Its not all about the camera

Hey all time for some quick updates.  Erin and I got to spend time with her sister Kelli and her brother in law Jeff this weekend along with her parents in west yellowstone.  We had a great time just spending time together as a family.  It was great to visit and have fun outside.  Erin's dad is addicted to fishing so naturally we spent alot of time out by the madison river.  I took the dogs for a short hike up a hillside to check out some cool looking flowers (pictured below).

 Also I wanted to document all the guys fishing.  However i did not have the appropriate footwear and feared that my camera gear would take a plunge.  So I grabbed Erin's little point and shoot and went to town shooting in the river, waist deep in some pretty strong moving water.  I was really surprised when at the end of the day i began to look at the photos and noticed I had actually gotten some really good shots with a $100 camera.

 I guess I really shouldn't be surprised, it has always been about the photographer and not the equipment.  While it is extremely helpful to have the latest and greatest camera gear it is not essential to taking a good picture.  Point and shoots have there limits and are unable to take some of the editing that the DSLR's that shoot raw can handle.  But lets face when in a pickle if you really know how to use a camera and have a good eye it doesn't matter what you use.

 I think as photographers, both professional and enthusiasts, we lose sight of what makes a great image and put and extreme emphasis on $2,000 lenses and $5,000 cameras thinking that some how they will magically make those great images appear with each click of the shutter.  Im not saying that you shouldn't buy nice equipment, if you can afford it and you know how to use it by all means use it, but as for me I am returning to the basic's of just shooting with the key elements of design at the forefront of every photograph ( Elements of Design : Line, Shape, Direction, Size, Texture, Color, Value)                 ( Principals of Design : Balance, Gradation, Repetition, Contrast, Dominance, Unity, Harmony).   That should be the first thing we think about when take pictures is framing no matter how much photoshop you know you cant really turn chicken shit into chicken salad.  Lets focus more on the subject, take more time an analyze what make a good photo before we get all technical with our settings, lenses and custom functions.

FYI :  I have added more pictures to my Imagekind Gallery which are available for purchase here :http://Jason_Speer_Photo.imagekind.com/ .