Why Your Camera Stopped Taking Good Photos

Every photographer and camera goes through this phase, where your street photography suffers because your equipment just isn't good enough, right? Well, our street photography camera might not be the one to blame, we too are at fault. What can we do about this? Where can we channel our energy and effort to overcome this obstacle?

Check out MPB here and grab a used camera deal!

--------------

You might be interested in these:

Some of the above links are affiliate links, by purchasing via these links I receive a small commission.

#streetphotography #camera

[GeorgeHolden]

Check out MPB here and grab a used camera deal!

[redgopnik]

"your camera stopped taking good photos because YOU stopped taking photos, good or bad"
honestly great advice, i need to get myself outside far more than i have been lately

[thdecadefilms]

Love the video! I feel like 95% of YouTube revolves around praising the releases of new gear and why you need it. I honestly wish more people just would just stick with a certain piece of kit for a long time and push it to its limits. It’s so much more inspiring for creation!!

[putraisyraq]

Love the comparison of car mileage to camera shutter count. As well as not baby-ing our cameras.
I've always been scared to bring out my camera for fear of getting damaged or robbed. Now that I've sold my older camera, I have only 1 left and have no choice but to use it!
Thanks for the reminders in this video, George.

[TigerPaw]

I currently shoot MFT, which I got into because I needed Olympus' IBIS to fight a tremor in my hands. That being said, before the tremor developed, one of the best, most artistic, and most meaningful (to me) photos I ever took was with a Cannon PowerShot G2 (4 megapixel). It printed out on 8" x 10" matte finish paper with a beautiful soft filmic look. And I can't even take full credit for wonderful photographer's skills. I was just in the right place at the right time and recognized a wonderful photo right in front of me.
The moral: always have a camera, any camera, with you. You never know when a special photo possibility will walk right up to you and shout, "Click the shutter! Now!"

[corail]

Photography is like every asset driven hobby. The companies keep coming up with fancier and fancier gear - reviewers, influencers, blogs, youtubers all come out with posts about how this new thing makes the old thing obsolete (rinse repeat every few months), people who aren't focusing on obtaining the basic foundational skills will seek to buy said new gear thinking skill will come with it but it won't. A pro can take amazing photos with the worst camera imaginable because of experience gained, an amateur with a pro camera will still take amateur photos due to lack of said experience. So everyone in this hobby really just needs to take a break from the internet and continue learning with what they got and in time they will produce some amazing photos as well. (This applies to every gear/asset driven hobby.)

[danielgilleland]

Thank you George! You just simultaneously saved me $1000 from buying another camera, and lit a fire under me to go out and shoot with the camera I already have! (Though I don't appreciate the Fujifilm digs..lol) Seriously though, thank you for taking the time and energy in making this video and putting it out there. You are doing a lot of good and helping the community. My hat's off to you!

[lorenschwiderski]

MFT format is perfect for street photography. The Leica in a larger format may give you some advantage in fine art photography, such as light, shadow, dynamic range for your B&W images. For the easy carry, get the story, perfect handling, my Lumix GX-9 never seems to fail. I may fail, but not the camera. That is in most cases, though one can hit limits if wanting zero grain. For getting the shot, fast focus, and the whole of the story, front to back, you get it with MFT. This format is very forgiving. The cameras can be small and light. Is this not what Leica set-out to achieve? - Loren

[bigdudeohyeah]

While I currently have a couple of older interchangeable lens cameras, I personally learned the most about photography on a consumer-grade superzoom (Panasonic FZ50) as a teenager. While it only had a 1/1.8" sensor and a fixed lens, most of the controls were in the "right" place, and you could set everything manually.

While I'm not a manual elitist, learning all the manual controls helped me understand the technical parts of photography, and now I can just focus on taking good photos.

[lukey]

I kinda got into the hype of consumerism and collected to find the “perfect” camera when I snapped back into my senses and re-realized that my favourite pictures i’ve taken have nothing to do with the camera I used but rather the specific moment or scene I captured. So I’ve started selling and giving away most and only keeping my favourite few. although I do admit since I stopped taking pictures on my phone and almost exclusively using cameras (film, point and shoot, mirrorless, etc.) i’ve enjoyed photography more like I used to

[derrenleepoole]

Personally I've been on a mission to find a camera system(s) that is as simple to use as possible. As a graphic designer, I work with computers everyday. I want my camera to be a camera and not a computer, a lot of cameras now have bloatware with things I simply don't want or need. My first body that did this was the Fuji X-Pro1, which is a great set it and forget street/event camera. I then got the Leica M9, and that has been by far the best camera purchase I've made. Easy to use and hold with a wonderful and very capable sensor that renders beautifully. But by far the biggest surprise recently was bagging the original Canon 5D Classic for one hundred quid! Now, I never thought for a million years I would own a DSLR, let alone Canon, they were never a system I considered a good fit for me. But boy was I wrong! Sure, it's heavier than what I'm used too, but it does everything I've wanted in a camera for a long time. A good fit between a film shooting experience with added digital convenience. No EVF, no chimping, you can easily adapt old vintage lenses for dirt cheap, a battery that lasts for days, and a sensor that is outstandingly good for an 18 year old camera with a great filmic render. I personally believe camera manufacture and design reach a flatline sometime ago, and we're only really seeing small incremental improvements, that may or may not justify the cost. Going backwards (so to speak) with using older gear has been a very valuable lesson, teaching me the difference between what I actually need, versus what I want. Recently I shot Elvana (Elvis fronted Nirvana tribute band) at King Georges Hall in Blackburn with the Canon 5D Classic, and it delivered in spades. This is in part because I was free to just be in the moment with no menu diving, no silly buttons to press. That makes all the difference. Shoot what makes you happy.

[MrRafalEn]

I am rocking Fuji X-E3 + 35 f1.4 for the past six years. One camera, one lens only and I did shocking amount of images with it from landscape, travel, street to portraits. I didn't take as much images with my previous cameras all combined (D90, D600, A7) as just didn't take them with me every time due to size. For photos GR III is tempting as I would have camera with me all the time but I started to do some video so I am looking at A7C II as well. Apart from that there is nothing wrong with my camera and I wouldn't change it at all. Well maybe apart from rubber grip that is coming off for the 5th time and I can't find replacement anymore from Amazon. Nowadays I would need to send to Fuji and be without a camera for weeks. Ah and fun fact is that lately I tested A7C + 50 f1.2 GM (so almost newest and greatest). Not much in it to be honest...big, expensive, too sharp images and more editing required compared to Fuji. Know your gear and have fun. Great video George !

[rtyt]

I use my Nikon D700 with a 50mm F1.8 lens and I love it. The best camera I have ever bought and serves its purpose brilliantly. But when I go travelling I take my Nikon D50 with me and honestly I have had so much fun with it. Never realised a small, cheap DSLR would be so much fun. I got it for free from my school which makes it even better. It’s suffered through drops, the bottom of my bag, car keys, rain and heat and still goes strong to this day. I love shooting with old cameras it’s fun as

[danielnewton]

For a couple years now I have been using my phone as the primary camera take photos on, and it has really changed the way I take photos. I use an app that allows raw photos on my iPhone, and the quality in the right lighting can be incredible. Being able to edit immediately on the device also means I don’t have to worry about managing files like I would with a normal digital camera. Getting to know any camera well allows you to get the most out of it and being able to capture any moment at any time allows for experimentation and growth anywhere. In short, make the most of whatever camera you have with you.

[Lafleurwander]

you are so right, popular belief among so many photographer that you need the best/newest camera to make great shot. But then you realize the best photo have been captured with random/or old camera. I love my OM EM1 II even if so many people are judging my choice of MFT sensor haha. but my most used camera finally is the one I always have with me, the Xf10, not the "best" but always ready :) . thanks for your video

[KarySchump]

This was funny and right on point! I think sometimes we get stuck in the gear grind because it's a fun distraction, looking for the newest or the oldest camera to add to our collection. Collector and photographer can be the same, but not always. I also think while a prime lens is great for street photography, if you only have your kit lens, it will work. :) You make great videos, and it's fun to see what you're making! Thank you!!

[jacobh.]

Love the video! I keep my love for photography as my own little hobby since collecting cameras and shooting film has been a lot of fun. Thankfully I'll be able to keep my costs down since I do all my own film rolling, developing and scanning. I look forward to your next video and hopefully some more M43!

[classic.cameras]

My best suggestion is HOLD YOUR CAMERA WHEN WATCHING NETFLIX/STREAMING. I find its one of the best ways to get to know your camera, to get used to it, to do sample shots you will delete, etc. Its especially good for getting used to vintage lenses.

[PunkFerret-xl]

I’m someone that knows all of these cameras you mentioned very well. They are all from an era (1980’s) when I dreamt every day about owning the very best (Nikon F3, Olympus OM4) However I quickly realised many years later as you mentioned you have to max out the capabilities of what you have.

[JessicaNeidingHaverly]

Babying my tools is something i have really been working on this summer and fall. I was bringing my cheaper point and shoots before my mirrorless up until probably July. I'm going on a not photo work trip tomorrow and am forcing myself to bring my best camera with the smallest lens.