Almost every book and blog I read has a set of rules and/or commandments for the aspiring photographer. I find most of them helpful, but also forgettable. My favorite set comes from the well known photographer, John Shaw. However, all of them forget to mention the most important rule of all – ALWAYS CARRY A CAMERA!
And I don’t mean a camera phone. I mean a real camera. I carry my Canon G15 with me every where I go. It is always in my car in case I see anything interesting. I also carry it with me on all of our walks and hikes, and even when we are shopping.
There are times when I will carry my little camera for hours and not take any photos, but I have given myself the opportunity.
I can hear the complaints now – it’s too hard to carry a camera all the time. My camera phone is good enough for snap shots. I only post stuff on-line, so I really don’t need a real camera. Maybe…
The problem is you have self-limited your options when you do not have a camera. Let’s do a quick mini-max analysis. What is best thing and worst thing that can happen when you carry a camera?
Best – you will make an outstanding or amazing photograph with the right exposure, focal length, and size that you can print or post. You may be able to capture a dramatic or historical moment that no one else can. You will create an important memory of your children, family, or life. The file will be big enough to crop and process well.
Worst – you might lose your camera. It is inconvenient to carry a camera. It’s just one more thing to worry about. My cell phone camera is good enough because I never print anything anyway.
I’m pretty sure more good things will happen when you carry a camera than when you don’t.
Finally, you have to ask yourself this question, “are you a photographer or not?” If you answer that you ARE a photographer, then shouldn’t you have a camera in your hands almost all of the time? It does not have to be a big DSLR, but it should be a decent point and shoot that is convenient, small, yet powerful enough to make a good image in the field quickly.
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I used to carry a G12 to carry when I don’t have my big camera, but really didn’t like the result. Now I have a canon 100d, the smallest DSLR, and it is better, but really bad in low light/high iso. Otherwise I agree, I need an even smaller and better carry allways-camera.
I upgraded to a G15 and Mary has an s110 which is even smaller. Both do well in low light and are smaller than their predecessors. Thanks for the note. Happy shooting.