If you’re “just” photographing your family, get the BEST photo equipment you can afford (that you are able to use, or can learn to use).
— Peter | Prosophos.
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I was prompted to write the above after reading yet another, “if you’re just photographing your family, get a cheap point-and-shoot” comment on one of the internet forums. It always leaves me shaking my head when I come across that sort of statement, not because I have anything against inexpensive cameras (which I’ve used and continue to use, and which can be used to take wonderful photos), but because of the implication behind the words, that – for whatever reason – your family is not worthy of the best* equipment.
Nonsense.
Documenting your family’s timeline – the various trials and tribulations, the tears, the joy, the exciting, the mundane, the… the anything – is one of the most important things you can do with a camera. The snobbery around exclusively using “pro” equipment (whatever that is) to photograph athletes, celebrities, or otherwise “important” individuals is laughable. As if most of us are able to remember more than a handful of “pro” magazine cover images we’ve ever seen…
Instead, it’s all those images reminding us of the births, marriages, and deaths of our loved ones, that burn themselves into our brains.
—Peter.
[Note: I also posted this on SteveHuffPhoto.com]
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*Note: best does not necessarily equate with biggest.
Prosophos 
Couldn’t agree more.
While I’m quite satisfied with my fine art photography and enjoy the occasional recognition it brings, either an award in an exhibit or a print sale now and then, the photos that prove the most compelling when I take an afternoon’s wander through the photo library are the history of my life and my friends lives as we’ve traveled through time together.
Amen.
Couldn’t agree with you more.
Of late the whole “Pro” thing pisses me off. There are so many knuckleheads that believe their opinions carry weight because they are “Pro” or have “Pro” gear, whatever that means.
Phew, that makes me feel much better 🙂
Jokes aside, I agree with you 100%. I read the post that you are referring to (at least I think I did).
Dear Peter,
You don´t know me, but since last year you have became one of those persons who I follow through internet because you inspire so much wisdom and love. In every word you say and every photo you take I fell how you consciously try to make this world better.
And this is what exactly this world needs.
Thank you so much for being here, sharing your love for your family and your love for life with us.
respectful regards
Israel
Dear Isreal,
I am profoundly affected by your remarks. I am also very happy that you “see” things as I hope to convey them. Observations like yours *always* affect me, more deeply than you may suspect, so I thank you with all of my heart.
Sincerely,
Peter.
As you say, surely of anything you might want to photograph your family would be the most important…..I, like you have what I would call a large family, only recently my wife has reminded me of the importance of photographing the children a little more regularly and indeed this was one of the reasons i invested in my gear.
Can I just say, in relation to the comment from Isreal above, it’s quite clear that the reason you invoke this emotion in readers isn’t simply because your images are honest and thought provoking its because your able articulate and that completes the picture.
Kind regards
Jason
Thank you Jason.
Amen to this!
Funny, I looked at my desk earlier this afternoon and noticed that I have 5 pictures of my children and two others. That seems a reasonable ratio to me. For what it’s worth, four of the pictures of my children were exposed on film and only one is in colour.
Like the site by the way.