Warning: Stay away from digital photography!
By Rick Gilbert
That innocent looking digital point and shoot camera you got for Christmas is a gateway drug! Sure, someone gives you this cute little camera with 14 megapixels that fits in your pocket. Watch out! It soon gets ugly. Sure, they say you save money because you are no longer buying film and paying to have it developed. Ha, ha, ha – that’s a good one.
You learn how to upload your photos to your computer. Oooops, better get a bigger monitor. Then you learn to print the damned images on your rinky-dink printer. Oooops time to get a $900 Epson 13” by 19” printer. Then of course, you need ink cartridges… another $350. By now you are unhappy with your camera “starter kit.” You need to upgrade to a Nikon or Cannon $1,500 camera (lens not included, but it shoots cool video). Now you have to buy lenses. You are getting hooked. Your credit cards are maxed out… but wait, you don’t want a crappy $200 lens! No. No. You’ve got to have three or four $1,500 lenses. Oh, by the way, don’t forget the two new terabyte hard drives you need for about $800; one for your originals and one for a backup.
But the financial train wreck is only the beginning.
This sinister new “hobby” requires you to start taking weekend classes. More time and more money. On “auto” your new $3,500 system will do fine, but your more advanced camera buddies laugh at you for always using auto everything. Now you have to learn how to use manual settings: focus, white balance, shutter speed, aperture, ISO… more classes.
Now you are ready to take great photos. Be forewarned: this is a solitary hobby. Trust me, your family does not wait patiently in the car while you spend an hour and a half at a waterfall waiting for just the right light. Hmmmm? Time to see a marriage counselor.
If all this damage isn’t enough, now you have developed what we call “a good eye.” That means when you drive, you are always seeing great shots out the window. You start to drive slower, constantly scanning for your next prize-winning image. Problem is, you do this all the time, even on the freeway. Other drivers honk and flip you off. Pretty soon a cop pulls you over for driving too slowly. Ooops, another moving violation. Now it’s off to Comedy Traffic School.
So, you’ve lost your money, your time, your marriage, and your good driving record. Seriously, stay away from digital photography.
Take it from an addicted photographer. I need a 12 step program. “Hello. My name is Rick, and I’m a digital photographer.”
Hello. My name is Ray. I know Rick.
I have known Rick for a great many years, and he has always been a great guy, digital photography addiction and all. He’s doing very fine work with this site, don’t you think?