Gear isn’t Everything
Welcome everyone, happy you are here.
Yes I said it in the title GEAR ISN’T EVERYTHING and I mean it. This statement is something I’ve said over a lot of different times in my career and I will explain. Talent and skill comes from knowing how to make the best from the gear that you have. I didn’t own a full frame camera until 2015, and didn’t get a mirrorless camera until 2021.
Gear is just a tool. You are the one controlling the gear to create an image. It’s not paint or the brushes that creates the paintings. It’s the artist and their talent that creates the paintings.
The best piece of advice I can give anyone who is wanting to start their journey into photography of any kind, is to invest in education and learning. Find people who can teach you things and learn from them before you buy a camera that is super expensive and hurts your wallet some. Personally you can check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBf8uQESR1gV8kj8ZxGXnSw
There are many other fellow photographers who will help you learn things and how to do things.
Also, you can look into Creative Live, which is another company that I adore for, some of the content. They can help you get started before you dive into a setup that might not even fit your genre. Also, find something you are comfortable with, some cameras are heavy and bulky. Depending on what you are doing and where you are going, it might be better to have something light and easy to carry.
Never let anyone tell you that you have to have this or that piece of gear just to shoot this type of photography. Use what you have, expand your knowledge and honestly, JUST SHOOT PHOTOGRAPHY. The more you shoot and practice, the better you will get. The same with editing. That is where you will see so much more growth. Gear will only get you so far, talent and skill is EVERYTHING.
Also don’t listen to the people who say they got a job because they owned an x, y, or z camera. That isn’t why they got the job. I have been in the industry for a long time and I have never had a client ask me what camera I use. They were more interested in the images on my website and social media. Anyone who is saying they got a job for this or that camera is just trying to make you think you need that camera when you don’t. It's a trap and something to mess with your mind. Don’t fall for it. I promise it will do more harm than good.
Lastly, and I will repeat myself on this, the key to being a successful photographer is to use the gear you have, go out and shoot photography. Keep editing and learning. Also, never look at your gear as being bad or outdated because honestly most things are outdated the moment you buy them. Skill and talent will shine beyond anything.
See you next week,
Jimmy
