Are you a photographer or a gear collector?

Here is a hugely unpopular opinion amongst many photographers, “gear doesn’t matter”. Over the course of many years, I have known photographers who had all the top-of-the-line gear. The best money could buy and their photographs were meh, mediocre at best but more along the line of a mere snapshot. I have also known photographers who with the most basic of equipment could consistently produce fantastic high-quality gallery-worthy art. Gear doesn’t matter, it is the final product that matters. How you get there doesn’t matter. Nothing matters except the final image.

Lately, I have had conversations with photographers who are just starting out. I talk a lot about being able to control the light and lighting matters. At the same time, I also discuss how you can learn to control and add supplemental lighting in a very budget-friendly way. You don’t have to spend a fortune, mortgage the kids and dog, to get top-notch photographs. I literally started with a DIY (do it yourself) lighting kit and light modifiers. I’ll say it again for the people in the back, “GEAR DOESN’T MATTER”!

My newest piece of photography gear is 8 years old. I’ll admit I spent a bit of money on it, but it wasn’t even the top-of-the-line 8 years ago. I’ll also admit that I have a closet full of gear but I also know that I have about 6 pieces of gear that get used on a regular basis. A couple of camera bodies, and 3 or 4 lenses. One lens, a 50mm f/1.8 I bought a number of years ago for less than $100.

I know I’ll hear but, what about this or that. Yeah, yeah, sometimes gear helps, but it still doesn’t matter. You can have the best gear in the world and still produce crap while someone who has the most basic gear produces gallery-quality work. It’s about the operator of the gear, not the gear.