Capturing Moments, Not Gear
Photo by Jeff Hopper on Unsplash
I recently had a bit of a revelation about photography and wanted to share it with you. Recently, I was listening to an episode of This Week In PHOTO, where Joe Edelman described certain enthusiasts not as photographers, but as "gearographers." This hit home for me, and I bet it rings true for many of you too. We spend hours on YouTube and blogs, digesting every detail about the latest gear - be it lenses, camera bodies, or even filters and flashes. And while there's nothing inherently wrong in being a gear enthusiast, I realized there's a clear difference between collecting gear and using it to create art.
As photographers, our mission should be to capture the world around us, not just collect tools. The beauty of photography is in its practice, not just in the gear we possess. It's so easy to fall into the trap of believing that better gear or exotic locations are essential for great photos. Yet, some of my most cherished images were taken within 50 miles of my home. These local adventures have taught me that the true essence of photography lies in seeing and capturing the everyday world in extraordinary ways.
This year, I'm making a commitment to myself: to shift my focus from acquiring gear to mastering the art of photography. Sure, I might still indulge in a new piece of equipment here and there, but my primary goal is to enhance my skills. I want to explore different perspectives, play with depth of field, and even experiment with Photoshop techniques like focus stacking.
For those of you embarking on your photography journey or looking to deepen your practice, remember that the most important step is to get out there and shoot. Experience is the best teacher. So, let’s put down our phones, step away from the endless gear reviews, and embrace the world through our lenses. Let's capture the beauty of the mundane and the splendor of the familiar. That's what makes us photographers, not just gear collectors. Let’s make this year about creating, learning, and growing in our art.
