I, Curtis

It is interesting how my comfort level with public photography changes from time to time and location to location. I am usually not a person for public photography, just because it seems like it is viewed negatively. I carry my camera when I go places, therefore, I am a photographer, but what do others see? Do others seem me simply as an artistic photographer, or perhaps they think I might be interested in photo journalism? The worst possible thing is that I think a lot of people may just feel as though they are in danger when a photographer is near. When I stopped for gas today I pulled my camera out after filling up, simply because the building across the street from the gas station was interesting to me (see exhibit A below). I was not aware of it, but apparently 2 people changed from being “normal” to being “alert” as soon as I pulled out my camera for the shot. It isn’t even that great of a shot and I only tried 2 exposures (I was parked at the pump and didn’t want to be rude). That “alert” paranoia feeling is not healthy. It is a feeling that makes me, as a photographer, a little nervous about taking pictures in public, just because there is a fear there, and I really don’t like making people uncomfortable. I personally do not get the reason for the fear. Some people say it’s because of a terrorist threat. What threat? First, what good does it do someone to take photographs from places that the Google Bot Car is allowed to travel? Is it really helpful to have pictures of the outside of places? Also, when was the last time you saw a terrorist wielding a Nikon D90 (or similar)? Terrorists are much more likely to use something small and discreet, like the D90’s capable cousin, the Nikon Coolpix P90 (624mm reach, I’d say that’s a threat) [oh come on Chris, laugh].

Anyway, despite the two rednecks who either perceived me as a threat or thought I was simply crazy, I wasn’t afraid of taking the picture, and honestly why should I be? The actual destination of my trip for the day was UNC Charlotte, where I don’t have a lot of fear at all in carrying my D90 openly. It is a college campus, and no one seems to have a problem with photography. In fact, if anything is odd about college student response to a camera being somewhere, its that they are too respectful and accommodating. On several occasions Chris and I have shot from the sidewalk and people have gone behind us, on the grass, just to make sure they do not interfere with our shot, or in some cases, they will attempt to wait until we are finished. Chris and I joked today that a sign above our cameras stating our apparent focal length might be useful in letting people know that they aren’t in the way (somehow I doubt many people would get that 70mm+ out means they won’t bother us passing 2 feet in front of us). I like carrying my camera everywhere, and I want to keep doing it, I just have to feel like I am not offending anyone by doing so. The worst part of how I feel at the moment is that I don’t care if it offends people or not. As long as I am on public ground and not trying to circumvent anyone’s privacy, then I have no reason to not do what I enjoy.

 

Exhibit A

On September 25, 2009, I begin Project 365. This day has been chosen because it is the first day of service for my Nikon D90. The way this is going to work for me is simple; I will be taking at least one photo every day, and then posting it on the following day. I am delaying the posts to ensure that I get the best possible representation of each day when posted. In the event that I miss a day of posting, I will either back-post, or do a single post with multiple days in the same post (depending on how far behind I am). It will be my goal to always make sure that I am never more than a week behind in posting.

After much wrestling with self and encouragement from friends (do you have to push a guy who is already about to jump?), I have decided to buy the Nikon D90 with 18-105mm lens. I ordered it last night from Amazon.com. It is on its way here now via UPS Next Day service. I feel that the addition of this photographic instrument to my system will put me at a great advantage, especially with some of my favorite subjects (usually things in darkness). I am told that buyer’s remorse is common when making large purchases, but it doesn’t stop me from feeling really kind of sick on my stomach thinking about the fact that I bought a D90. I know it will be a good addition, I just hope it isn’t too soon. I want to become a professional photographer, so wouldn’t the first step be to step up to appropriate equipment?

As a side note to this, I have decided that I will be starting Project 365 in the next day or so, whenever the D90 is up to it, and attempt to take a photo every day. I think it will be a good way for the D90 and I to become good friends and develop a working relationship that will allow me to create interesting images (I’m tired of pretty).

Remember a blog entry a few weeks ago, one in which I mention that there is certain criteria for getting an upgraded body? Well, I haven’t met that criteria, but it doesn’t stop me from wanting to upgrade. I have had several situations in which having the different body would have helped me get a shot I was wanting, especially with things like HDR, where having bracketing would be absolutely wonderful. The only things I can identify that the new camera kit would give me that would substitute for separate purchases would be the Nikon 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6 VR (included in kit cheaper than separate) and the Nikon SU-800 Speedlight Commander (functions performed by D90). At the same time, I can identify other benefits to it, such as having higher ISO sensitivity (with less noise) due to an overall better quality CMOS censor (D60 is CCD).
My biggest problem at the moment is I am obsessively staring at the camera, drooling over its specs and overall wasting time looking at the potential new body that I could be using to be out photographing things. A big part of why I want the camera is the lens it comes with, the 18-105, which is equivalent to 6x (or 3.15 on my adjusted [tight only] scale). In this particular instance, I am not worried about my magnification multiplier, since it is very weak in comparison to the factor of 9 that my 70-300mm is capable of. My interest in this lens is its range, it has a purely 6x range, which is greater than all of my other lenses (the max is 4.2x, which is what the 70-300mm has). Honestly, if the 18-55mm was an 18-70mm instead, I would be happy, but it isn’t so I have to pick something else, and the 18-105 seems to be the logical counterpart to completing a lens duality that the 70-300 would be involved in (18-55 and 55-200 is a little too close of a fit to be a comfortable duality). It may seem silly to buy a whole camera system to get a lens, but I like the camera anyway, and I can save almost $200 by getting the two of them together… seems logical to me.
There are some problems with getting the D90 in the current situation. First, I don’t really have a good way to justify its acquisition at the present time (unlike the kiln, competing for the same funds). Second, bag space, with my current configuration there is not really any space for a second body, but that’s one of those things I’m just going to have to play with to see if I can manage to make it fit with some sense of order. Third, power, I have acquired the battery for the D60 in triplicate, but the D90 doesn’t use the same battery type, meaning its yet another set of batteries I have to make sure I have with me (although, I’ve considered an Opteka battery grip which comes with 2). Fourth, the D90 inspires ravenous consumerism. If I get the D90 with the internal flash command system, I’m going to want additional flashes, maybe one more, maybe two, who knows, that’s not the point. Also, the D90 would likely want its own bag, separate of that for the D60, and well, it took me forever to find that one. Finally, there are no major upcoming events that I am aware of that would be adequate for field testing the D90. For the D60’s arrival, there was at least a family gathering to work with.
ok, for that first one, the kiln would likely be more complicated of an issue than just buying it, the camera is easier. Second, in picking the perfect bag for the D60, I have acquired a number of bags, the situation can be made to work, plus, wasn’t I planning to pick up one of those top-loaders anyway? Third, the D90 gets more shots per battery, 2 is probably enough, and using the CTA Digital line of batteries it would cost me like $15 for battery #2. Fourth, it will take me a while to get used to using a wireless speedlight, and I’ve been wanting to work with more conventional full-time lights, reflectors and such anyway. Finally, I can throw a party for the D90 itself, or merely take it on a tour of my world.
I started this post in hopes that I could talk myself out of the D90, or maybe just find reasons to extinguish the wanting of it in the first place, but now I fear that I have managed to talk myself further into it. Now I want it more than before, but at least this time, I feel somewhat sane about it, more than just getting that goofy grin on my face every time I see the camera. Maybe that is the answer, to get a final result, I need to go to see the camera face to face. Perhaps somewhere other than Best Buy, maybe an actual camera store would be a better place to visit it (I need to pick up hot shoe covers anyway).