Buying a digital camera is the first step to becoming a better photographer

A common photo-rookie error is to think that once you have purchased that brand new digital camera you are going to start taking great photos. Following that same logic, many people think, the more money they spend on a camera the better their photos will be.

I got some bad news (and some good news.)  Good photography is made by good photographers. No amount of deluxe camera equipment will matter if you do not have skills.  Now the good news photography is a set of skills that are learnable and need to be practiced.

My mantra, that is often repeated in my photography workshops is “It is not the camera, It’s the photographer”.

Purchasing a camera is the beginning of the process, not the end for being able to create good photos.  Our digital cameras are remarkable tools for personal and creative expression but they require some effort to master and use well.   Invest the time and effort into learning how to make quality photos and you will be richly rewarded.

Creative photography is best produced in deliberate manner.  Carefully observing your environment, finding visual opportunities is the name of the game. Knowing your camera and the tools it has for image making, is how you translate those observations.  Photography, the craft of image making, requires practice and experience to master.  No musician made it to Carnegie hall without practice and no photographer produced great images without the same commitment.