-- The Midwest Railfan - Railfan Photography Guide

Digital photography is a whole new frontier, both alike and dissimilar to film-based photography. Going digital puts the photographer in total creative control, but requires a greater investment of time and money in equipment. Over the course of time, each photographer builds themselves their own system, encompassing everything from big-ticket lenses to workaday items like flash cards or rechargeable batteries. Every photographer has their own style, and how they choose their equipment is a reflection of their particular preferences. While it is commonly accepted that every photographer needs a camera, some don't have any old slides to scan or see no use in purchasing an expensive LCD projector, thus they would need neither a scanner or a projector.

A boatload of purists claim that the tools don't make the photographs, rather stating that the photographer is the one who makes the images. This is, at its face, both true and absurd. The photographer has to know what to point the camera towards to create a photograph, but the photograph can't be taken without a camera. Yes, yes, I know that I could be shooting with a Quaker Oats tub and a pinhole, but the photographs taken with that would look nothing like those on this site.

So while the purists are screwing around with their Quaker Oats tubs, Practikas, or 50mm lenses, I'll be out shooting trains. For me, a diverse range of high-quality equipment serves to enable my photography. Good equipment doesn't get in the way of the photographer, be it a lens that is fuzzy, a slow computer, or a lame printer. It stays out of the way of my creativity. While I don't use everything in my camera bag each day that I'm out shooting, it's there when I need it. I roster good tools that don't prevent me from taking any photos. No Quaker tubs here.

The bottom line is that good equipment, properly cared for, serves the photographer. It delivers stunning photographs, stays out of the way, and last through time. Finding good equipment? - It's important to do plenty of experimenting to discover the equipment that meets your individual needs.