— image credit: NORMAN SILVERSTONE/Alberni Valley News
Last summer I rode around Town on the Vespa Virgin taking photographs with Les’s older Nikon 8.1 megapixel camera.
My goal was to prove that you don’t need a fancy shmanzy camera to create brilliant images, that true creation is all in the eye of the beholder.
I was partly right and partly wrong, let me tell you why.
Les and I were talking around the wood fire the other day and Les said “my first Nikon camera takes the best photos, look at the 11”x 14” photograph on the wall”(Les had taken a photograph of the old gas pump at the Mill). I understood that she was talking about her original 3-megapixel Nikon (she has three cameras, all Nikon).
I decided to take the three meg camera for a spin outside and see what would come up.
Les was right, the camera really came through, in fact it was a hundred times better than the newer 8.1-megapixel camera (exaggeration).
Today I decided that I was going to put the old feller through the mill so that I could write it up for you Oh Loyal Readers.
I went to Argyle and shot the mountain top, I went further down Argyle into the so called Arts District, shot Cher’s Landing, the old Postal building as well as the row of stores going down toward Third Avenue. Jack Tsai and I had a chat and on I went down to Harbour Quay for more shots.
Did I mention that it was about -2 degrees with a bitterly cold wind making the real temperature about -6 degrees.
Coming from Montreal you would think that I was used to freezing temperatures but alas after forty years of living in BC the body does not remember how to act.
By now I am shivering but the show must go on, so I put on my gloves, take photographs of the Centennial Breakwater, head and shoulders of the wooden man near the end of the pier, up the inlet with a gorgeous 45 degree sun, the covered walkway and of course the traditional shot up Argyle Street with a snow covered mountain as a backdrop. Came home, downloaded the photos and reveled in the image quality, quite something if you figure that the camera only has three megapixels and a three times zoom.
I know that the megapixels are a selling point for camera salespeople when really the size of the sensor is what gives you the quality of your image, not the megapixels. I have just proved it.
There will be another FREE mini seminar (one hour) at the Library on Tuesday March the 11th called “ COMPUTERS AND SECURITY – What you need to know”.
The last mini-seminar “ Now That You Own A Digital Camera – What you need to know” was sold out and had a waiting list so please phone the Library 250-723- 9511 to register.
Any questions? E-mail me at nsilverstone@telus.net or see me online at www.silverstonephotos.com.
Norman Silverstone teaches photography through North Island College and Eldercollege in Port Alberni.