I’ve noticed that it’s been one week since I annoyed you with a new post. This can not be! So I trawled my library, lacking recent shots thanks to my foot, and came up with a nice subject.
So you think you need the latest greatest cameras to do photography? Think again!
What you need first is to see that there is a photo to be made. This requires absolutely no camera! You can practice it any time, even when you’re out without any gear. All you need is built in…. your eyes and your brain.
Look around you, imagine the photo from what you see, imagine it from other angles, be creative!
Then, if you have your camera with you (or your phone in a pinch), just go for it. Make the photo you imagined!
You just have to train yourself to see the photos. They are all around us, every day, I swear.
Look at the details or look at the greater picture and see those picture frames floating in the air. This is the most important part in photography.
Seeing!
The rest is just a bit of knowing! Yes there is this second aspect, it’s knowing your camera. This can range from easy, with automatic point and shoot cameras to very hard, with large format boxes. Or anything between!
As I said, you don’t need a sophisticated camera at all. You just have to see your photo beforehand, decide quickly if it is worth a frame (at least on film) and know what you’re doing when you press the shutter. But all this should be as automatic as changing gears in your car.
The whole camera part of this process should be completely natural to you. You should not have to dither about aperture and shutter speed, about focal length and film or presets in digital cameras.
Know your camera and know it’s limits! The rest will come quickly.
These photos were made in 2013, at the beginning of my ‘return to film’ period with the most beautiful camera ever, an Olympus Trip 35. You can’t go more basic! So I hope I convinced you that gear is not that important…. though it can make you feel good 😉
I hope I can conclude saying that the simplest cameras are…. your eyes, as they do most of the business!
Frank Lehnen Photography 
Nice post. I agree, without eyes what purpose are making/viewing photographs in the first place? I guess photographers should also be called ‘eye masters,’ don’t you think? 😀 Great photos and liked the post, keep up the good work.
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Thanks a lot !
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I’m really surprised at the lack of grain! Doesn’t the trip take “half frame” photos? I’ve got some hasselblad photos back recently and they had more grain than these! Maybe just developed badly 🤷♂️
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The Trip 35 is full frame and the film was Ilford FP4. Explains the lack of grain.
I should buy some of that again instead of my usual HP5 I think
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Ah ha, I really thought it was half frame. I Just realised it is the pen! Lovely photos
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Thank xou
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