What gives you the right??

What gives you the right to say that I am NOT a Photographer simply because I don’t have the luxury to buy high-end expensive gear?  The age-old question of what makes a good photographer has been proving over and over…we all know that just because you have quality gear, doesn’t necessarily equate to quality photos.   Vice versa, someone can have low quality gear and produce the most amazing images.  So, the commonality here is that WHAT makes a good photographer is YOU, the photographer.  Do you take the time to know your equipment?  Do you push it to it’s limits and back again?  Do you experiment  with household items and gadgetry to manufacture materials that do equally as good of a job as the retail items?   Remember, NONE of the luxuries of photography that we have now existed a few years ago.  Yet now, so many of us gauge a quality photographer by what’s in her gear-bag instead of what’s in her heart and her vision.  Because, that’s really all you need to make a good photo…I firmly believe this.  You need passion, drive, a thick skin, and drive to get out there and make it happen!!  does that mean you can start charging someone $4K right off of the bat?? No way Jose…slow your roll.  You may have a gift, but if you unwrap the gift and don’t bother to read the instructions and re-gift it over and over and never learn or improve.  well, then your gift & talent & abilities will never fully flourish and you do yourself a great disservice…not to mention, throwing the system out of balance. But, don’t buy that fancy gear because that’s what the “Jones'”….the Jones probably leave it on full auto 99% of the time and lug it around for looks only.  I think all of us have to do a certain amount of time in the trenches before we can really be a good enough photographer to start sending invoices to people.  I don’t know if what I am saying is making sense….but, I do know that I have done a good amount of time in the trenches now and I am ready to start working my way out of the trenches….making a name for myself and my future…learning more than I have ever learned before…experimenting as often as I can and using what I have to it’s maximum capabilities.  Once I have exceeded my greatest expectations with my gear…then, and only then, will I upgrade my equipment.  What good is a $5000 camera to me if I can’t even figure out how to use a $900 one??  that is my point….BE A PHOTOGRAPHER and embrace what that really means.  I sweat, I labor, I cry, I hate, I love, I read, I learn, I implement, I experiment, I work for FREE…I have paid the price and continue to pay…will always pay on some level (I sure hope!).  Therefore, I like to think that I am finally  and always will be a Photographer, despite the lack of super fancy equipment and I will not let anyone take that away from me and don’t let anyone take it away from you either!

~ by Fortuitous Photography on September 2, 2009.