I don't care what gear you use...

[kkamin]

Some people don't get it, Cwyatt. They've built a exaggerated importance around modern gear where they don't see it for what it is...simply a tool.

These threads will forever be a polarization of viewpoints. People simply don't see photography as a creative medium like painting or writing, even though it is. Photography is viewed more as a capturing of bare reality to many which is contingent upon the quality of their equipment to best capture the moment. I'm not about to write an essay on the sheer artificiality of photography and how far it differs from reality, but whatever...

Photography is all creativity at the end of the day. Your gear is a means to an end.

 

[Benjhouston]

Gear talk is important and necessary to be progressing as a photographer but I must agree that I can get too caught up in it. Photography as an art is about being creative, having a vision, and inspiring others. We have a blog dedicated to this. Free up some time and take a look. www.thewhiteloupe.com

 

[Enough Already]

It's just specualtion, but I bet the pyramids would be a much better marvel if they were made from some of the most spectacular marble from all over the globe and machined to an exact specification with state of the art equipment.

Nah, they would lose their character and look like a mountain of jumbo sized Lego.

In my opinion, I think gear only becomes important if you are a professional photographer or make money from it with a specific job at hand. As mentioned, if you are a sports togger, you need 400-600mm large aperture lenses. If you are not, no one in their right mind should go and spend $6k+ on a single lens unless you are trying to show how big that thing is in your pants or how deep your pockets are. In all likely hood, you would rather spend time and money looking the part of a good photographer rather than spending that money developing the skills to be a good photographer. I see the same thing happen with golf equipment. People go and buy the latest driver or irons in the hope they will be off scratch in a couple months instead of investing that money in lessons FIRST!! What's the saying, "all the gear, but no idea"..