Hitting the right keys…..
Have you ever heard someone play an organ or piano and constantly hit the wrong key? I know you have, and when you hear the wrong note when you expected something different, it is jarring. I contend that when you are walking with Christ and we react to something in a way that is not expected, it can be even more jarring.
From time to time I get an email or a response on the blog that I didn’t expect. My reaction says a lot about just how closely I’m walling with the Lord. I think it is normal to have an immediate internal reaction to things we don’t want to hear, but the important thing is how quickly do we recover and respond as Christ would? There is a big difference in a “reaction” and a “response”. A reaction is an almost involuntary response. I may be letting myself off easy, but I think it is normal to first have a backlash to what we don’t agree with, but I think it is a sin to harbor that feeling and let it grow. I choose to think about the other persons circumstances and why they may have reacted the way they did. Sometimes I find they were justified and I was wrong. To that I apologize, which I think is appropriate. Sometimes I think they are being over-reactive and I still try to respond in a kind way, but hold my ground if I feel it is important to make my point.
Writing a blog, especially one that espouses a faith walk with Jesus, is a big responsibility. Fortunately I don’t have to be perfect, I know that I am not and an effort to be so, would be futile. I do have a responsibility to approach my responses in a Christ like manner. I think a healthy discourse about any subject is a good thing. When I was still working for Nikon I met a number of people that held truly hard feelings about Canon users, and I’ve met more than few Canon shooters that felt just has harshly about the Nikon folks. Inspite of the fact that I worked for Nikon I simply never felt that way! I had a lot of dear friends in the industry. Ray Acevedo was the head of the pro tech services at Olympus, and one of the nicest guys I’ve ever known, and we became good friends. Chuckie Luzier who was my counterpart at Canon, and he became one of my best friends in the in the industry! Tom Curley at Fuji and later at Panasonic, Bob Singh of Sing Ray, Roger Laudy of Image Wizards, Doug Murdoch at Think Tank, Stephen Hart of Jasper Imaging, and I’m going to stop because the list would go on and on and on. My point is all of these people and many more worked in the photography industry and we never let our professional allegiances keep us from becoming friends and good associates.
You can love your Canon and we can still be friends, you can love your Leica, or Nikon, or Fuji and we can still be friends. The choice of a camera should not be a barrier to being photo buddies! When Scott Kelby came out with a video on his blog to explain why he was shooting Canon, it got a lot of nasty reviews. I think some people that reacted poorly were saying I chose Nikon and I’m dedicated to that system, and you used to use Nikon and you switched, and that angered me, in truth it made them feel a tiny bit less secure about their choice. I believe that is a silly reaction. I worked for Nikon and I can tell you they make great cameras and lenses and no one that uses that brand should ever feel insecure about shooting Nikon. I never owned or used Canon, but I know plenty of friends that swear by theirs, and I say good for you, from the looks of your images you are more than justified in being happy with your choice!
Photographers make images, not cameras.
For years I’ve shared a reoccurring dream I’ve had: I die and go to heaven and meet Saint Peter at the Pearly Gates, he welcomes me to heaven and I ask him, “please tell me you have photography in heaven??!!” He smiles a big warm smile and says, “You bet, Jesus and God the Father are both really into photography and we have a big club here, in fact they’re both happy to have you join us! In fact here comes God now to welcome you!” I look up and stately gentleman in a white beard is strolling toward me and around his neck on a beautiful leather strap is an Olympus! Guess neither side of the big photo companies won! Who am I to argue!
Blessings,
the pilgrim
Enjoy the Super Bowl!……. and don’t spend all your time trying to calculate the ratio of black to white lenses!
This entry was posted on Friday, January 31st, 2014 at 4:27 pm
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
Could not agree more. Thanks
Much better than I think you’re an idiot!!!
“Photographers makes images, not cameras.” Enough said.
Yes, enough!
Bill,
Your response is guided by love, which is how we are taught to respond by our heavenly Father and his Son! Thanks for being that loving voice of reason among all the “clanging cymbals” who are out there right now.
God Bless,
Bob Lieber
Always remember those clanging symbols are His kids to, further remember we’ve all clanged!
So maybe, it was their turn!
I think you are right about those that are so enraged by a prominent photographer changing systems. I’m surprised we have not had riots by the fanatics after several well known Nikon, Canon, and Leica shooters posted images in their blogs that were shot with a cell phone. Those with other brands of phones could have stormed the cell telephone carriers for having offered the wrong brand of phone or for allowing the brand(s) used for the photos to be offered to the public.
If many of those complaining so loudly would put half that effort into their photography, they would show to themselves that the system they chose will allow them to be a better photographer than they are currently. They would also become a better photographer and have more fun with photography.
I once made a living with my camera, things seemed a lot more complicated and stressful then! Now I use the camera to scratch the itch to explore a personal vision of my world. Back then I shot for them, today I shoot for myself. I was neither a better or worse photographer back then, but it’s a lot more satisfying now. Photography relieves my stress, and makes me smile, and I wouldn’t trade that for anything. If a person is fortunate to have that kind of relationship with their camera, it.doesn’t really matter what kind it is!
I’m not lecturing anyone, just saying the water is fine, you’re welcome to jump in……….
Thanks for your very kind remarks. I know that “hitting the right keys” always results in beautiful music and that desire should also carry over to those we encounter daily. Like you, I’ve always felt there was nothing to prevent me from making friends within our “small” industry just because their shirts had a different logo than mine.
I’m grateful to you for extending your hand of friendship those many years ago and for me to be smart enough to grasp it.
Ray, I’ve told many people that you are a class act! I too treasure the friendship we have shared, thanks for that and for being my friend and brother in Christ! We’ve got get in the field one of these days and do some shooting!
When I look at someone’s photograph, I analyze the composition, the lighting, the color, etc.; I make a decision based on those factors whether I “like” the photo or not – whether it speaks to me. But the one question I never ask is, “What camera took this photo?” It just doesn’t make any difference. I shoot Canon, and I have some friends who shoot Canon and some who shoot Nikon. The camera we use is irrelevant; it’s the results that matter! Some of my own favorite photos were taken with an early Sony digital camera (before I switched to a Canon DSLR). I’m the only one who looks at them and knows what camera was used. When I see people reacting with outrage when they find someone has switched brands (as happened with Scott Kelby), I just have to shake my head. I think you’re right that they’re concerned because it’s as if someone is questioning their choice of cameras – and there’s that fear that their photographs could be better if they were just using that “other” brand. As you prove with your Fuji mirrorless camera photos, it’s 90% photographer and 10% (or less) camera for most photographs. Vaya con Dios, Pilgrim.
Rick, I
think you stated it perfectly, thanks!
I, too, am surprised to hear us-vs,-them noise after all these years. In addition to the excellent points you made I’ll add that photographers have been well-served by both Canon and Nikon. I’m a Canon shooter (well, for the last year I’ve been playing with a Nikon 1 V1 — great concept but definitely a work in progress) and will offer this “truism” to all: Canon cameras wouldn’t be as good as they are if it wasn’t for Nikon and Nikon wouldn’t be as good as it is without competition from Canon. In the end we all benefit.
That said, there may be some historical reason for this foolishness. Over 30 years ago I became a Canon shooter because, well, Nikon was simply too expensive and Canon offered more affordable (and in the case of the AE-1 and A-1, innovative) options. Some photo dealers, tho, seemed to convey that Nikon had a Cadillac-style aura of arrogance around it and maybe that just devolved. In the end, however, it’s the photographer who creates the image and the camera is but a tool in the process. (And as for photo dealers, what an eclectic and dying breed. Even today I gasp when I am in a camera store and hear sales people giving misinformation to customers in an attempt to push inventory or services and I grieve for those honorable ones that suffered because they didn’t embrace technology or sound marketing practices sooner.)
http://www.giftfriendshiptrust.org.uk/air/Air-max-90-essential.html Air max 90 essential
http://www.copleydecor.co.uk/brand/Buy-nike-free-3-V5.html Buy nike free 3 V5