Abbie's Real Life Blog

I’m going to be honest here.

It is so irritating that people compliment my photos by saying, “Wow, you have quite a camera!” or “What kind of camera do you have?”

I refuse to acknowledge statements about my equipment as compliments, because they’re actually compliments for Nikon or another manufacturer, and I wasn’t involved with the production of the camera.

If you want to take good photos, the camera is only a tool that helps you get there.  There’s still a lot of technical information that you have to learn so well that it becomes second nature.  A different camera might get you a different result than what you currently get, but you have to learn why in order to take advantage of the differences.  And then you have to actually use the camera.  You have to be in the right place with the right light, and you have to put your skills to use.  All the skills in the world mean nothing if you spend your days inside staring at the television.

I hate to bitch about this, because I’m sure that some people mean well, but it often comes off like a backhanded compliment.  ”If I had that camera, I could take those photos,” is the implication.

Maybe you could.  Maybe I would be great as a jumbo jet pilot, or as a marathon runner, or as a NASCAR driver, if I only had the access to the expensive professional equipment necessary.   But likely the equipment would only be useful if I actually trained myself to use it like a professional.

I’m not really comparing a DSLR to a jumbo jet, but do you understand what I mean?

When someone sees one of my photos and then exclaims, “Wow, you really have quite a camera!” , I smile vaguely, but I don’t respond.  Often they will follow it up with something more specific to my actual talents and/or skills, and then I will thank them (profusely).