this post was submitted on 14 Jul 2025
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[–] agamemnonymous@sh.itjust.works 0 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

._. photography is 80% skill and 20% gear and yet, i never get asked "what technique did you use?"

How do you even answer that question? "Rule of thirds :)"? It's not like you're using a technique, it's a mixture of many techniques. Do you just go into a Photography 101 lesson?

"What equipment do you use?" Has a simple, exact answer, which can open the door to more in depth conversation.

[–] shneancy@lemmy.world 0 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago) (1 children)

there's a bit more to it than the rule of thirds

there's always a leading style, technique, or idea behind the process that happens before you take the photo. and that process can be explained, to a degree

[–] agamemnonymous@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago)

Yes, I know, that's why I used it as an overly-reductive example. I'm saying you can't just easily explain your technique. Even if you identify the leading style, a good photo is going to incorporate a number of principles and techniques. That's why my alternative was launching into a Photography 101 lesson.

When someone asks you what equipment you use, they probably fall into one of two camps:

-They're making smalltalk about your hobby, in which case again, that opens the door to a more in depth conversation if that's the vibe. "I used X camera with Y lens, which works really well with this kind of framing at these settings." You can even skip the equipment entirely and just focus on a particular effect and how you achieved it, explaining how it's more to do with lens settings and composition than a specific camera.

-They're interested in the hobby themselves, and looking for information that will inform what kind of equipment they will start using. A good photographer can make use of a disposable camera, but someone starting off needs a bit of guidance to find equipment that is good enough for serious work, but cheap enough for an entry level enthusiast.