There have been a few discussions lately between friends about the merits of various cameras, image quality and useability. But, after all the discussion our good friend Annie summed it all up with the line "the best camera is the one you have with you at the time".
Yep. Gotta agree with that!
The main camera I use for work is without doubt better in terms of useability and image quality than any other camera I've ever owned. I have no interest in Nikon v. Canon debates, or which is the best DSLR or the best camera phone. I am firmly in Annie's camp on this one... the best camera for you is the one you have with you at the time.
My camera phone is clearly not as good as my DSLR, but what good is my DSLR when it is sitting at home and I am faced with a sunset or a scene or a snap that just has to be taken?
Everywhere I go I see potential photographs, but I don't have my big camera everywhere I go.
I have just very recently been dragged into the 21st century though, so I do sometimes have a camera phone. Not always. I don't carry a phone around with me unless I really have to... I have a very real and very strong aversion to phones, but that is probably a whole nother story!!
Anyway, twice recently I had my phone with me and saw a few scenes I wanted to shoot. No big camera, just a mobile phone.
At that particular moment in time, the mobile phone had the best camera for the job... well, it was the only one I had so there was no competition was there?
The images are extremely poor quality in comparison to the DSLR. Noisy shadows, blown highlights, blur, ridiculously long shutter lag... heck, I could've made a cup of tea in the time between pressing the shutter and the image recording!! But for all that, I actually quite like the results. They are no use whatsoever for printing or blowing up to any size other than web-size, but there is a certain quality (ok, poor quality), but a certain quality nonetheless that I actually rather like!
The images have a slightly documentary feel to them. They aren't prizewinners or works of art for sure, but there is something appealing about them. They are snaps, and they do what snaps are supposed to do, remind you of happy times or moments; they are a visual record of a moment in your life that had some particular meaning at that moment. They have soul and meaning, maybe only to me, but that is why I like them.
There's a different quality to a high quality, clear and thought-about photograph, but it's not necessarily any the less for being a snap.
Sometimes we need to step back and remind ourselves of what it's all about... I love creating images and photographs, I love making people feel special and better about themselves, allowing them to escape to fantasyland for a while if they need to, but I also love the plain and the simple things in my life. Sitting on a bench on Brighton seafront with John, watching the sun set behind the pier.
Or walking the dog on another grey, muddy, slightly frozen, slightly thawed January day and laughing at him as he splashes through the mud, then inwardly crying at the mess and the stench of wet dog for the journey home...
...and grinning a bit at the thought of John's face when we both appear at the back door and Hogan shakes himself before wagging his tail to be let in!!!
These are moments for snaps. They may be poor quality, but they are top quality in terms of emotion and feel. Can't grumble at that ;-)
Rebecca,x
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