Returning to One’s Roots by Using a Point and ShootPosted by drfl on November 24th, 2009

Over the Sea of Grass

When I was a young lad I had a 35mm Kodak camera that I had won at a contest in Montana.  About once a year my family and I would go on a trip, usually to a national park and I would be sure to pack the camera.  I would take several rolls of film and I would ultimately end up exposing most of it in the first couple of days and then I would have to ration the rest for the remainder.  During the time I was scurrying up on rocks and running up to lake shores to snap a quick photo, I had no idea that one day that would turn into something greater.  My only goal in those days was to capture the beauty around me so that I could be reminded of it later.

As time has progressed, so has my equipment.  During college I used a completely manual Pentax K-1000 to capture almost solely black and white images.  I did quite a bit of dark room work in those days, rolling and exposing my own film, and creating prints until the dead of night with only a singular red light for illumination.  I learned of different lenses, apertures, and shutter speeds.  I first used a tripod and a medium format camera.  Needless to say, the quick point and shooting slowly morphed into more deliberate, careful shooting, I had become a “serious” photographer.   Besides, now I had a grade depending on it.

Set Adrift

Upon graduation of college I bought a Pentax ZX-M, essentially a 1990′s version of the K-1000.  For many years I would carry both cameras, one with black and white film and the other with color slide film, but for the next few years I was back to only photographing vacations and family gatherings. 

When my wife and I married, one of the gifts that we received was a small HP digital camera.  Although this camera could only capture 2 megapixels, I loved the immediacy of the images which would guide my photographic desire.  On our subsequent honeymoon to Colorado, I carried 3 cameras, film, memory cards, and a tripod.  After that trip I knew I wanted the performance of an SLR fused with the abilities of a digital. 

In late 2004 digital SLRs were finally becoming “affordable”.  I was amazed at the image quality that was produced and to boot, I was sold on not having to carry 3 cameras!  I could get the instant gratification of a digital, the quality of 35mm, and I was able to convert any image to black and white in the camera or later in Photoshop.  I bought my first DSLR, the Canon 20d and thought I would never look back.  This purchase, of course, led to a couple of lens purchases, which then led to a Canon 5d purchase, which led to another lens purchase, which led to, well anyway, it eventually ending up leading to 20-30 pounds of stuff on my back and lengthy amounts of time to capture a single photograph.

Alone on a Foggy Shore

Once my daughter became mobile (very!) I found the setup way too burdensome and I needed a way to get quick shots of her without lugging the equipment around.  It seemed I needed something with more portability, easier to use, and the biggest features I wanted from a technical standpoint was RAW file compatibility and manual controls.  Keeping with the Canon family I picked up the Canon G10 a month after its release.  I immediately put it to use for family snapshots, but I didn’t really use it for any other shooting.

About 2-3 months ago I hurt my knee and so I’ve attempted to be easier on myself.  Hauling an additional 30 pounds wasn’t helping my situation so I’ve found myself grabbing the G10 for some nature shooting.  I’ve found that I’ve had to readjust to how the little guy takes photos, but once I’d mastered some of the intricies I found how flexible I could be!  I never use a tripod and I venture out to see what I can find in short periods of time.  Sure, more photos go straight to the recycle bin, but I have also found images that I would have never captured with my huge setup.  Previously, I would have spent 1 hour photographing a pine cone, now I find myself exploring a larger area. 

Endless Fog

This doesn’t mean I’m giving up my DSLR setup.  On the contrary, I believe the point and shoot has made me more effective since I can try so much with so little and thus go back to the DSLR and expand upon my successes.  I have essentially returned to where I began, but with more experience and direction.  So pick up a point and shoot and go out unencumbered.  Shoot like you probably once did before the gear lust took over.  You may find yourself rediscovering a simplicity that improves your photography. Remember, it’s the vision that makes the photographer, not the equipment.
 

Sleeping on the Forest Floor

These point and shoot photographs can be viewed on my website at: Journey Of Light Photography