Does having Microsoft Word make you a writer?

Does knowing Final Cut Pro make you a film editor?

Nah...I didn't think so!

That's my philosophy when it comes to cameras and photography.  Every time I am asked what kind of camera I use I know I am about to get judged.   "Oh, you use an Olympus?" is usually followed by the person taking a step back and giving me a disapproving shake of the head.  But, increasingly I've become OK with the hate people have for Olympus.  It's not a Canon and it's not a Nikon.  I'm not a fool...I know those two brands are superior but it's not the camera that takes the photos, it's the person using the camera.  If I feel comfortable with the camera and have the ability to maximize the tools offered by my E-volt 500, then why should it matter what brand the camera is?

I know many people (former co-workers), who buy expensive cameras and spend lots of money and time perfecting the technology behind photography and filmmaking that they missed the whole point of what a camera's main function is.  A camera's job is to tell a story.  You can have a 100 megapixel picture, the latest HD camera but if your frame cannot narrate a story to its attended audience then what is the point?

I've touched on this matter before in a previous blog entry but I felt like I needed to come out of the camera closet once and for all.  I use an Olympus and I'm proud of it!  I'm not a household name in photography or photojournalism nor am I close to being one.  Photography is a craft and like any craft it requires hard work, dedication, and a devotion to storytelling.  If you don't want to take my word for it, check out Ken Rockwell's blog on this subject matter.

Olympus for life!...or at least for now :)