Photographers and all their (un)necessary gear

I have not posted at all this week as I have been enjoying a much needed vacation at the U.S. Open. I have been fortunate enough to see many great tennis matches, however I have also seen a lot of photographers and all of their gear. As I watched the guy next to me take out a very fancy and (admittedly) pretty cool dust blower for his camera lens in the middle of one great tennis match, I started to wonder why it is photographers always have so much gear.

If we really take a step back and think about it, my guess is most of us would realize that we likely do not need all of the gear we have. One of my friends recently purchased his first DSLR camera and within the first few weeks of acquiring his new toy, the two of us have already had multiple conversations about the various lenses he needs. During our first conversation I calmly and politely tried to steer him from investing his money in new lenses until he knew his camera and had mastered his current lens. At the end I jokingly said "are you suffering from G.A.S?" "Huh?" he replied. "G.A.S. = gear acquisition syndrome" I quickly responded. We both laughed and he assured me he was not in fact suffering from G.A.S. but I still could not help but wonder a little. 

Gear acquisition syndrome is real and dangerous. If you are not careful you can find yourself in financial hardship and you might end up with so much gear that you cannot even use it. Oh, and just as an FYI, the many small purchases can be just as damaging as the few big purchases. It is easy to pick up the latest dust blower here or a new lens filter there, but these purchases add up over time. As an American I realize that we have a certain obsession with having the latest and newest gadget but maybe when it comes to photography we can use our stuff a little longer. Maybe actually let it wear out its usefulness. 

Two weeks ago I took a photography class and a guy who has a very large and growing photo business in Pennsylvania talked about how he has bought every one of the cameras for his business used on eBay. He mentioned that they take probably hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of photos each year and some of these cameras are over 10 years old. Another example for you, this one more personal. I recently entered one of National Geographic's photo contests. I took the image with a Diana mini on a roll of Kodak Elitechrome cross-processed. The editor commented on and favorited my image shortly after I posted it on the site (and there were already 100s of submissions). Are you beginning to see my point? I am sure you have heard this before but I will say it again -- the gear does not make the photographer! It is skills development, the ability to see and the ability to put yourself in the right place to take the right shot that will make you a better photographer. Focus on the skills and then buy the gadgets. So, before you go out and buy yet another lens, camera or accessory stop and ask yourself "do I really need this lens or a new camera? Do I need that fancy dust blower or will the one I have work just fine?" You will save yourself a lot of money and a lot of heartache.

Good luck to all my tennis favorites!