We’ve all seen it. That commercial that was decidedly “cool” with its crazy use of CG and slow-mo, yet when people ask us later what the commercial was for, we have no earthly idea. The same mistake can happen with photography.

In the race to provide “the next big thing,” the art and the message can get lost in the tech.

New capabilities offered by Photoshop and video-editing programs make technology a reality, provide robust creative tools for photographers . . . and can be overwhelming. However, despite all the tech, it’s deciding the “how much” and “when” to use each that’s the hardest part. Use video for a project that really requires stills and you’ve lost your message . . . and vice versa. Are you using technology for the love of it, for the use of it or just for the sake of it? Make sure you’re doing it because it’s the right tech to get the best product.

“I’m all for the wonderful things you can do with HDR and these cameras that can shoot in insane ISOs,” photographer, editor and educator Ibarionex Perello recently stated. “But in the end, what’s the worth of an image like that if I don’t remember it a week later, if I’m not touched by it—if it doesn’t make me think about my own life, my own relationships, in a different way?”

Truer words were never spoken. Ibarionex is one of those notable photographers who understands that he doesn’t need to know everything to produce a product that his clients will be drawn to.

Clients don’t care how you get the job done, he said, they just care that you do. If it gets the message across, “it doesn’t matter whether you use still or video.”

I wholeheartedly agree with his guidance to photographers struggling with new technologies.

Just passing along these thoughts to help you decide which tools you want to use to tell meaningful, memorable stories.