Gear

This is a funny one for me.  Cameras have changed a lot since I started.  Back in my day if you didn’t shoot with a Nikon or Hasselblad you were a loser!  A Nikon F2 was the shit!  A Hasselblad ELX was the Ferrari of cameras!  Back in those days there was a difference between pro cameras and amateur cameras.  The difference between pro & amateur gear was not always the price.  Better made, better features and better lenses.

Lets start with the simple fact… You do NOT need an expensive camera to take a great photo.  You do NOT need a ton of lenses and gear to make great art.  You do NOT need to buy everything Hasselblad makes to impress the grrls.  You do NOT need the best gear out there!  Some of my best photos were taken with simple good cameras and NOT some crazy expensive camera.

I always advise everyone to get a good camera that you can afford.  Learn everything you can about it.  You should know how it works and what its capable of doing before you upgrade.  That goes especially for the lenses!!!  So many people buy their first camera and then buy 5 lenses.  I always say, buy one and use it for a while.  Get to know what it can and can NOT do.  Its so important to know all year gear, but the lens is most important.  After you learn, then buy another.  After you learn that one, buy another.

You can always rent the gear before you buy it.  Thats another great way to figure out if you need it and if it will help you get the images you want.  Try everything out before you spend the big bucks on something that will sit in your case and collect dust.  So many people buy things just to show off and the gear just sits there.  It annoys the fuck out of me when some rich dude has everything I want and has NO clue on how to use it.  Plus his work sucks!

Don’t go crazy buying gear, just figure out what works for you and stick with it.  I’ve had every size, format and kind of gear through these years and NO matter what I used, I knew how to use it!!  I knew what camera would get me what I want.  Yes, things have changed and every idiot has a 5D, but most of them have NO clue on how to use the fucker and keep it on auto.  Then they wonder why their images look like every loser with a 5D.  Simply this… Know your gear and you will get the results you want.