When you don't care about appearance, you are a different photographer

All over the years I met a lot of photographers. And I worked side by side with various colleagues. I can say that too many pose as photographers. I've never done it and hence my choices are different.

As you know currently my digital cameras are 2 Canon Rebel (T3 and T7) and a F. XPro2. In the past I owned Nikon, Panasonic, Samsung, Olympus, Ricoh, Pentax, Leica. In 2010 I was one of the first photographers to switch completely from DSLR system to a mirrorless system.

I worked in official journalistic coverages with my small cameras, and I could see the derisive looks of colleagues outfitted with DSLR beasts. But it never mattered to me.

When I was in Los Angeles most of the photographers participating to the photographic competition worked with Leica M9 (in 2011 a recent release) and M8, I counted a guy working with a Hasselblad and others using film rangefinders like the Bessa. I was there with my Olympus Pen and a Canon G10. Even then I was a misfit. But as always proud of what I could get from myself, not mentally dependent on a camera that is just a tool, convinced that the difference is always the photographer who makes it.

Over the years I have witnessed a transformation, a change of mentality. Although DSLRs still enjoy a huge respect here in Mexico. While I advised to switch to mirrorless in my courses at the university getting the complaint of those who had organized, I was convinced that mirrorless represented the future. But the students they had spent a lot of money on their huge cameras and I couldn't say that...

After a few years it became clear that I was right. Mirrorless cameras have established themselves to the point that even Canon has now announced that it will stop manufacturing DSLR cameras. I am sorry about this thing. Maybe it will be that I am always on the opposite side of the crowd and the trends. A friend recently answered with a big question mark about my choice to be working with DSLR. And even from the point of view of the image it may seem the less smart choice. Let's face it clearly: if you don't follow the market and what it offers you at the moment you are considered a loser. If before my small cameras were seen as ridiculous and unprofessional, today no photographer would show up with entry level ones. A photojournalist looking at me with a beginner camera will draw the conclusion that I am a photography initiate. And the experienced street photographer will think the same. Exaclty like the big question mark sent to me from the photography pal.

You know what? I don’t dress cameras. I just use cameras as a tool that allows me to make the photograph I want. If you ask me I would like to have a Leica M. And as I said in recent days also a Ricoh GR. But right now I just can't afford it. I'm not one of those cute dudes who can only afford to think about the next set up in cameras.

I obtained the Rebel T3 through a trade-in and I purchased the T7 because I sold a F. T10 who had given me the brand of which I was an ambassador. While the F. XPro2 was a payment from that brand for my services.

On YouTube I watch a lot of guys who own so many brand new cameras. Of course this works for them to make actual videos that can grab the attention of more visitors as well. As a photographer, I love challenges and going against the grain, and when I am on the streets I don’t care what others think about me and my cameras.

I can see several photographers making interesting work with their new shining cameras but also I see a lot that the only feature is having that camera everyone dreams of but not getting anything really good out of it. Again, I don't wear cameras. I can, of course, recognize cameras that could be great tools in my hands. As a photographer, however, mine is a life of real sacrifice. Sometimes I really make a lot of money and sometimes less. And the priority is family and certainly not the latest addition to the camera market. I often do my best to save on equipment. It doesn't weigh me that much. Not even when someone comes to me and says: you with a Leica M10 would do great things. I know that is true, but I know also that i made photos with cameras with an awful autofocus, with cameras who caused other photographers to print a smile of commiseration. However, I happened to see my printed photographs do not look out of place compared to those made with full frame. And I happened to see how frustrated some photographers were with my results compared to theirs.

I am not going to say that is not the camera. A certain camera allows you to achieve certain results and you have to be conscious of this. It's like a coach who counts with a team that doesn't have champions: it will likely be more difficult to win something, and then you have the example of Leicester winning the Premier League.

I showed in these last months how I can make my photography, a photography respected by many, with an old camera released in 2011. And I showed all over these years that is possible to achieve professional results, no matter what the camera is.