are people who are creative by nature and there are people who are not. If you know basic photography rules i.e. rule of thirds, shooting in natural light, etc., you can take very good pictures even if you are not as creative as...say...Hens or Theveed (hey, you should see their pics!)

What should accompany your brand new camera should be books or materials that you can use as reference as you hone your skills. Learning to see and to think creatively does not happen overnight for a lot of people - it takes lots of trial & error, as well as patience and, at times, intestinal fortitude.

So what am I saying? It's like this - you don't need an F1 car to drive like an F1 driver. What you need is to develop the skills, the mindset and the personality of an F1 driver to be one. The camera, like a car, is just a tool - and as with all tools, it's only as good as the user.

Like what our fellow Tsikoteers who are years into photography say time and again to us - "Wala sa pana yan. Nasa indyan na gumagamit ng pana."

Happy shooting.