Alright, time to respond to the question of the week! "Does equipment matter?" Before I get to that question though, I thought it would be good to point out...

Ben Lowy is a professional photographer.
Ben Lowy, the gentleman who captured the photograph that is being used for one of the Time Magazine covers is a professional photographer, as were the other 4 photographers that Time hired to cover the events of Hurricane Sandy as they unfolded. Time and the photographers used the camera phone technology, not because of it's capabilities to capture great quality images, but rather the abilities of the technology to achieve instant results. I'll talk more about that later.

Alright, now for the question, Does equipment matter?

Yes!

But, the answer isn't just that simple. There are many factors that must be considered including:

Reliability vs Functionality
Ability to Operate Equipment
Availability of Resources
Personal Preference

The first one, reliability vs functionality, was the big deciding factor in the Time situation. For instance, they knew there would be a great chance of power outages thus, being able to send the photographs via the phone's signal, instantly, greatly improved the chances of getting the photographs out to the audience the quickest and most reliably. Thus, they hired photographers that have chosen to use camera phones to capture their images.

Put yourself into this situation. You have been contacted to take photographs of guests that will be attending a fundraiser for a high profile organization. It's a black tie affair. Chances are, you're not going to show up with your iPhone or a $5 disposable camera from Wal-Mart to photograph the occasional. Instead, you'll likely go with a little more reliable and functional set-up that would include a higher end camera where items like shutter speed, premature, ISO, etc... can be more precisely controlled. This will help ensure more consistent and reliable results in your photography.

On the other side of the equation, you probably don't want to lug all that expensive and heavy equipment with you all the time, so if you're just walking down the street and see something you want to photograph, the tool of choice might be that compact phone camera that you carry with you everywhere!

Next up in the list is the ability of the operator to control and operate the equipment. There's good reason you need a license to operate different pieces of heavy machinery. If you don't know what you're doing, something horrible could happen. Now, while taking a blurry overexposed photograph isn't quite the same as running someone over with a dump truck, giving someone who has no clue as to what aperture, ISO, focal length, light balance, etc... a camera that can be fine tuned in such a manner is useless to the user. I know, many have automatic settings nowadays, but what is the point of having the ability to control those items if you don't have the knowledge to do so. My mother falls into this category, that is why she has a very simple Sony point and shoot digital camera. It works for her!

When it comes to the availability of resources, this too could influence our equipment. A young, aspiring artist that is new to the photography realm most likely cannot at this point afford the best high-end latest greatest camera on the market. They will likely have to make some sacrifices and go for a model that will have some of the capabilities and functionality they desire, yet lack in other areas. Will this guarantee they will not be able to take great photographs like the other guy that does have the best equipment? No, because the art form is much more than the tools we use.

Also, in this category comes situations where you might not want to take that super expensive equipment. For example, in 2005 I spent the year in Iraq with the US Army. Of course I wanted to take a camera with me, but I knew that sand has a way of getting into every little nook and cranny over there, so instead of taking my nice SLR camera I went out and bought a mid-grade point and shoot digital camera... I think it was a Cannon. It worked just fine for recording my time and events that transpired. And if you're curious, that camera does still function except there is something in the lens cover that doesn't allow it to move freely and usually has to be gently coaxed into the open and shut position when you turn the camera on and off. Had I taken my SLR (which is not digital) that problem would more likely be with the shutter not releasing properly inside the camera body, thus leading to expensive cleaning and repairs.

Lastly comes personal preference. If you venture over to Ben's website ([link]) and read the 'about' area on the right of the page, he talks about shooting with bulky digital cameras, but now shoots with an iPhone. The reasons listed include things like the functionality and being able to send the photographs direct to his blog from his phone. What stands out to me though is he says he chooses to use the iPhone because, "In the last few years I have discovered that my iPhone has allowed me to capture scenes without feeling that I am once again on the job. To “point and shoot” has been a liberating experience. It has allowed me to rediscover the excitement of seeing imperfections and happy accidents rendered through the lens of my handheld device." He feels something in the art he is creating and the tools he is using, and in the end, that's what makes our art enjoyable.

I too have been playing with the camera on my cellular phone over the last few months. In fact, the latest of my pieces in my gallery are all shot on my Android Camera Phone, edited with PhotoShop and then shared with the world on deviantART. It has been a fun experiment and I've learned a lot from having to work with the limited capabilities of the camera on a phone. I would encourage all photographers to give it a whirl.

So, there is my answer to the question of the week. Now for the question that I really think is trying to be asked.... "Is anyone with a camera, regardless of type, a photojournalist?"

It's very possible.

I just had a discussion the other day here on dA with a young photographer who was uploading images of the destruction that was left in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. Basically she was just posting photographs, and they didn't really tell me much of a story. I asked her if she could elaborate on the photographs and she told me that it was heartbreaking. My response was, that is a great start, what makes it so heartbreaking, what were you and others thinking as they saw the destruction, etc... Her response was something to the effect of hmmm... that would take lots of thought.

Yes, yes it would. But isn't that what we're all trying to accomplish with our art? To provoke deeper thought both of the artist and the audience. Isn't that what makes art, art and not just crap on the wall? Photojournalism takes this a step further by doing the same thing while preserving a piece of history at the same time.

So, can some guy on the Eastern US Coast with an iPhone and an idiot in the tide with wakes being created by one of natures furious storms be a photojournalist? I say, yes. It's not the tools we use, but how we use them and the outcome at the end of the day.

In photography the most important is the sight of the photographer, good equipment make things easier but it's all about the photographer.

Luv Ya

Thank you for including my stuff

Hah, not sure what to make of that article. And I wasn't about to follow all the links to dive deeper.

So. Does equipment matter? Of course. Is it the most important aspect? I don't think so. And speaking of instragram, well, I've never used it. But isn't just an image sharing site? And it lets you slap filters on things to make things look old? Heh, well spiffy. But it strikes me as "the latest fad" rather than anything of great importance. Most of those filters, while aesthetically pleasing maybe, are just the icing on the cake. Or something. It's the same as adjusting curves. Sure, it finishes off the picture, but they're all so copy/pasted to each image. Feels like cheap sun flairs people add in just because they can.

This might be an "old man shaking his cane at all the youngin's" thing here, but here's an actual full frame image, shot with my Pentax K1000 [link] Do people even know what that frame border is supposed to be or how it was done?

Anyway, not really sure what to take from that article. It wasn't really the best "does equipment really matter" sort of article.

Maybe it's only me but, under "Contests" this is what I see:

<a <br="">Halloween Contests - Find One Here! is a roundup of all the currently announced Halloween events going on. Check back on the journal for regular updates!

<a"http: kaz-d.deviantart.com="" journal="" capture-your-pumpkin-contest-329098291"="">Capture Your Pumpkin!