Camera Enthusiasts and Photographers

There are camera enthusiasts, and there are photographers, and then there's a whole spectrum between the two. There's no problem with that, it's a big beautiful world full of interesting people and things. The trouble arises, as always, when people confuse one thing with another.

There are lots of people who don't much like pictures, they like cameras. They enjoy the technical side of things, perhaps they like to take pictures of bugs and pictures of the moon, and they like monkeying around with gear and software. That's great, more power to 'em. Some of these people, however, get the idea that they are authorities on Photography with a capital P, and run around giving advice.

The flip side, the more artistically inclined giving technical advice happens as well. We see people randomly recommending Lomographic equipment, or expired film, or sketchy old lenses. These people also think they are authorities on Photography with a capital P, and, worse, tend to assume they hold the moral high ground because they are Artists, after all, just look at their blurry pictures.

Know who you are and what you like. But more than that, try to pay attention to other people and figure out what they are as well. A camera enthusiast receives artsy advice just about as well as the artist receives technical advice.