Ever since I have jumped into this crazy world called photography, I have been plagued by the need of new cameras, better equipment and that ultimate piece of gear that will make you uber awesome. But lately I have been fighting that want for more, and replacing it with a need for more perfection in my shooting. 

As many know, I work with a minimal amount of gear. A 5D, 30D (thats almost toast), 3 lenses, and 1 flash. Part of this is good and most of it is great. Shooting at Qwanoes has challenged me to shoot with one of my three lenses exclusively when I should probably just fork over the money and get a better middle ground lens. But alas, I enjoy the minimalist amount of equipment. Here’s why…

Many photogs with pockets bigger then most 3rd world countries yearly budgets have the ability to fork over tens of thousands on gear every year. Alas what I find with a lot of photogs that do this, their vision for their story telling will often lack. They focus solely on the need to get the best lens for a situation rather then focusing on deepening and perfecting their storytelling.

For myself I have been focusing on the need to deepen my stories that I tell. This often will in turn make you focus less on the equipment you use and more on your creative ability to focus on a situation. A good friend has a tag line that he loves using, “Gear is good, vision is better.” - David DuChemin. He’s right, gear can be good, but your vision is what will set your apart from the rest. A vision is your passion, your heart, your connection to your subject matter. It can mean the difference between a snapshot and an immensely moving photograph. 

So for the love of the story, take pictures! Don’t let your equipment sit on your desk collecting dust while you surf the internet mindlessly for that next 5D Mark II rumor. Love your story, perfect the grammar, get rid of a bad habit, learning can mean failure, take it slowly and with a humble heart. It takes time, but your story will show your passion for the content.