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Last Updated on March 18, 2016 by PixelPluck
Top 10 Myths About Photography.
Professional photographers are often associated with a glamorous lifestyle and lots of money. It is impossible to begin as a top photographer, no matter how smart you are. You can only evolve into a top photographer. Skills must be developed with time & experience and mistakes made, so you can see for yourself what works and what doesn’t work. Fortunately, the process is fairly straightforward and you can become an outstanding photographer rather rapidly if you invest the time.
If you are a hobbyist photographer and looking forward to become a professional, then check this quick guide: So You Wanna Be A Photographer?
Here are some of the most common misconceptions and myths about Photography. Create awareness by sharing with others.
10. DSLR cameras are only for professionals:
This may be true for the previous decade, but with dSLR prices being in the thousands and lenses prices almost the same it does not apply to present time. Camera manufactures have really begun to market to the amateur crowd, and you can now buy good quality dSLRs
starting anywhere around $500.
Check out these: Nikon D7200
, Canon 7D Mark II
.
9. Photography is too expensive:
This goes along the lines of previous misconception but technology continues to get more affordable for the average person weather living in USA, Europe or Asia. Yes, if you want the top equipment then you’re looking at a very pricey hobby. But then the results would be worth it if you are good at Photography.
8. You need great equipment to get great pictures:
Not really. A great picture need to be artistically great. It’s important to remember it’s not the camera that makes the picture, it’s the photographer. Some of your all time favorite may come from your first entry-level dSLR
. While great equipment can lead to a better shot or lets say improved chances of getting better image, sometimes it’s just more important to get the picture. If you are into Street Photography then you also need to be aware of whats going outside the image, which may affect the expression or mood of Photograph.
Check out this insightful talk by legendary street photographer Joel MEYEROWITZ “What You Put In The Frame Determines The Photograph.”
7. Photography is too difficult:
Once again, camera companies have made huge advancements in camera equipment and functionality to bring it to the masses. While you’re more likely to get a better shot if you’re using manual modes where you can get exactly what you want, you may end up missing the shot if you’re toying around with settings and do not know exactly what is needed. The auto modes and scene modes do a great job at capturing a moment and are simple to use. Everyone learns by doing.
A friend of mine is always going on about photography jokes. You just can’t shutter up.
— PixelPluck (@pixelpluck) October 13, 2015
6. The camera is more important to the lens:
Camera bodies change yearly, lenses are the real investments. Importance of Lens > Camera. Lenses will be 10 years old but still work great, expensive lenses are built to last for decades and give sharper images with pleasant out of focus are which is bokeh
. A great lens on an average body is way better than a great camera with an average lens. So invest in a good professional lens. Kit lens are nothing compared to Prime lenses.
Check out our post on best lenses to upgrade from your Kit-lens.
5. Canon is better than Nikon and Nikon is better than Canon:
This is a debate that has waged on for decades and will continue to wage on forever and soon the mirrorless will be joining the league. Sony is also catching up. There are many other players too. But Canon and Nikon both are kings. its just a matter of choice and what is your exact use. The truth is they both offer similar products for similar price points. Once you do invest in one it is smart to commit it. So if you go with Nikon, you will probably stick with it for life. Photographers have far too much money invested in one brand lenses to switch over to other brand. Each camera has its positives and negatives and it’s smart to do research as to what’s best for you. All the information you need is available online.
Top Nikon Camera : Nikon D5
& Top Canon Camera : Canon 1Dx
4. You MUST shoot RAW to get good pictures:
Shooting in RAW is highly recommended, but hey don’t try too hard to play with RAW if you are not good at post processing. It needs some technical skill. But there are some photographers who will say it’s an absolute must to get a good shot, and that’s a myth. An average person is advised against shooting RAW.
Because if you’re the type of person who grabs the image right off the chip and may be processes in some free app and uploads it to the internet, well RAW will make your pictures look worse!
Read RAW vs JPEG.
3. You lose quality every time you re-save a JPEG:
This one is true but not in all cases and not noticeably. You do lose quality, but it’s not noticeable unless you were opening and re-saving hundreds of times. This myth has been told time and time again, advising against opening repeatedly in Photoshop
.
2. Film is better than digital because it better represents reality:
This is a common myth for one reason, Adobe Photoshop and New Photo Processing Apps. Now this could be true, it is easier for a photographer to manipulate a photograph beyond reality. But even without a true overhaul, the majority of photographers do edit their pictures in one way or another. Film photographers used to do editing in the darkroom too. While it was more challenging, photographers like Ansel Adams were masters of “dodging and burning” in the darkroom.
Now this myth is subjective. Photo manipulation is different than adjustment, retouching and processing.
1. More Megapixels means Better Image:
Top Myth and Most Debated. Often people think that you need a lot of megapixels to get a good quality image. But look at the evolution of megapixels. From 1 megapixel to 24 megapixels and beyond. The focus has been more on optics, processing, mechanics, sensor etc. While major companies are pushing their products with upto 36megapixels but they are meant for specific purpose. Eg. Nikon D810A
is for astrophotography and has 36 megapixels while Nikon D4s
has only 16 megapixels. More megapixels don’t necessarily mean better images. When do more megapixels come into play? The more megapixels the bigger you can blow up an image and the big megapixel cameras could do some huge murals if you wanted. Advertising Photographers use high megapixels usually.
What is the myth related to photography that you came across recently? Share your views in comments below.
The last point is big myth among many rookie photographers and I was also under this myth for quite a long time 🙂 just when I started exploring photography, I came to know MP doesn’t matter much.
Thanks for sharing such a good article..