That was interesting, Mare. Thanks for sharing.

There are many ways to be a good photographer. The ability to pose people and/or use props, as Eduardo did, is one way. Someone else might be better at recognizing photo ops without altering the scene. I used to joke that my "talent" as a photographer was knowing where to stand. And then one day a National Geographic photographer told me (before I said anything) that knowing where to stand was one of the best qualities a photographer could have.

My dad was great with lighting a scene, but his daughter knows only about natural light. He was a wonderful photographer of people. I am not.

It's true that even the most expensive cameras can take lousy pictures in the wrong hands. But it's also true that a great lens can create images of unique beauty in the right hands. A good lens can add immeasurably to the quality of a photograph.

Well, it's nice that I am spared from experiencing lens envy as I look at these pictures. I like the first two a lot, but dislike the third, which I find unsettling--which was probably his point.

Art is always so subjective. :-)

I agree Susan. The 3rd picture was somewhat creepy. My problem is that I just don't take enough pictures.

I don't care much for his style, but I agree that a good eye can't be beat. And it does take a lot of photos to get a good one!

I enjoy taking pictures, but it is not my passion. Just fun and a great way to keep memories alive.

This week someone told me about a local pro photographer who takes thousands of pictures at a time--35,000 at one recent shoot. He does scenic photography.

To me, this sounds crazy. Digital excess. Did Ansel Adams shoot 35,000 negatives in one day? I sincerely doubt it. No, he put thought into his composition and technique, and "post-processed" in the darkroom.

Mare, it helps to carry a camera with you. I have one in the car at all times. Or use your phone. I don't use a smart phone, but I've seen some decent pictures taken with them. But don't shoot 35,000 in one day. LOL

My sister is a pro photographer but she doesn't have an eye for photography. Does that make sense? I love to take pictures. I try to get down on the ground, I've twisted my body in ridiculous ways to get "the" shot I'm looking for and try to compose them the best I can. She gets so angry when I take a good shot because she paid tens of thousands of dollars for her course (in Victoria BC) and all her equipment. And I have a Canon 60D and a few inexpensive lenses. And a pocket camera. I've seen excellent shots come from an iPhone, and crappy shots from a Canon Mark III. If you don't have your camera set up right, the exposure right, the angle right, no camera will take a good picture. And then you have people who think they can just fix the picture in photoshop and they don't just fix the picture, they murder them by over whitening teeth and eyes. And all their friends still oooo and aaawww over the pictures saying how good they are. I would rather someone be brutally honest (even if it does hurt my feelings) than compliment something that was done wrong. The trick to taking a good digital photograph is to pretend its film. Rather than taking 100 shots of the same thing, know what you want, take the time to compose the shot. Make sure your settings are right. And take ONE shot and walk away. I will purposely only take one lens with me too, to force me to shoot one way for a day. It also helps you get a little more creative. One of our pharmacists took an online course and holy cow is he EVER GOOD! I made him buy a Canon G12 (my point and shoot) and told him to use that and only that for his nieces birthday party. He said it was the best investment he's ever made. He got so creative his pictures turned out perfect. Sometimes I use the "spray and pray" but try not to do that often. I did get lucky at the Stampede last month when I did that:

Here is a link that might be useful: My favourite

Great shot, Debby!

And all their friends still oooo and aaawww over the pictures saying how good they are.

I see that a lot on FB, as I'm sure you do too. Someone will post a pic of a flower taken in bright sun with iffy focus, and her friends will exclaim that it should be submitted to a magazine for the cover. I think those compliments are sincere, though. Many people don't have a critical eye for photography--and that's probably a good thing. :-)

I love this woman's work. I hope it's not sour grapes to say her excellent camera makes a significant contribution to these images. What she does with this fine camera is a wonderful thing. And she's been taking pictures for only two years....

There is a friend of a friend on FB who does photography. She lives in a small town north of Calgary. All of her family portraits are exactly the same. The only difference is the family in the shot. No creativity. I admit, I'm not creative which is why I am not a photographer. LOL She did a wedding and soooooooooo over whitened the brides eyes and teeth and everyone gushed over the pictures. They were horrible. I've been asked to take pictures at weddings, but refuse. Nothing worse than being paid a small fortune to take pictures of the wedding ceremony and having someone stand in the aisle taking a shot with their cell phone blocking the view of the bride and groom.......

Here is a link that might be useful: This is how to ruin pro pictures at a wedding that the bride and groom pays thousands for

It's the individual's talent and capability, together with the technical knowledge of how to use the applicable tools and variables, that produces a superior result.

Rory McIlroy could shoot par using the old and inexpensive golf clubs sitting in your garage. Eric Clapton could pick up your son's $100 guitar and play something out of this world. Ansel Adams could have used a box camera to produce memorable images.

Higher quality tools in the hands of a competent user can provide more alternatives and the highest possible quality of output. But they can't compensate for a user's lack of talent.

I would like to share a tip.....run every photo thru a FREE photo editor. Photobucket has one or Tuxpi.com is one....

ALWAYS do this before posting a pic. It will get rid of glare, add sharpness, crop, saturate the colors so they are more pleasing....

Susan, thanks for posting that link. Those pictures were wonderful. Debby, that was a really good shot, great perspective. I doubt that I have a good critical eye for photography, but I know what I like. Those pictures of the kids on the farm evoked warm feelings. Thanks for your tip Nicole. I'll do that, your pictures are great.

Scenes change too quick. You can't take one shot and walk away. Happy with my cheapie camera, it does what I want, not expecting pro results. Even if you spend the money for better results, posting it on a forum has the inherit ability to lose the quality you tried to achieve.