Since I began taking photos 10 years ago, one constant has been that I have never been excited by gear. Granted, I like to have a nice camera and lens setup to shoot with, but it’s so rarely the focus of my attention. I’m happy to stick with the same gear until it falls apart, and I couldn’t even tell you what the latest model on the market is.
I remember when the day came to decide on my very first camera body. I knew I wanted to begin shooting, but I had no idea where to begin. How do you choose? Is the gear even important? After all, it’s the photographer that makes the image, right? In the end, my decision was made purely because the friend who promised to help me learn the basics was a Nikon user.
Since then, I’ve had various models. I began with the D60, later upgraded to the D90, before the D7200, and I now use a D500. Often, I’d upgrade because I felt it was what’s expected and that having an “old” model made me look amateur. In regards to lenses, for years, I used absolutely nothing outside of the 50mm. I’m a portrait photographer, and this lens is suited to almost every type of shot I wanted to take perfectly. With this lens, I never wanted for anything. And even though I have since broadened my horizons, adding two different lenses to my collection, the 50mm is still my go-to.
I find there are two types of photographer. First, there are those who love gear, enjoy spending money to have the latest models, and stay up to date with new releases. These photographers are usually the ones who come from a background of photography education. The other kind are those who fell into it somewhat: they picked up a camera and learned everything they know by making mistakes and trying again and will happily use whatever camera is at hand to take their images. The latter tend to be the more experimental, creative folk.
There’s an undeniable degree of snobbery in the photo industry, as if those who can’t afford the latest gear (or simply don’t care for it) are somehow inferior. Instead, we get lumped into the category of “Instagram photographer,” our successes being written off as a fluke.
The fact remains, my efforts are instead focused on two things: creative photoshoot ideas and learning how to maximize the potential of my camera. It’s of little interest to me if the various models released since mine have revolutionized the camera world, for I’ve spent many hours getting acquainted with the one I actually own. I know how it works, I know how to utilize it, and I know how to fix it if something goes wrong on set.
The rebirth of film photography in recent years only further reinforces that super-high quality, latest spec gear isn’t always the right answer. It’s as if we’ve gone so digital, we’ve exhausted it, and analog photography of years past is suddenly desirable again.
To those who suffer imposter syndrome, stop discrediting yourself. Being self-taught, being creative, and having zero investment in the technological side of photography are not crimes. The gear you use is largely irrelevant; it’s the ideas you bring to fruition with it that count.
Lead image: "Rolling on 50's" by Andrei.P, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 .
All other images my own.
Use boring equipment, complain about using boring equipment. I love mine! :)
Awesome gear (you definitely have gear acquisition syndrome). It must be fun to shoot with those occasionally.
That's my dream... getting into 4x5, maybe in a year.
What's stopping you? Can't afford the $300 to set up?
Nope, first gotta start using my GFX-50S and improve my skills before the next gear. Have spent $50k in 5 years.
Woosh
I’ll be honest I used to be about gear, or I thought I was, I’ve only ever really owned several lenses. I did a lot of research before I bought my 6D and Zeiss primes, compared sigmas and L’s (although my uncle made me an offer I couldn’t refuse for his 50mm f/1.2 -_-) And I am so incredibly pleased with my Zeiss lenses performance in the studio.
I don’t worry about cameras and lenses much anymore. I’m buying up Canon EF-S zooms so I have a working set and Canon cuts deep discounts on them from time to time. And I find the 7D quite zippy (I use a 6D with manual primes, so I imagine anything would seem zippy laughs)
But right now I’m buying a backdrop stands, some backdrops, light stands (some good sturdy Matthews ones) and umbrellas. And the prospect of having my own studio and shooting what I want thrills me most of all.
I have been in photography for 33 years. I have have been a musician playing a trumpet for 49 years. The camera is your instrument. The more you "play" it, use it, the more you learn it's capabilities. You will be able to "play" it without having to think about the mechanics of how to use it. A great musician can make a $500 instrument sound like a $5,000 instrument. A musician who has not spent time learning their craft will make a $5,000 instrument sound like a $500 instrument. It's the same in photography. I love new photography gear like most people, but it is what's between your ears is the most important feature of your instrument. The camera is just a tool. A $5000 camera over a $500 camera can let you be more efficient with what the vision you have with a shot. But you have to have the vision and the practice time invested in your camera to get the shot. When I hear a great trumpet player performing my first thought is not, I wonder if they are playing on a Bach, a Yamaha, or a Benge trumpet, I don't wonder which brand of instrument they use. I think about all the practice time and talent it took to perform the piece. You can get into the gear trap with musical instruments and equipment just like photography. Just master the camera and equipment you have. Make that $500 camera produce shots like a $5000 camera. When you have mastered your camera invest in a better one. With trumpet playing it's about what's between your ears, muscle memory, and how you use air. With photography it's about what's between your ears, muscle memory, and how you use light.
I love this topic. In many situations, great photographers can make magical images with virtually any gear. Yet in some situations you need certain technical capability to make any usable image at all. Shooting indoor sports without a fast zoom and excellent autofocus - don't expect more than a few lucky keepers. Available light night interiors - don't bring anything smaller than an aps-c sensor with at least a 2.8 (hopefully faster) lens. The better the photographer the better the results but let's stop pretending that better tools don't also improve the results.
"First, there are those who love gear, enjoy spending money to have the latest models, and stay up to date with new releases. These photographers are usually the ones who come from a background of photography education."
I cant disagree with this strongly enough. In my experience, it is people who have been in photography the longest, that are the least gear obsessed usually.
Yes, I agree with this. After reading the whole article, the last sentence is kind of a paradox.
"The gear you use is largely irrelevant; it's the ideas you bring to fruition with it that count."
So, the gear we use is largely irrelevant, except for the fact that we need it in order to bring our ideas to fruition. Hmmm, then what does it really say about the gear? And yes, I totally understand that the idea is the true goal, but the gear being chosen should match that idea's theme and intention as closely as possible. Choose gear with your mind. Choose your idea with your heart.