This past week, I stopped by Tom Sawyer Coffee to interview people about the shop. I can't remember this baristas name for the life of me, yet I remember chatting about how her daughter is a photographer. She was so proud to explain how great she was getting. I remember a point in the conversation when she mentioned, "She loves her camera, but she's thinking of spending $2000 on a new one, and it doesn't even come with the lens! (Insert jaw dropping open)". I said that, yes, photography can be an expensive hobby,
However...
It doesn't need to be.
No matter what profession you're in, there can always be better gear. If you're a guitarist, there's always a better guitar. If you're a fisherman, there's a better rod, and yes, if you're a photographer, there's a better body. I feel that sometimes, better equipment can squander creativity. One example of this is a short film I shot a few days ago. I had all the gear to create it, but it turned out awful
Like, really bad...
I'm not saying newer gear is bad (in fact, I'm needing a new camera body soon) or that if her daughter bought a new camera, she would then begin to suck at photography. What I'm trying to hit is: If we focus too much on the WHAT we use, we lose sight of the HOW we do it. Not only that, but when we say "I'm not able to do that because of A, B, or C", we eradicate the possibility of creativity.
What are your thoughts?