Edward Steichen once said, “No photographer is as good as the simplest camera”. Edward Steichen died in 1973. The first digital camera was created in 1975. It was the size of a printer, weighed 4 kg, used 16 batteries, and recorded images on a digital cassette tape. The first mass-produced autofocus camera was the Konica C35 AF which came to market in 1977. Why all this history? In Edward Steichen’s time cameras were much more simple than today’s modern cameras. So if no photographer is as good as the simplest camera in Edward Steichen’s time we’re not even close nowadays.
We obsess over gear. We talk about all the features and high ISOs, about the video capabilities of our still cameras, The ability to use more than one memory card where we can store thousands of photographs. We talk about the clarity of the electronic viewfinders, and the sharpness of the lenses with the modern coatings.
What we should be obsessing over is our ability to take photographs. I watch photographers when they are out doing their thing. They see something point the camera snap the picture and hope for the best. They don’t meter the light, examine the subject, check their position, set up the focus. Yeah, I know, there is a meter in the camera, there is autofocus, but how are they metering, what are they metering, what are they focusing on, why? So many photographers also never leave the standing position. Stand, snap, move, stand snap.
I think I can do better. I think you can do better. Let’s start to obsess over results rather than gear. Let’s start to plan our shots, do a better job at metering the light, controlling the focus, making sure we have the best perspective, study our subject. Let’s work to get closer to the ability of our gear.
Photographer Clay 
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