So...i've edited my original so that people will hoepfully focus on the message rather than the language
I take the point that the camera maketh not the photographer - but the quality of the kit does make a difference to the end product. If it didn't i'm sure i wouldn't have received such excellent advice from UKAPS members about which camera to buy based on quality of sensors/lenses etc. I fully accept the role of photography in aquascaping, hence my investment in the kit and i'm sure the next few years will see an exponential learning curve for my photography skills much as the last few years have seen a massive learning curve for my aquascaping skills. My original post was trying to bridge the gap between those without the means to express their tanks as they would wish - a group i definitely fell into both through not having the kit and, bluntly, not having the technical grasp of photography (who perhaps can be quite entrenched and occasionally quite envious of those who can) and those who do have the means (who occasionally get upset when it is suggested that photography is not as important as the tank.... i feel another argument coming on....
) . I think i'm in the middle ground at the minute (getting shot at by both sides
) - i've kind of had a bit of an epiphany in the last few months. Come back to my tanks after a hiatus for other reasons, and found myself reinvigorated and wanting to progress, and along with that (stimulated by some excellent and very philosophical discussions on here) has come the realisation of the role photgraphy has to play. But that doesn't change the fact both that the kit is very expensive (i'm lucky enough to be able to do overtime to pay for it, and i'm buying now because i've previoulsy prioritised my tanks, and they're pretty much how i want them) and the technicalities of photography are quite challenging to master, and that has certainly been very daunting for me and, i suspect, others.
I'll PM some comments to you all about my original post as i'd like to shift this excellent and thought-provoking thread back onto topic. In a way i'm glad to have been a little contentious but i don't want to distract from what i'm sure will be a very useful thread for newcomers to look at.
Incidentally - any chance of one of the photography bods writing an article/sticky on tank photography. I've looked at the IAPLC guidance but not found it "idiots guide" enough! A bit of info about post-processing and the options available (again, PS is very expensive- are there any free options that work in a similar way, how to get the best out of the package etc) would be really handy. When i finally get my camera i'm going to attempt a photo (rather than a tank) journal to hopefully show a progression and tap all your lovely minds for hints and tips!
Thanks folks,
Matt