Photons to Fotos

The interaction between new technology and a new outlook is an interesting one. One of the mantras of my university tuition was

“The Medium is the Message”

Is it also true that the language of photography changes depending on the instrument being used. In the same way that a fountain pen changes my handwriting from an undisciplined scrawl to something which could at least at first glance appear civilised, could a different camera or lens change the way in which we photograph.

This is certainly true to an extent with lenses. A lens changes perspective, an extreme wide angle forces composition to ensure interest while a telephoto isolates detail in both planes. The realisation that this also true of the camera employed is only now coming to the fore in my mind.

Prompted by an update of my Nikon Mirrorless Z6 to A Z7 II no doubt…actually more by the reading of the manual of the newer camera, than by anything else…but it is certainly true that i have re examined the way in which i have used the Z6 and realised that there were things i could have done better, and things which i needed to learn how to use properly.

Certainly, technology can appear overwhelming, but even there, the act of conquering the new tech, understanding how to use the new features and which button does what and when, is in itself a change of perspective…maybe not a paradigm shift, but an evolution not the less.

Maybe it is true that act of conquering better instruments makes us better at our trade? Of course the obverse also applies.

The more our instruments make our life easier, the more control we lose over the minutiae of our craft.