That hurts that hurts that hurts

What am I talking about?  Cutting myself shaving this morning, that’s what I’m on about!  At one time if you cut yourself you got just one cut, but this latest razor I have has three blades so you end up cutting yourself three times not once ... so much for progress then eh?

I went a ride out on me scooter today, just around Dorktown Wednesday market and as usual I took one of my cameras with me – sorry, no shots though.  Off I went into Smudges Place and bought two photo-mags and then off to the Blue Bear for a pint of Youngs’ bitter ... very nice it was too.  Anyway, while sitting there reading me mags I kept reading ‘camera this’ camera that’ and I thought, “Hang on a mow, what is a camera anyway?”  Photography is defined as ‘writing with light’, that’s why in photo competitions you here of ‘authors’ not ‘photographers’ ... I know, I think it’s daft too.  But is digital photography actually writing with light?  See, it’s the electronics inside your little box of tricks that does the writing isn’t it, not you. 

But even when we were using a box of tricks that used film and not electronics, was that really writing with light as well?  Even back in days of yore, you know 4 or 5 years ago YOU didn’t actually DO anything really to the film.  You pointed the box of tricks, if you were that way inclined you played about with a couple of dials and switches and twisted a few bits of metal encased glass and the pressed a little button ... and you didn’t need a licence to do so either!  After that you sent your film for someone else to develop and print for you.  But again, where’s the writing in that?  Hang on ... where’s me dic-n-ary ...

According to the latest Oxford edition a camera is, “a device for taking photographs or recording moving images.”  OK, no writing in that then is there.  For ‘photography it says, “the taking and processing of photographs.”  Not much help there then.  What about ‘writing’ or ‘write’ then, nope, no mention of using light there! Hmmm ... not getting very far am I? 

I sit here looking at my Sony Alpha 350 and 75-300mm lens and I’m wondering if it really is a camera.  I think back to my last film camera, a Minolta XD7, and that really was a camera.  But hang on, I also have a Nikon Coolpix 5100 and there’s another camera on my Blackberry.  Are they all cameras?  Surely not!  Cameras use films don’t they?  Yes?  No?  Oh heck, I’m no further forward and me eds urting again ... I’m off to bed ;-)))