Sometimes, I really enjoy it to just watch some Landscape Photography Themed YouTube Channels. I normally just enjoy all those pretty Places that I can not get to right now, and even those I never heard of before.
Most of those Channels have a few Things in Common: They all use Tripods an Filters. Usually, they also swear on Manual Focus. I do not do any of those Things usually. So now my Question is: What is a proper Photographer?
It is not that I generally hate Tripods. I own one and even take it out from Time to Time. The Thing is that I just do not particularly like using it.
Usually, I like it to try out multiple different Compositions of the same Scene. Setting up a Tripod for every single on would just take so much Time, I doubt it is worth it for me.
Also, most Places I go are kinda limited when it comes to Space. Those little Paths at the side of a Graben are just way too narrow for Tripods. It just would not really work.
Most of those ‘YouTube’ Photographers also use such Things as graduated ND Filters and Polarizers. I guess those also play a Role in their constant use of Tripods.
The Thing is: I do not own any Filters, except for one very shoddy NDX that tends to introduce a massive green Colour Shift. I really do not like that.
It is less noticeable when I do Video, but I usually ‘forget‘ that Filter at Home anyhow. I kinda want to get a better one, but those are a bit Pricey.
And I really do not want to spend that Money on something I probably would not really use. That just makes no Sense to me.
The Thing about Manual Focus is: I am really no good at it. These past few Days, I have learned a new Trick or two, but those require a Depth Scale on the Lens. None of my usual Suspects have anything like that.
Going Hyperfocal is easy with a Scale that actually shows the Depth at different Apertures. But it plainly does not work on any of my STM Lenses that do not have any kind of Scale whatsoever.
It still takes some Time to get Focus just right though, and I really am not a Fan at all. I am also still very bad at focusing Manually.
So what makes a proper Photographer? Am I one or am I not.
I have to confess, I really have no Idea what does. All I know is that Filters and Tripods do not define you as a Photographer. Just using Manual Focus makes you a bit of a Show-Off in my Opinion.
But in general, I believe that anyone who knows how to use a Camera and is able to get some Form of Results is technically a Photographer. How good they are is a different Story.
I will however continue watching those YouTube Channels. The World is just to pretty to miss out on it.
Robin Ho Fotos 
Photography, unlike life, is a destination not a journey; if you achieve the results you want you’re doing it right.
The old guy with 50+ years experience (me) laughs at some of the modern professionals and their insistence on doing things a certain way. I bet most of them can not justify their claims, which come down to personal preference rather than technical rational.
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You’re right. In the End, it’s all about the Results. For me, Photography is a Journey though. I like it to try out new Things from Time to Time.
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BTW Canon automatic lenses are really bad for manual use because of their lack of any kind of scale indication. This is not true of all auto lenses, but in general manual lenses work best on manual and automatic lenses work best on automatic. Go figure, eh? 😀
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Very true. I even have an older Canon Lens flying around that simply does not allow Manual Focus at all. I find that kinda weird though.
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