paul bousquet photography

There are lots of opinions regarding the whole Gear vs. Vision topic so I thought what the heck, I’ll provide my thoughts on the topic as well. With all of the new DSLR camera bodies being announced by the big guys (Canon & Nikon) and some of the littler kids on the block, there is ample opportunity to grab your cash and buy the latest and greatest camera bodies that promise to take extraordinary pictures for you. Many sites rely on the gear rumors and show you shiny pictures of all the new stuff with convenient links to sites where you can make a purchase. But the other argument is that what will improve your photography more isn’t new gear but an improved or more thoughtful approach to how you go about making those images.

It’s no secret I am a big fan of David duChemin and I have clearly started to improve my craft by practicing what he teaches. I can honestly say that I haven’t purchased any gear since starting to read David’s books and blog. However, I didn’t really need any new gear during this time period and simply did not have any extra dollars to go out and buy a 5D MkII or a D700. I currently shoot with my trusty Canon 40D which I believe is a great camera and continues to serve me well. In fact I will go on to state that my current abilities still hold me back from maximizing the potential of this camera. So I really don’t need to buy new gear correct?

Not so fast. I may not be maximizing the potential of the Canon 40D yet, but I know I am bumping up against some of its performance limits, ISO being the one that pushes me back the most. Some of my photography takes place in the performing arts where lighting conditions can vary constantly and some situations require ISO settings that I can not attain currently. I also enjoy indoor sporting event photography where lighting is not as good as it appears.

So do I need new gear? Yes I do and for that reason I have begun to start looking at some of the new bodies announced and looking forward to several others that are anticipated before making a final decision.

Now even though I need new gear to fulfill some of my photographic requirements, I know full well that the equipment I buy will not make me a better photographer. The new gear will allow me to capture some of the images that I am not technically capable of accomplishing right now, but my creative process is still on the upswing and I cannot rely on a camera to get me to my fullest potential.

I don’t think one answer to the gear vs. vision dilemma exists for all. I think each one of us needs to evaluate where we are and determine if our current tools are holding us back. But I also firmly believe people need to be honest with themselves and question whether they have maximized their creative vision process which will probably out perform any piece of gear out there.

Vision In Motion
Author: Trevor Meier

I do not own a DSLR that can shoot video and I have not used a video camera in a number of years. Even when I did use attempt to make some movies they did not qualify for anything that would be considered art. Vision In Motion is for those who want get a jump-start into the right direction to making video that tells a story. I found this part of the book very interesting since being a fan of Walt Disney, story is something that he was adamant about in making shorts, movies and attractions at Disneyland.

The book touches upon storytelling, character development, and technique for getting the image the way you want it and some basic introduction to gear. Again, not being involved in video production whatsoever (I’m working on getting still images right), I don’t feel qualified to review the book in that capacity. I did find it informative and can see how it would help me begin the transition from stills to video.

For the first few days only, if you use the promotional code MOTION4 when you checkout, you can have Vision in Motion for only $4 OR use the code MOTION20 to get 20% off when you buy 5 or more books from the Craft & Vision collection. These codes expire at 11:59pm PST JUNE 27, 2010.

Click here to visit the Craft and Vision bookstore to pick up a copy

Grand Canyon July 1978

Scanned another one of my Kodak Instamatic finds from a 1978 cross country trip, this one of the Grand Canyon. No idea from what location of the canyon this was taken, no GPS in those days. I’ll need to fix that this time around, might need to capture location with the iPhone.

These old images are also providing me with some input into my thought list (see earlier posts) and helping me decide what I think I might want to capture this time around. It is also helping me to focus on a particular vision by eliminating images I have no desire to capture. I will be taking many images for sure, but at least they will be focused on what I picture in my mind rather than a completely random point & shoot pattern. If I know what I think I want for results, I’ll have a better chance of capturing that vision by being a bit more efficient in the process.

While this is not meant to be a book review per se, I wanted to encourage anyone who is perhaps looking to escape their photography rut or wanting to think in different ways about their art to pick up a copy of Vision Is Better. If you are not familiar with David duChemin he encourages one to spend more time focusing on vision and not gear, “Gear is Good Vision is Better” as he likes to say. This book is an awesome way for you to get caught up on his past postings at his Pixelated Image site without clicking through 5 years worth of blog posts. The book has been formatted beautifully in PDF for viewing on multiple platforms. Check it out at the Craft and Vision store you won’t be disappointed!

Click here to visit the Craft and Vision bookstore to pick up a copy

As part of my preparation for a cross-country trip, I have begun to get organized and plan what I need to bring for equipment on the trip. There are cameras to worry about, memory cards, lenses, tripod, computers, etc. The list I’m making is getting longer and longer as the trip gets closer. But my preoccupation with getting all the gear I think I’ll need on a list has distracted me from a very important part of my preparation and that is: What do I want to photograph? What do I want to bring back as photographic memories of possibly a once in a lifetime trip? Far to often I spend an inordinate amount of time getting ready for a trip or a hike in the local state park only thinking about what to bring rather than what do I want to accomplish. What are my photographic goals and what do I envision coming back with for images?

Part of what is driving me to change my thought process is spending more time lately reading about creativity and vision and trying to put those into practice. I’ve spent many hours learning my gear by reading manuals, watching online videos on techniques and reading many how-to books. There are plenty of podcasts that focus on the gear side of photography, how this lens or that camera or this accessory that will improve your photography. Don’t get me wrong, I like gear as much as the next person, but far too often gear is overemphasized as the savior to your creative woes.

Within the last six months or so I have focused more on what I call the soft side of photography and have concentrated my training on the more creative development aspects. Maybe I’ve had my current camera too long because I feel I know it about as well as I’m going too at this point and I figured it was time to get to work on the part of my brain matter responsible for artistic development. After hearing about David duChemin’s book, Within the Frame, I decided it was time to read something other than my exciting Canon 40D manual and dive in to something that might improve my artistic talents, something the nuns at St. Anthony’ elementary school gave up on since apparently there was not much to work with! Within The Frame has gotten me started in that direction of focusing and on what I want to see in my images.

So, back to the trip planning, I will begin thinking about what I plan to experience while cross crossing the USA and what I want to capture, not only the sights and grand vistas, but of my family as they experience it as well. I have started to put together a list, not a shot list, but what David duChemin’s refers to as a thought list. I hoping this will generate some thinking before I leave on what I want to accomplish on this trip, besides a nice long vacation with my family.