"The problem for me is that I've never actually studied photography, so it's quite a steep learning curve. Cameras these days do so much for you automatically but I still think there's a point where you should actually know the technical side"
About this Quote
Le Saux is describing a familiar kind of humility that feels earned rather than performative: the shock of stepping into a craft where reputation and instinct don’t automatically transfer. Coming from elite sport, he’s used to environments where “talent” is inseparable from repetition, coaching, and disciplined technique. So when he says he’s never actually studied photography, he’s not just confessing ignorance; he’s naming the gap between liking an art form and being fluent in its language.
The line about cameras “doing so much for you automatically” is a quiet jab at the modern fantasy that tools can replace training. He’s not a crank about technology; he’s pointing out how automation can create a deceptive plateau. You can get competent results quickly, which makes it easier to skip the unglamorous fundamentals (exposure, light, lenses, composition decisions you’re making whether you admit it or not). His insistence that “there’s a point” you should know the technical side draws a boundary: convenience is fine, but it shouldn’t become a substitute for understanding.
The subtext is also about control and authorship. In sport, you don’t credit the boots when you win; you credit preparation. Le Saux is applying that ethic to image-making: if you want the photo to be yours, not your camera’s, you need to know what the machine is doing on your behalf and when to override it. It’s a grounded, post-celebrity way of saying craft still matters, even when the gear is trying to flatter you.
The line about cameras “doing so much for you automatically” is a quiet jab at the modern fantasy that tools can replace training. He’s not a crank about technology; he’s pointing out how automation can create a deceptive plateau. You can get competent results quickly, which makes it easier to skip the unglamorous fundamentals (exposure, light, lenses, composition decisions you’re making whether you admit it or not). His insistence that “there’s a point” you should know the technical side draws a boundary: convenience is fine, but it shouldn’t become a substitute for understanding.
The subtext is also about control and authorship. In sport, you don’t credit the boots when you win; you credit preparation. Le Saux is applying that ethic to image-making: if you want the photo to be yours, not your camera’s, you need to know what the machine is doing on your behalf and when to override it. It’s a grounded, post-celebrity way of saying craft still matters, even when the gear is trying to flatter you.
Quote Details
| Topic | Learning |
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