Whats more important

[Clockdoc I]

I was wondering what dps members tought about this question. Do you feel that it is more important to know how to compose a shot, have a better quality camera or better processing software. I know all are needed but do you feel one is more important.

[whitemug]

personally, composition will always be the most important aspect. your equipment merely aids you to capture something that your eyes - your primary "camera" can see.

the way i look at it, all the recent advances in gears & software are all attempts in making sure that when you do decide to press that shutter button, you end up capturing exactly what you saw.

[Peach]

I think composition is the most important one. Almost anything else can be fixed in post processing with a good, diverse program like Photoshop. However, if your composition is off, there are only a few ways to help fix that and if you have composed it to cut off part of a scene that would have made the composition better in post processing through cropping etc. then you're pretty much hooped.

Post processing is great, but if the picture is not 'good' to begin with there's only so much Photoshop et al can do to save it.

[whitemug]

as what we always like to say:
the beauty of the photo is always dependent on the person behind the camera, rather than who/what is it front of it.

composition ultimately lies with the photographer - it's his/her eye

[Nicole]

You may also be interested in some of the responses in this old weekly poll from last year

I'm one that feels if you don't know how to take the picture and are going to rely on the gear and post-processing, the best you're going to get is not going to be as good as you would get if you have the skill and knowledge of how to take a great picture in the first place. I've seen plenty of bad pictures with gear I drool over and plenty of gorgeous pictures that I would never expect given the equipment.

[windrider86]

If you dont know how to compose a shot in the first place than i would think the rest wouldn't matter anway.
So my vote for most imporant is the knowledge of compostion. The best and most exepensive camera in the wold isnt worth a crap if the person using it isnt.
I've seen some pretty darn awsome photos with a disposbale camera and there isnt any post processing you can do with those babies

[SmokedIronMade]

I do think that it is better know how to do the composition, after that having a good camera and lastly having a software to do some corrections. I rather prefer having a good photo and having a bad one and trying to correct it on a computer.

[klew]

Composition, of course. Imagine how good you must be if you can take excellent shots with any camera (showing versatility) and without post-processing (showing forethought).

[Pawaniki]

Composition is without a doubt the most important. Getting excitement in the photo by placing the subject in just the right spot or getting everything out of the center ie rule of thirds has taken my photography from family scrapbook pictures to pictures which make people take a second look. All this with the same exact camera.

[murr]

Photoshop is a great tool, but it is merely a tool. With great composition, a photo doesn't need photoshop.