“To photograph is to hold one’s breath, when all faculties converge to capture fleeting reality. It’s at that precise moment that mastering an image becomes a great physical and intellectual joy.” — Henri Cartier-Bresson
The power of photography is limitless. It is worth more than a thousand words; more than an anecdote. It can convince you of realities your mind does not comprehend, and prove rumours real and facts lies. Many would call photography a magician’s trick, an illusion made to trick the humble human eye; a delusion that not only deceives the viewer, but also the photographer. Perception is everything in our world. A quick filter over one’s Instagram photo can turn the most modest morning coffee into a rare luxury one would enjoy only in the grandeur of a metropolis. Beyond the superficial, however, lies a more important aspect of photography: it captures a moment with the emotion of the photographer. Described by French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson as the decisive moment, photography is an important tool to capture the fragile mementoes of human life.
As much as it sounds, choosing your own camera can be a very personal and difficult decision. There are lots of opportunities to try other cameras in the future, of course, but the first step is never the same. Perhaps it is your first time out of the country and you want to document every moment of your trip – or maybe it is a quiet visit to a close family gathering. Whatever it might be, the images just have to turn out perfect. Well, you’re in the right starting place! This post will briefly explore compact vs. DSLR cameras, camera specs, and a little fun you can add to the “ph” in “photography.”
Type of Camera: Compact Digital or DSLR
As you might have seen, all professional photographers seem to carry around immense cameras that might as well be the Hubble Telescope itself. Not to mention the colossal lenses they fiddle with (that’s what gives it the “pro photographer” feel, boys and girls). It looks cool and all; but mind you, compact digital cameras are cool as well. I’m not trying to take away the merit of having a DSLR camera. All I’m saying is, do you want to carry around a massive object while trying to capture your “decisive moment”? The quality of a DSLR camera is amazing; some can differentiate a small particle of dust from its surroundings from a long distance. But sometimes it’s good to keep all your options open. I love DSLR cameras and their impressive power, and also I love digital cameras and their flexibility in terms of physical size.
For DSLR cameras, feel free to check out Alice’s post on her Canon. For pictures from a compact digital camera, be sure to check out my posts [London, Montreal, spring in Calgary]. There are so many fellow bloggers who are talented photographers, so be sure to check out their photographs as well!
Specs
This is just a brief reminder about camera specs – resources are out there if you’re into the technical side of things (full-frame sensor vs. crop sensor, large aperture vs. smaller aperture, etc. and all those goodies). Choose one that fits your purpose!
Other Cameras – Just for Fun
Ok, I might have gotten a little lazy with the last section but I’m too excited about this one to really dwell on the previous. A little over a year ago, I had gotten a Lomography movie camera as a gift and it was one of the most wondrous devices a late-Generation Y individual has seen! Lomography introduces back the good old film cameras in an enjoyable and affordable fashion. Here is the short film I made with my movie camera and some photographs that others have taken!
Featured image: source.
Visit Parts 1 and 2 of Choosing the Right Camera: