Cameras & Machetes: "These are a few of my favorite things"

I was interested in more information of cameras and the quality of cheap ones, so I asked David Burnett for more advice. Please be advised, what you are about to read may shock you.

What are the best cameras to use?

"This of course depends on just what your mission is: if you are shooting fashion or portraits in a controlled situation, maybe a big format digital camera.. or something "antique" like a Graflex film camera... where you are on the run, like most photojournalists, there is something to be said for the 35mm style digi cams.  I always try and have a point and shoot with me.. because you SEE pictures by accident, much more than on a schedule. You have to be ready."

If a person is working with a cheap camera, do you have any advice on how to get the best shots?

"A camera is just a tool.. .there is no real limitation.. I use a cheap *($30) holga plastic camera (film) as well as the $2000 canon digital... each does a thing or a few things well, and you just have to learn what your camera is good for, what doesn't work, and make it work for YOU with in those constraints.  Small point/shoot cameras (i use the cx5 Ricoh) are full of features, and ability to make great pictures if you just figure out what they CAN do, and what they CANT...  and then spend a long time learning to SEE and anticipate things which might happen for only a split second.  Voila!! You'll be a photographer! "

By now, you should be quite informed on basic camera usage. My goal is not to have just interviews, but show and tell. Let me dig up a great photo with a story . . . .

This photo is not the best, but the story behind it is great. I was in Honduras over the summer. During one of my many hikes back to my hostel from the beach, I found a young boy playing with a machete. This sounds crazy, right? Well, Central America is different than the United States because it is considered a third world country. The kids around the area usually run around the streets or take care of younger siblings. It is a very different culture than ours. 

Honduras 2011

Now, back to my story of the picture . . . I was in a hurry to take this picture because the kid was on the other side of the fence and as I snapped the zoomed in photo, I heard a mom yelling at her child. I panicked and quickly ran away. In all actuality, the mom was probably yelling at the boy for either playing with the machete or not doing a chore.

What great photo story do you have?