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Which system?

Shashin

Shashin

Well-known member
Well, all I can say, If I was getting married again, I would have Marc shoot my wedding. Regardless of the technical specifications of his gear, he knows how to tell stories and create, not simply record, moments. None of the technical limitation of his gear detracts from the expression in the images.

Ultimately, this is the problem of reducing photography to simply technical specifications. Photography has been around for over 150 years and the distribution of great imagery is consistent, even though there is a consistent increase in technical quality. My experience has been that photographers are hired by their portfolio, not their gear list.
 
V

voidshatter

Member
Bryan Stephens said:
Now, since sports is my main area of focus, would I bring my MFD to shoot a basketball or hockey game? Probably not because it is not as optimally suited for the task at hand. Having said that, if I had to use an MFD system to shoot such a sporting event, I am confident that I could still capture some fantastic photographs since I know my equipment.
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I completely agree that you could use MFD system to shoot sports. I also believe that the OP can overcome the limitations of his current gear for dark venues with skills. I'm just providing my opinions to pick the better option, because for the same photographer at the same skill level, better gear choice increases the likelihood of getting more and better keepers.
 
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voidshatter

Member
Shashin said:
Well, all I can say, If I was getting married again, I would have Marc shoot my wedding. Regardless of the technical specifications of his gear, he knows how to tell stories and create, not simply record, moments. None of the technical limitation of his gear detracts from the expression in the images.

Ultimately, this is the problem of reducing photography to simply technical specifications. Photography has been around for over 150 years and the distribution of great imagery is consistent, even though there is a consistent increase in technical quality. My experience has been that photographers are hired by their portfolio, not their gear list.
Click to expand...
I agree, though if it was my wedding I would give Marc (or someone else at the same skill level but willing to change gear) some 35mm format gear with fast lenses instead.
 
Shashin

Shashin

Well-known member
The problem is the technically "better" option does not actually lead to more and better results. It just leads to average results.
 
V

voidshatter

Member
Shashin said:
The problem is the technically "better" option does not actually lead to more and better results. It just leads to average results.
Click to expand...
It could be helpful if you provide a side-by-side case-and-control comparison to illustrate how you define "better results" and "average results" for the same dark venue shot by the same photographer at roughly the same time. :thumbup:

"Nikon D5 + f/1.4 lenses + no flash"

vs.

"Any MFD + any auto-focus lens + flash"
 
Shashin

Shashin

Well-known member
voidshatter said:
It could be helpful if you provide a side-by-side case-and-control comparison to illustrate how you define "better results" and "average results" for the same dark venue shot by the same photographer at roughly the same time. :thumbup:

"Nikon D5 + f/1.4 lenses + no flash"

vs.

"Any MFD + any auto-focus lens + flash"
Click to expand...
You do know that photography is a creative medium, right?
 
Shashin

Shashin

Well-known member
voidshatter said:
I agree, though if it was my wedding I would give Marc (or someone else at the same skill level but willing to change gear) some 35mm format gear with fast lenses instead.
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Actually, I would be happy with Marc using an M9 with its old CCD, because he will simply get better images then with a Nikon D5. Not in technical terms, but aesthetic ones. I would rather having meaningful images with a bit of noise, than simply annoying him with gear.
 
kdphotography

kdphotography

Well-known member
voidshatter said:
I agree, though if it was my wedding I would give Marc (or someone else at the same skill level but willing to change gear) some 35mm format gear with fast lenses instead.
Click to expand...
I'll place bets that Mark's response would be the same as mine. If a prospective client even came close to telling me how to do my job and/or what equipment to use, they would not even get the opportunity to sign a wedding contract. They would quickly be shown the door or perhaps referred to a weekend-warrior willing to do a shoot and burn.

You're dealing with successful professional wedding/portrait photographers with many many many years of experience--- and to suggest that an armchair warrior is better suited to advise what they should be doing/using for their work is really quite presumptuous and offensive. It's about capturing the moment, regardless of what you think about the technical merits of one camera, a sensor type, etc. A beautiful quality product is going to be provided--that's a given. If a wedding client has concerns about a wedding photographer, it is going to be whether that photographer's style is a good match for the couple, and the photographer's ability or expertise in capturing their special day. They won't be asking for an equipment list.

ken
 
PeterA

PeterA

Well-known member
that last B&W shot posted by Marc is one great photograph - wedding or not - look at the cinematic posing and the range of emotions displayed on the faces of the people watching the two dance...an amazing shot - really amazing. ...really good photographers capture mood and emotion and from there also generate connection and emotion in the viewer...

let the photographer choose his or her tools of choice...ultimately the proof is in the photographs taken.

all this CCD V CMOS and this versus that format and this versus that chip ...MEH
 
MGrayson

MGrayson

Subscriber and Workshop Member
Any thread that gets Marc to post this many wedding shots is a good thread. My only problem is that the Ignore function doesn't extend to quoted text. Well, you win some, you lose some :D

--Matt
 
D

D&A

Well-known member
voidshatter (I appologize for not recalling your first name)...I realize and respect that we all have our own style and perceptions to what contributes to successfully capturing memorable images of a event such as a wedding.

I believe from most here on Getdpi who are very successful professionals and have had a very long time honing their craft, are basically providing and echoing the same message in response to your postings in this thread. As important it is to have the right equipment to do the job and achieve the goal of capturing the kind of images you envision for both your client and yourself, the one consistant underlying theme has been that the creativity side of capturing images for such events, is far more important than the technical side.

Put a noisy Leica M9 set at ISO 2500 in the hands of a professional wedding photographer that knows lighting and knows the strengths and weaknesses of their camera and associated equipment (related to using the M9) combined with their inate ability to be creative and imaginative and I would put my money on their abilty to produce wedding images and an album that would satisfy most clients as compared to one who uses the latest and greatest gear with the cleanest high ISO performance that shoots at 10fps etc....and is more concened with these camera traits then what they can capture imaginatively with any given camera.

Its been shown time and again that the artist themselves is the most important assest not the equipment and I would also bet that in 95 out of 100 cases, the wedding couple will be far more impressed with those creative Leica M9 ISO 2500 images from these professionals as compared to those from a photographer who puts their primary focus on whether one camera/lens combo has 10 or 15% creamier bokeh or image noise characteristics show a pristine noise free image (as shown in your posted images).

All of us here in this thread can go on endlessly making the same points said 100 different ways, so at some point either one's perceptions are changed and something is learned or there has to be respectful disagreement.

I know one thing with absolute certainty...I've never seen a gallery or museum curator that selects notable photographic images to be displayed or added to a perminant collection or even a individual who desires to purchase a photograph, ever select an image because its bokehlicious or that not a spec of film grain or digital noise is evident. On the contrary!

Dave (D&A)
 
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KeithL

KeithL

Well-known member
Over the years I've supplied a shed load of files and prints to clients and have only once* been asked what camera I used to create the image.

*A camera manufacturer asking me to confirm that I'd used their camera.
 
T

TimG

Member
These threads always seem to start off nice, then voidshatter turns up and starts telling everyone that they can't take photographs unless their setup can do 15 stops of DR at ISO 9999999999 and anything less should be thrown into a bin, because nothing else at all matters - there's nothing to photography at all, light, composition, competence, planning, knowledge, experience, training - nothing matters at all apart from the sensor - everything else falls by the wayside - best possible sensor, or go home.

All those amazing photographs posted below - all junk because they weren't shot on the latest sensor, at ISO 12800000

I think he needs banning, every thread gets wrecked, every thread the same. :(
 
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