Professional photographer Ben Lowy recently had an image of his published on the cover of Time Magazine — an image shot with an iPhone 4S. When asked about whether or not it mattered that he was using an iPhone as opposed to professional camera equipment, Lowy had a great response:
“Everyone has a pen, but not everyone can draw.”
As technology progresses, the push to create creativity increases. Apps like Instagram, Hipstamatic, and other photo filtering suites attempt to give an average user the ability to make outstanding images. I hear a lot of photographers complaining about things like this, attempting to trumpet the value of expensive equipment.
But, like Lowy, I believe it is not the quality of the equipment that determines the quality of the product, but rather the quality of the photographer’s vision. The closer technology brings us to “creativity in a box” the more apparent true artists will become. I, for one, am eager to see the results.
