What kind of camera do you use?

I'm often asked this question when I'm out and about. When I do art shows, I get asked this at least several times during the day. It is certainly a natural question to ask a photographer, but one that is fraught with danger. Is it simply an ice breaker to engage in more conversation? Does the asker really care what I use? Is the asker on the market to get a camera and really needs some input? Is he/she judging me because I use a Nikon over a Canon? Is he/she looking for some kind of bragging rights knowing that they have a very expensive camera? Am I over thinking this and need to lighten up?

Often times when asked this question, the person asking is carrying a camera and more often then not it is indeed more expensive than mine. I'm always thinking why does this person care? I rarely ask this question to other photographers mostly because I could care less what they use. It makes no difference to me because what am I really going to do with this information? Run out and buy his camera even though I can't afford it just because he is carrying it? To be fair, when people ask me, they are often looking at my work of large prints hanging in my booth, seeing the quality, are probably thinking that if they had my camera, they to can take photos just like mine. I sincerely hope that is not the reason because that just isn't how it works.

The thing is it isn't the camera that takes the picture. It is the photographer that MAKES it. The difference between 'taking' and 'making' a photo will be discussed in later essay, so for now let's stick with the equipment issue. Most of the images on this website were made with a humble Nikon D40. It is Nikon's least expensive, entry level DSLR and has only a 6.1 megapixel sensor. Many people seem amazed at this fact, that a relatively cheap (if 5 or 6 hundred dollars is cheap) camera can take such brilliant photos. More importantly that they can be printed in a large format. I can print images up to 12"x18" on my old Epson 1280 printer. I have had some of them printed larger on canvas (giclé) at 16x20 and would not hesitate to print even larger. Again it isn't the camera, it is the person making the photos.

Before I purchased the D40 I introduced myself to the digital world with a 'point and shoot' Nikon Coolpix 7900. It has 7.1 megapixel resolution. Does this mean that it has a higher resolution than the D40? No it does not because the sensor in the D40 is bigger than the 7900. Size does matter. Megapixels are not that important. Having said that, there are many images on this site that were made with the 7900 that are gorgeous. Just because it is a consumer level point and shoot doesn't mean that it can't make great images. There are certain situations where I prefer to use the 7900 mostly for very close up or 'macro' photos. Almost all of the flower images on this site were made with the 7900. I have made very beautiful prints at 12x12 again, with my Epson printer, and would not hesitate to make these larger as well. Under the right circumstances, any camera can be used to make great images. The most important thing is knowing how the camera works, what it's limitations are, what are the conditions that you will be shooting in and what you want to do with it.