If you read any kind of photography magazine, whether print or online, you will invariably come across articles with titles like “What is the best camera for landscape photography?” or “The best equipment for street photography” or something else along those lines.
I see these kinds of articles and posts frequently, and I sometimes read them. Occasionally, they are informative. Often, they are trying to convince me that the gear I have is not adequate for my photography. If you only buy this one camera body or that one lens, your photography will improve immensely. Sometimes, that may be true, but, in most cases, it’s not.
So, what is the best equipment for your type of photography? Well, I learned the answer to that question last week, and the answer is actually quite simple. The best equipment for photography, whether it be landscape, travel, portrait, or anything else, is whatever equipment you have on hand at the time.
I learned this lesson in a very practical manner last week.
My office sits no more than one hundred yards from the Arkansas River. Outside my window are a group of trees that I have always found interesting to look at. When I’m at work, the conditions are never all that conducive to a good picture. But, that has never been much of a concern since I don’t haul all my camera gear with me every day to work.
Last week, however, things were different. I woke up to heavy rain. I drove to work in heavy rain. I walked into the office in heavy rain. Needless to say, my photographic aspirations for the day weren’t all that high. Not that that mattered much anyway because all of my main gear was sitting at home.
By mid-morning, the rain had ended. Around lunch time, I noticed that fog had begun rolling in along the river. It wasn’t much at first but enough for me to take notice. Within half an hour, the fog had become so thick that I could no longer see the river. The river had simply disappeared.
Then, I noticed the trees. The trees that I liked to look at but could never really figure out how to photograph now stood out in stark contrast to the foggy gray background. What a great photograph it would have made if only I had my equipment with me. Oh well, so much for this great opportunity!
I continued to look at those trees wishing I had my camera and lamenting the fact that I didn’t. Then, I realized I did have a camera with me – my phone. I rarely use it, and, when I do, it’s only for snapshot quality pictures. I didn’t want this opportunity to get away from me, though. So, I grabbed my phone, zoomed in on the trees, tapped the shutter button, and got this shot.
I rather like this image, but I didn’t capture it with my best equipment. Instead, I photographed it with the best equipment I had at that moment.