The Minimalist Photographer by Steve Johnson

I’ve been playing around with cameras since I was a kid–the days when you could only see what actually came through the shutter after a few days. It wasn’t a cheap hobby because you had to pay for even the junk photos. Through trial and error I learnt that simple point and shoot cameras could take just as nice photos as more sophisticated SLRs however then as now nobody takes handy point and shoot cameras seriously. To look like a serious photographer you just gotta have a wide camera strap on your collar connected to a DSLR. Running around with a point and shoot just doesn’t cut the right image as a photographer.

As a result there are rarely books on photography that are centred on point and shoot cameras. That’s why this work by Steve Johnson, The Minimalist Photographer is precious. Steve Johnson is a professional photographer and his advise to budding photographers–even successful pro photographers use point and shoots. Using a point and shoot camera is the best way to learn about the fundamentals of photography because you learn to work with and around limits. The Minimalist Photographer is a must read for anyone who would like to make the best of their camera even a camera phone. Steve Johnson advises that the most important other equipment you need to have with a point and shoot is a cheap tripod and he reminds us not to be tempted into getting expensive tripods since point and shoots are very light.

Here is an excerpt from the book that summarises Steve’s reasoning of the importance of minimalism in equipment to a beginner photographer: “Until the point and shoot is mastered the photographer should stick with it and only look to move on when he or she has developed a bit of an understanding about light, especially the concept that light looks very different to the camera sensor than it does to the human eye/brain combination. Also, composition should start to become second nature.”

The author likes Cannon point and shoots for the same reason I do–good colour reproduction and doesn’t have too many rarely used bells and whistles in the manual settings. This is a good starter book for those contemplating getting into photography beyond taking casual snapshots. It will certainly help you make a good decision on what type of camera that will suit you best. You will find more photographer philosophy in the book than camera settings, though its there also, so get to know your camera well even if it is a small one  to get the most out of this book. Also lots of amazing photos taken with cheap and small cameras.

Here are some of my favourite photos taken with my favourite point and shoot the Cannon IXUS that cost me MYR 600.

Temple Tower

 Forest Floor Light

 Pristine Creek

A bright sunny day in a tropical rain forest