What's more important; possessions or knowledge? In this blog I attempt to convince you to aim for the latter.
In an earlier blog, I listed the TOP 10 MOST ANNOYING Photography Questions I've Been Asked Online.
Whilst some of the questions were real eye-openers, the majority of them came from genuine beginner photographers who wanted to know:
a) Which camera, (or camera system) they should buy;
and
b) What is my opinion on brand 'x' versus brand 'y'.
While I completely understand the nature of such questions - heck, I was also asking similar questions when I was first starting out - I had to learn the hard way that neither are really answerable with a simple 'a' or 'b' response.
To put it another way, the true answer to these questions was not one which my ego wanted to hear.
You see, the place in my mind from which these questions arose was one of inexperience and vanity.
I wasn't really asking about which camera I should buy. Instead, by ego was saying something like:
"Someone I follow online uses this kit, and I've pretty much already made up my mind, but I need a little bit more confirmation bias so I can feel better about spending my money, even though I don't really know why".
Not a great look, I know. But you have to start somewhere.
Everything has a purpose
With time and experience I learned that nothing is designed in a vacuum. Everything exists because it was created to serve a purpose. No company will release an expensive camera, lens, or accessory without first understanding their target market and what that market wants and needs.
As such, if you are asking me about a particular camera or camera brand, then unfortunately you are most likely NOT that market - at least not yet anyway.
These days, while I have many years of knowledge and experience under my belt, and I would probably be able to give you a solid answer based on what I would buy (emphasis on 'I'), I still choose to bite my tongue and hold back.
Instead, my standard go-to response to such questions has become:
"Start by investing in the relevant skills and knowledge, until your question becomes redundant".
Let me explain.
Let's pretend that you're an absolute beginner, and your intention is to one day become a great portrait photographer. Asking which camera you should buy is a completely pointless question at this point. It's the equivalent of a teenager with dreams of racing in Formula One, asking which racing car they should get as their first car. While I admire the dedication and ambition, that is not really the order in which these things work.
Instead, I would strongly recommend that you first do as much research as you can about your chosen field - in this case, portrait photography.
Learn about posing, lighting techniques, as well as the rich history of the art and who the big names are. Learn about classical painters and their expert use of colour, light, and shadow in their paintings.
Then, learn which skills and practical knowledge a successful portrait photographer would need to possess, which would allow them to perform their job as easily and effortlessly as possible.
Learning all of this, means that you will now be well-equipped to understand what gear they choose to use, and most importantly, why they use it.
Most importantly, in the process, your original question answers itself.
Taking the time and effort to follow the right steps to acquire knowledge, educates you about your desired field, and that education provides you with the answers to all of your questions, including many others which you would never have thought to ask.
Think of it another way: You've finally moved out of home and must now learn how to prepare and cook your own food.
You probably don't really care about the most expensive knives and pots. Instead, your main nemesis is learning how to boil an egg without burning the water.
Only once you have mastered the basics, and are starting to come up with a few of your own favourite dishes, that you might feel like learning new ways to make them better, faster, and tastier.
Why should photography be any different?
In conclusion
Possessing the right equipment has the potential to make you better. It can even make you an expert in the field.
However, if you don't first possess the relevant skills and knowledge that go along with using this equipment, you will be left with an empty wallet, and a beautiful set of very expensive paperweights.
If you enjoyed this blog and feel that you got something out of it, please feel free to follow me on Twitter or Instagram; and also subscribe to my newsletter for more in-depth photography tips and tricks.
Happy shooting!
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