____ I love my equipment. The various components of my gear help me do my job more efficiently. Reliable, tough equipment allows me to focus on the subject in my viewfinder rather than worrying about the performance of my hardware. I need gear that I can always rely on to perform flawlessly and consistently. ____ As great as my equipment is, and as much as I love to add new pieces to my collection, they are merely my tools. Just as a carpenter uses a hammer and nails to make his product, I use a camera and lenses to make mine. I'll never forget the comment another traveler made to me while taking a road trip along Highway 1 in California. She saw my EOS 5D (which is quite a formidable camera with the extra battery pack and zoom lens attached) and remarked, "Wow! That thing must take great pictures!" Although I would expect, and have seen, most people react this way to my equipment, the comment still struck me as odd. With this same logic, the carpenter's top-of-the-line hammer must make great houses and the painter's professional-grade brushes must paint great pictures. Great tools and professional equipment can make the job easier, but they certainly do not do the job for you. The carpenter builds the house, not the hammer; the painter paints the picture, not the brush; and the photographer takes the picture, not the camera. ____ Some may question the validity of my analogies; so to help demonstrate, I have included two pictures below. Both are of the same subject shot in the same location with the exact same camera and lens, and both digital files received a similar level of processing.
____ Picture 1 was taken with virtually no technique. The camera was set for auto exposure and I merely snapped a quick shot to document the location for visiting later. I paid little to no attention to composition and detail. Picture 2 was taken with much more technique involved. The techniques involved in picture 2 include:
____With all that in mind, I still do greatly value my equipment and I love to share with others what exactly is in my camera bag. I shoot entirely digital nowadays, but some of the pictures featured on this site were shot with transparency (slide) film.
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