Are you in the habit of putting blame on your camera whenever your pictures are bad?
As a result do you find yourself stuck in the endless cycle of buying new photography equipment, hoping it will bring you the creative satisfaction you crave? You’re not alone.
Many photographers fall into the trap of thinking that the latest camera or lens will magically elevate their skills and make their work better. But the truth is the camera and the lens are tools, which in skilled hands can do wonders, but in unskilled hands will only achieve amateur work.
So the real challenge is asking yourself if you’re truly as good as you think, before taking a decision to buy new gear.
This is probably easier said than done, and in this post, we’ll explore seven methods to help you break free from the addiction of constantly buying photography equipment, in exchange for true satisfaction in your craft.
IDENTIFYING THE PROBLEM
“If I had an hour to solve a problem I’d spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions.” – Albert Einstein
Now you can’t argue with the great Albert Einstein. But the reasoning behind this statement is quite simple, you have to see a problem as a problem, before you decide that you need a solution.
The attraction of shiny new gear can be irresistible, especially in today’s tech driven world. But you’ve got to pause and admit to yourself that it’s an unhealthy addiction, if you constantly find yourself chasing one expensive camera after the next without a good reason or a planned budget.
UNDERSTANDING THE ROOT CAUSE
It’s essential to recognize that the desire for new equipment often stems from deeper insecurities about your skills as a photographer.
It’s a hard truth. But there’s nothing bad about having insecurities, and there’s everything good about preventing an insecurity from being a stumbling block to your success.
Insecurities about your photography skills could be from past failures or creative heights which you aim to attain, but whatever it is, you’ve got to settle down to understand it, in order to move past it.
SHIFTING YOUR MINDSET
“We can not solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.”
– Albert Einstein
When you identify your and its root cause, you’ve got to put the old mentality aside. Instead of relying on gear to validate your talent, focus on honing your skills and developing your unique artistic vision.
This usually takes time and practice, and there’ll definitely be the old temptation to make the usual excuse that leads to you purchasing a new camera or a lens, but once you’ve made a decision to change your mindset, you owe yourself a duty to stick to it for the long term.
PRACTICING GRATITUDE
Gratitude is often easily overlooked, but it’s an important pathway to peace.
A lot of photographers probably don’t have the gear you have. And if what you have is an old camera and other old equipment which takes you a long time to make it work, then you have a justified reason to buy a new gear. But an aspiring photographer might not even have that.
Take stock of the gear you already own and appreciate the tools you have at your disposal. Choose to believe that with the gear you have, you can achieve something good, it doesn’t have to be the best in the world for you to appreciate it.
SETTING GUIDELINES
The major point of this blog post, is that buying new gear isn’t bad obviously, but buying for the wrong reasons is what you should be against.
Without proper guidelines for your spending, you’ll be a lawless man who throws his money whenever a new equipment provokes a smile.
You can set a simple guideline like you only buy gear that is affordable and absolutely needed. Which means if it’s fancy and expensive, but you can do without it, then you don’t buy it.
Setting guidelines is about discipline, and sticking to your rules ensures you get the best result.
EXPLORING ALTERNATIVE PATHS
When you’re focused on buying new gear to solve your creativity issues, there’s always a chance you’re not being creative enough with the gear you have, because naturally you haven’t developed the patience required to achieve your highest creative level, so you quickly blame your gear.
Before the dawn of photographers, there were painters such as Picasso, Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci and these men developed the patience to achieve great art by dipping their brush in paint one stroke at a time. A modern day photographer can achieve so much more with one click on his camera.
Get creative with the resources you have, whether it’s experimenting with different techniques or repurposing existing gear in new ways, there’s a lot more you can do with what you have.
FINDING COMMUNITY SUPPORT
No one can underestimate the power of association. It’s much easier to break away from old habits in an environment where such habit aren’t being encouraged. If your friends are obsessed with new gear, chances are you’re probably who you are because of them.
Surround yourself with fellow photographers who understand your struggles and are willing to show you encouragement and help you improve yourself.
CONCLUSION
Once you change your focus from improving your photography skills with new gear, to developing your skills through learning, experimenting and improving your knowledge, you’ll rediscover the joy of photography on your own terms.
As you share your pictures online use the Tristetix social media marketing course to guide you to achieve best results. So dear friend, put down the credit card, pick up your camera, and let your creativity soar.
