A photograph from autumn 2014 - a colorful leaf in a nearby stream. How many pixels does this photograph need?
I have to admit that from time to time I consider buying (or even actually buy) equipment that I do not really need at all, just because of its availability. For example, I am tempted by pixels despite my knowledge that even my Lumix GH1 has enough of them. This is the case because I sometimes suffer from the nagging thought that a photograph that I really like could have been better had it been captured with a higher resolution. A clear sign of pixel regret.
Our recent holiday was a healing experience for this condition that sometimes overcomes me. I am embarrassed to admit that during our five week holiday I have destroyed more of my photography equipment than in all my life before (one camera, two lenses is the balance). With my high-resolution camera down, I had only my old but hard-wearing Lumix GH1 to use; also in situations where I would have preferred to use the "good camera", if it had been working. Although I heard "should have" and "could have" mumblings in my mind, the results are, in my opinion, perfectly fine. Just have a look at the January 2015 print!
This is of course no surprise at all. It is virtually impossible to recognize what camera was used to create a particular photograph, irrespective of whether it was a small compact camera, a systems camera, or even a medium or large format camera (as long as the print is not too large). If you want to try, head over to the New Zealand gallery and identify the photographs taken with the Lumix FT3, the GH1, or the Sony A7r.
The intention of this post is to remind myself to better resist pixel temptation and other temptations of the photography industry. All my equipment preoccupations mainly distract and keep me from using my equipment to create photographs that I am satisfied with. Moderation is the motto.
Our recent holiday was a healing experience for this condition that sometimes overcomes me. I am embarrassed to admit that during our five week holiday I have destroyed more of my photography equipment than in all my life before (one camera, two lenses is the balance). With my high-resolution camera down, I had only my old but hard-wearing Lumix GH1 to use; also in situations where I would have preferred to use the "good camera", if it had been working. Although I heard "should have" and "could have" mumblings in my mind, the results are, in my opinion, perfectly fine. Just have a look at the January 2015 print!
This is of course no surprise at all. It is virtually impossible to recognize what camera was used to create a particular photograph, irrespective of whether it was a small compact camera, a systems camera, or even a medium or large format camera (as long as the print is not too large). If you want to try, head over to the New Zealand gallery and identify the photographs taken with the Lumix FT3, the GH1, or the Sony A7r.
The intention of this post is to remind myself to better resist pixel temptation and other temptations of the photography industry. All my equipment preoccupations mainly distract and keep me from using my equipment to create photographs that I am satisfied with. Moderation is the motto.
