Things We Lose in the Process: The Tale of the Techno Love Rat
At the dawn of the mirrorless camera a few years past, a familiar spell was cast upon the photographic populous. A seductive whisper lit the quiet fires of discontent to convince us that the previous 209 years of camera companionship were sadly lacking. Our timid souls were tempted from our comfortable SLR lives with a vision of svelte, agile forms and silent actuations in quiet corners. Betrayal beckoned.
Of course the first reactions were that of resistance.
- “I don’t need that I’m happy as I am!” “My current model is so dependable!”
- “But it must get you down carrying so much bulk around?”
Before long the doubts crept in. The one friend who took the plunge is now raving about these new, exciting experiences. They have a new spring in their step, like a weight has been lifted. And the images… so crisp!
With the chain reaction now in motion cracks appeared across matrimonial foundations everywhere and like love rats the world over, the severance began.
Landscape photographers found their backs aching like never before, wedding photographer’s shutters became deafening and words like sturdy and reliable morph into clunky and archaic. As the old saying goes “if it ain’t broke, render it obsolete”
It’s true that circumstances change. People may move on or simply need different things but with technology, we are far too selfish to just make a clean break. Dignity does not befall the digital.
Quite often the “old model” is kept around until the most convenient moment then boom, it’s been traded in without a second thought. Some folks are brazen enough to move the new one in as a second shooter to “pick up the slack”, help out a bit; such a kind gesture! Rest assured it too is on borrowed time.
There are always some who maintain they are happy with their lot and refuse to budge but those true romantics are few and far between. The truth is that however stubborn you choose to be, eventually, the support for that relationship will dry up, the makers will disown them and you will be left with the pressing reality that the new model simply can do things the old one can’t . Nail. In. Coffin.
Or is it?
There seems to be one simple truth which stands firm against this tide of technology.
Emotion.
Emotion reaches to the very heart of photography with roots so deep they can weather any deluge of digital advancement and branches that stretch past the pixel count.
Do you think Steve McCurry’s “Afghan Girl” would be any less impactful had he used “Face/Eye Detection”?
Or were Ansel Adam’s landscapes worse because his camera lacked “In Body Image Stabilisation”?
Let’s not forget this isn’t a new thing. It’s been happening since the beginning. The same thing happened to film when digital took over and I imagine so did it when colour film arrived. It’s simply a part of progress and we shouldn’t ever hide from that. We may tell ourselves that the greats would stick to their particular formats but in truth, if you showed Mr.Adams the possibilities of modern medium format he may well be swayed to give it a go. What’s important is while we can get focused on what we are losing out on, we need to remember to keep track of what we may lose in the process too. Photographs, after all, aren’t remembered by the camera which took them, it’s the moment they capture and the vision of the person who did it. New technology may make that process easier but since when was easy a recipe for greatness?
The trick, therefore, seems to not be one of resistance or blind acquisition but emotion. When you feel that itch to move forward, do so with your heart as much as your head. Ideas don’t have “Phase Detection” or “Bluetooth Connectivity” so while we may use them, let your heart decide. You’ll find soon enough that once you make that change, those gripes you found so unbearable in your previous model were actually what made life interesting. Everything from focus issues to grain or noise can be frustrating but can be and were overcome with great effect. More importantly, they helped craft something all the more perfect. After all, imperfection is reality, it offers dimension, character, and feeling. Take away those things and we begin to rub away the very magic we hoped to capture. Think stock images of coiffured couples laughing over ice cream and landscapes that look like placeholders for discount picture frames. We have more than enough of that already so when you start to feel insecure about your pixel count remember that 99.9999% of all the greatest images ever taken were done so with “old technology” and the remaining 0.0001% will joint it shortly.
Coming from a proud owner of a new camera!
