Credit where Credit's due

I am a photographer. I love being a photographer. There are so many things that I love about being a photographer. 

There is one thing that I dread more than anything in the world though, is the responses that I get from  people (either to actually seeing some of my work, or to when I tell them I'm a photographer.) I've had some shockers lately. I have come to the conclusion (/ I choose to believe) that people just don't realise just how insulting the things they say are.

I displayed some of my work at a stall my friend and I had a recently to raise money for our trip to Nepal. I expect people to comment on my work, whether questions or criticisms, and that's okay, great even, but there is always one, one person who says something that I' sure is meant to be a compliment, but is actually really insulting. 

And this time the gentleman in question was admiring one of my macro water drop photos (one that I'm actually really proud of) and he said "You must have a really nice camera!"

*giant internal cringe*

But I calmly (if rather curtly) replied "It's not about the camera."

He was shocked "It isn't?!"

*sigh* 

Okay let me explain why this is insulting:

1) First and for most: No actually I do not have "a really good camera" I have a Nikon D80, with a cropped sensor, 10 mega pixels, it came out in 2008 which is old when you're talk dslrs and the ISO quality leaves a lot to be desired! (Please understand that I am not saying these things to complain about my camera! Quite the opposite actually, it doesn't matter what camera you have, see point two.)

2) I really really cannot stress this enough! It is not about what kind of camera. As my lecture put it "the camera is just a devise for capturing light." There is a quote that sums up my feeling about this perfectly "The single most important component of the camera is the 12 inches behind it" Ansel Adams. Any skilled photographer will be able to pick up any camera and make great image with it.

3) Note there that I said 'skilled'. Yes being a photographer is a skill. When you say you must have a really nice camera" completely negates my skill as a photographer. It negates my skill, my passion, my training and credits a (essentially) a lump of metal and glass and that is infuriating! 

There is a saying that a bad tradesman blames his tools, but on the flip side a good tradesman doesn't credit them. A builder doesn't say to someone admiring the house they built "I owe it all to the top of the range (insert brand name here) hammers that I have, that how I built the house" No! That's ridiculous! 

Photography is about so much more than picking up the top of the line camera and pressing the shutter. 
When you credit my camera instead of me you are saying that the images that I make are just a fluke. You are saying that anybody can be a photographer (which some many people are inclined to believe but is not the case.) You say that with the right tools any body can do that. 

I can pick up a hammer and nail some wood but that doesn't make me a builder.

A camera is a camera.
It is the tool of my trade that is all.