[Leica] FWD: Talent vs Gear vs Money

[Bill Erfurth <m6rf@yahoo.com>]

Hi Gang,

This is a great piece that I picked up off of the
Nikon list.

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From: Jonathan Castner <jonathan@jonathancastner.com>
Subject: [NIKON] Talent vs Gear vs Money

Ok, all three: Talent, gear and money are important,
but
one is singularly
critical to getting good images.  Talent enables you
to
find, think up and
control the intended image, so that you can produce
what
you or your client
wants.  Gear enables you to provide a certain look or
produce the image in
difficult conditions, such as underwater. Money
enables you
to control the
fine external details, like renting the helicopter,
model
or going to an
exotic location for the assignment.

HOWEVER! There have been so many great images made:
1)  By total beginners who were just lucky.  Some
Pulitzer
Prize winners
were rank amateurs with little more than point 'n
shoots.
2) Made with the most minimal of gear. David Allen
Harvey
and William
Allard, long time National Geographic photographers,
usually do the bulk if
not all of their stories with a single body and 35mm
lens. 
Ansel Adams
didn't need more that about 3 lenses in his entire
career. 
3) With no money.  There are wonderful images to be
made
without spending a
penny.  If you determine that the only way to
photograph is
with expensive
models in an exotic locale while you are photographing
them
from a blimp
with the most expensive equipment possible, then fine,
but
that doesn't
necessarily mean that it will be any better of an
image
than doing the
shoot at the local park.

What all three have in common is: They give you
choices. 
Money gives you
access to things to make the job easier and
potentially
more interesting
circumstances.  Gear gives you more options as to how
the
photograph could
look.  Talent enables you, however, to recognize the
good
image and be able
to use your gear and money to your advantage to the
end of
not even needing
super gear and tons of money to make wonderful images.

Talent is really
everything when it comes to being a long time
professional.
 If you have
talent, you can produce the goods where ever and how
ever. 
If you can't
find and make interesting images armed with only a
manual
body, no motor
drive, a 50 mm lens, manual flash and slide film, then
all
the money and
fancy gear will, at best, only marginally decrease
your
ability to make
good images.  Without talent, you are working on luck
and
that doesn't
happen all that often. 

Bottom line: A talented photographer can go anywhere
at any
time armed with
only an FM2 and 50mm lens and consistently make good
solid
pictures.
Without talent, but with a case of the best gear and
loads
of money, when
you press the shutter release, you will keep saying
the
seven deadly words
of photography: "Gee, I hope that one comes out!"



Jonathan Castner - Photojournalist
Denver
Office: 303.467.6945    Cell: 303.875.7940
jonathan@jonathancastner.com
Online folio: www.jonathancastner.com
Represented by: Zuma, Reflex and Picture Desk
International
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