I see too many photographers worry about their gear over capturing the image. As photographers we love gear, we love buying it, talking about it, reading about it and writing about it. Owning, researching and showcasing photography gear in itself is a hobby. I’ve met so many photographers with far better and newer gear than me. Amateurs normally have better gear than me. But I’ll tell you one thing, I’m not afraid to use it, and sacrifice my camera if I must for that perfect shot.
I’ve been around for a while; all 36 years, and during that time I’ve accumulated and used a number of point-and-shoot cameras, from the film days to the adoption of digital. And I can honestly say after using, Yashica, Ricoh, Leica, Fuji, Kodak, Olympic, Canon & Contex my favourite point-and-shoot camera can be summed up into these categories; ease of use, quality, features and size. It would have to be the…
Does having the latest gear, or the best or a large amount of gear make you a better photographer? Everything you see in this photo I use daily for my commercial work. This gear is an asset that helps me make a living. But does it make a good photographer?
Film vs Digital. Full frame vs Cropped sensor & fixed vs zoom lenses. Which is best and which one should you use or get? I’m going to put this debate to rest with real-world states and in-field options from professional uses.
A new system and a fresh start. These past two years I had a News Years resolution to do less, and play more. What I didn’t realise was that what I stopped doing was what brought joy to my life. And playing games isolated me more and removed me from responsibilities. So like a good person in a capitalist society I purchased a new/old camera.
I’m going to show you what gear I use. And I also want you to know that gear isn’t finite, it changes over time. And that all this gear that you see in front of you, sure it helps in capturing a picture but it’s not the end all be all. Gear, settings, controls, styles, are all concerns of the hobbyist and amateur, they are good to know and important but they aren’t what makes a picture great. the story, the meaning, the purpose is what makes an image.
This is something I struggle with, I truly believe that the best camera is the camera you already have. I want to believe that you can give me any camera and I will still make great photographs. But the truth is, camera gear does matter… kind of.
As soon as you start talking about the technical side of photography you start turning away from the most important aspect of photos, telling stories. Technology is and isn’t important when it comes to photography. No one care what camera or lighting you used except other photographers. I’m a big believer in the older you get the wiser you get, the less insecure you get, and the less you care about gear. Technology has no soul and here is why.
We have all done it, looked at someone else’s work or life and thought that would be nice to have what they have. The grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence. But there is one thing that we are forgetting in our moment of envy, that someone out there wishes they had what we have. Our brains are really good at bringing our baseline of emotions, desire and stress to an equilibrium level. This is why lotto winners aren’t happier in their lives after reaching financial stability.
Debating over cameras is like debating over chopsticks and forks. They all do the same basic things, the rest is just measuring minor extremities. A $5,000 car and a $50,000 car both can get you from point A to point B. One just costs more while it massages your ego. I feel that most photographers are missing what is more important than how big their lens is. What is more important is the idea, the meaning, the story behind your work? What are your images about, what are the conveying to the viewer? What are you trying to communicate?
