You must have a great camera... and when you need an SLR

I really wanted to call this post "My Magic F*ing camera" because if you ask any photographer, one of the most annoying things people say is "Wow - you must have a great camera!". Yep, it's magic. I just spent the money on it and it grabs photos while I sit back and relax. If you aren't sensing the sarcasm right now, then go ahead and reread that last part. We can wait.

I don't own a magic camera. If you do, let me know, because I would love to own one. I hate to tell you, but if you take bad photos with your phone, a better camera won't help in the least. You will just end up with bad photos from an expensive camera. I have seen plenty of these shots.

Yes, my camera is most likely better than yours. That part is true. I have larger sensors than your phone and much more control of the camera. It also reacts faster to grab split second scenes that are gone in an instant. I also have much better lenses than come with your phone. That said, if I gave most people my SLR and used my phone, I would still have better images at the end of the day.

Why? Because I have spent years learning and studying how to shoot photos. I have shot many thousands of frames. I have edited thousands too The camera that I use lets me get some great control over things like depth of field, focus, exposure, timing, shutter drag and much more. If I leave it in auto I might as well be using my phone or a point and shoot though. It's like getting a Ferrari to go to the grocery store - looks cool, but you need the know how to get the most from it. Many people want an SLR (Single Lens Reflex) camera like in the picture above so they can "take great photos too". Well, I can tell you the pro photographers chuckle about at people who spend thousands on a camera only to let it make all of the decisions and leave it in auto mode.

One of my favorite cameras of all time is a Holga. It comes out of Hong Kong and is about $40 new. It is completely plastic and a piece of junk. It leaks light like crazy, has minimal controls, and really focuses badly. Why do I like it? The photos it can produce have a great feel like no other. There is actually a cult status around this cheap plastic box that barely works. If you can shoot this thing well, you can shoot anything.

So do you want great photos? You really have everything you need. Most of you just need to shoot more and practice more. Practice using the camera you have. Shoot a LOT and look at the results. Compare those to your favorites and ask yourself what you could have done better. Did it need a crop or color change? Did you forget the background an had a telephone pole growing from that kid's head? Did the lighting not work right? Be your own worst critic and you will get better quickly.

If you want to learn to do some of the fun and cool tricks or more control, an SLR is needed, but you need to dedicate some time to learning to control it. You don't need a big expensive one - any entry level SLR today is really pretty good, so around $500. Learn to control it - shoot it in manual, push and pull exposure, aperture vs time exposures, f stop and depth of field, three way exposure control, spot metering are all things you want to play with to get what you feel from it. The basics of rule of thirds and don't grow trees out of people's heads still apply though - the same stuff you should have learned cheaply from your phone.

The bottom line, if you need a better camera, you will know. You will be annoyed with slow response times, poor low light performance, limited controls, etc. If you haven't been annoyed with the limitations of your current equipment, you DON"T need better. If you have, think over the issues you have, and that will guide your purchase. If speedy frame rate is your issues, look at mirrorless SLR. If you want low light, DSLR is hard to beat. If you want compact and better glass, look at point and shoots. Combine this with your price range and you will find the perfect setup.

One other thing you can do is to edit. I don't mean Instagram or Snapchat filters (although they can be fun, they are really toys). Yes, I will admit, Photoshop is the "gold standard", and it is pricey. There are other ways to go though. If you want to get something like Photoshop, Lightroom is quite good and not nearly as expensive (about $100). A free option is GIMP, which I can recommend and really rivals Photoshop in many ways. These programs are not easy and have a learning curve - no "quick filters" here. That said, anyone can learn them and there are tons of tutorials online. It just takes time. Nobody said it would be an overnight fix, fight? These programs can really take your images to the next level. I know of no professional who is worth their salt that doesn't edit their images in some way. It is really a necessity for the best photos you can get.

So you want better photos today? Sorry, but a new camera isn't going to solve it, but practice will. Sort of back to the "How do we get to Carnegie Hall" joke. Practice. That's also the good news - you have everything you need right now to start improving. There are whole sites dedicated to absolutely beautiful iPhone photography. So get out there and start improving today and you might just surprise yourself what you can do.

And please, never say "you must have a great camera"...