How many times haven't you heard as a photographer: "If I would have a camera like yours I could take great pictures as well."
Well I guess there is some truth in that statement. But does the equipment make the photographer? To be honest I don't think so.
I don't consider myself to be a very good photographer, there are a lot of people out there who are much much better than I am. But I do consider myself to be a photographer not just a guy taking pictures.
Hand over your camera to a random guy in the street and let him take a couple of photo's. Chances are very slim that he will come up with an interesting result, chances are a lot higher that he might not even know how to operate the camera. Let alone what he should photograph and how he would frame it.
And that is exactly the difference between a photographer and a man with a camera. A photographer will always know what to shoot, how to frame it, how to operate his camera, which settings to choose, how to use the light, being it natural light or artificial light. He knows the rules of the do's and don'ts wheter or not he follows them is entirely up to him.
A photographer is not an artist, a photographer is a craftsman who has trained himself to understand how a good pictures has to be created. And as with any craftsmanship you get better by practising. The more you practice the better you will get. When I look up, to the work of the people which I admire, I know I still have a long way to go. When I look back I'm happy with he road I travelled.
Now, does the equipment make the photographer? As said before, I don't think so. However, good equipment in the hands of a good craftsman will result in more options, which will allow him to add more variety to his portfolio.
The next photo is a perfect example of what a good lens can do for you. This photo was taken with a 70-200mm f2,8L lens. It has a beautifull DOF and a nice booketh. If I would have used the kit lens I would probably not have gotten the same result ... but even with the kit lens I am convinced I would have produced a beautiful photo.
Camera: Canon 5DmkII
Aperture: f/5
Shutter: 1/250 s
ISO: 100
focal lenght: 125 mm