How Campy Are You?

I just listened to a podcast that briefly touched on how campy photographers are. Initially, I thought the point being made was that we’re all cheesy and raunchy, but that’s not the kind of ‘campy’ he was getting at. He was saying that photographers usually become fanboys for certain brands and products. The most obvious is camera brand, like Canon vs Nikon (vs Pentax vs Sony, etc.). But there are also camps that have developed around lighting equipment, tripods, and even camera bags. Despite the fact that it’s useful to have some consistency in tools to maximise familiarity, and minimise learning curve, adhering strictly to some imaginary constraint is rather unfortunate.

The camp-mentality is visible in all kinds of widgets (tractors, computers, airlines, underwear), but it also extends to larger, more philosophical concerns. Like how a photographer refuses to experiment with video, because she’s a photographer. Or a film company refuses to experiment in digital image-making, because it knows film. Or an oil company refuses to experiment with alternative fuels, because that’s not its expertise. Increasingly the employees and the companies entrenched in various camps are getting surpassed by the ones who aren’t. While that shakes things up a bit, and requires a radical shift, it means that stiff becomes flexible, and rigid becomes fluid.

Now, I gotta say, sometimes there are legitimate reasons to be in a camp, and that’s OK. You can find strong community, or something resonates better with you for whatever reason. Or perhaps you’ve got good reasons to not joining a certain camp. Great! Just be intentional about what camps you and are and aren’t a part of, and evaluate your reasons. It’s a lesson I’m learning. It’s just a continuation of Don’t Take Yourself So Seriously 101.