Nature Photography Photo Workshop

Chapter 5. DIGITAL NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR

Digital Camera Types

DSLR Lenses

Camera Accessories

Digital Photo Storage

Transporting Your Gear

Clothing and Other Accessories

There's a lot of hype surrounding camera gear and much debate over brand X versus brand Y. And unfortunately, many people think that it's the equipment that matters most. I've overheard people looking at a print say, "I wish I had a better camera." But it's important to remember that cameras don't make pictures; people do. Cameras, lenses, and all the trappings can give you various levels of flexibility, performance, and quality for shooting in a wide range of situations, but in the end it's the photographer who creates the picture, and the camera simply captures it.

You need to use good-quality equipment, but try not to get hung up believing you need to always have the newest, most expensive equipment to make the pictures you want. In fact, many of the capabilities of today's gear exceed the ability of the photographers using it.

A skilled nature photographer can make excellent, pro-quality shots with today's midrange, consumer-grade cameras — in fact, many fantastic photographs have been made with less than professional-quality camera equipment, as is demonstrated in 5-1. Conversely, in the hands of an inexperienced photographer, a high-end pro camera won't magically produce exceptional results.

Figure 5-1. ABOUT ...