I was in the middle of a photo session with a model when I realized I had too many cameras and that was having a negative impact on my photo concentration. I was using a digital camera and a film camera and would switch between them. I feel that my photography suffered from this. My original thinking was that working with multiple cameras would give me an advantage and provide a wider selection of good images. It was the opposite result. I would still get an occasional good image but the overall results were disappointing. Flipping between cameras had a negative impact on my visual and mental concentration. My brain would have to recalibrate between digital (color) and film (black and white). Also, when working with a model, the time gap while changing cameras can have a negative impact on the overall flow and rhythm of the session. I had strayed from my personal philosophy of keeping things simple.
For a photographer, photo equipment is obviously necessary but too much equipment can be a photographers curse. It is very easy to get caught up in the equipment trap. You see a new camera and think “if only I had that new camera my photographs would be so much better.” Or you see reviews about the next great camera and you get that itch that you need a new camera. Unless your camera is broken you do not need an expensive new one. Your best photos are created by your eyes and brain.
Many years ago, when I began making photos, there were only film cameras. The big decision as a photographer had to make was what type of film to use.
My first new single lens reflex camera was a Ricoh XR-M with two lenses consisting of a wide-angle (28mm) and a normal lens (50mm). It was an excellent camera and I used it for many years and made some of my best photos with it.
My plan is to go back to my early days and simplify my use of equipment. For a specific photo session, I will make a decision on one camera to use and will have to work within the parameters of that camera. I am also issuing a self-imposed moratorium on purchasing new cameras. Unless I have to replace a broken camera, I have purchased my last camera. For me less will be more in the sense that I hope I can get back into the photo groove I had when I first started my adventures in photography.
Sacrifice to the Giant (Early Photo)
Sleeping Mind Photography 