Spinning Your Wheels

Been having some discussions lately with friends regarding the toys of photography. I feel its very easy to get distracted in photography because of the endless options that are presented to you. This camera does this, this film does that, if you use this film with this developer or this camera with this flash gizmo or this lens you can take better pictures. All the toys, the bells and whistles of photography can be a huge distraction. Many photographers forget the most important thing is making photographs, and not planning/testing/thinking about making photographs, constantly experimenting.

The 2 best photographers I know and  have talked to one on one simplify what they do. Both Jock Sturges and  Larry Louie who are world class photogs use one camera and one lens. Jock uses one film for b/w another for colour that's it. Their styles of photography are very different but what they both do is concentrate on the photograph, on that statement they are trying to make. Both men simplify their tools to accomplish their goals, they are not distracted by the all the bells and whistles of photography.

I am guilty of buying to many cameras and of trying to use most of them. Using to many cameras is a distraction, it takes away from your command of the tool, it makes you lose concentration on you art. Instead of just letting everything flow naturally your awkwardly adjusting to this unfamiliar machine. Many photographers I know use multiple films (5, 6 or more), multiple lens (6-12), and multiple cameras. I think its all one big distraction, something we all need to grow beyond. We are all dazzled by the toys of photography but to truly know your craft you need to simplify, figure out what you want to say and then work years towards that goal.

Full time photographers might take years or even decades to learn a film/developer combination, it might take them years to truly learn a camera/lens. How can a part time photographer who shoots a fraction of the time truly learn the tools of his trade (camera/lens/film/developer) if he is constantly testing, forever jumping from one thing to another. If we all limited ourselves to one or two camera's, one or two films, 1 or 2 developers and maybe 1-3 lens our photography would improve. At some point we all need to stop the testing, stop buying the new greatest photo toy and instead spend all our time making photographs.

I feel I will be much better served if I simplify as much as I can. I am already only shooting one film with one developer (Tri-x with D-76) but I need to cut down on the amount of camera's and lens I use. I need to figure out what works best for me then spend years using only that equipment, until everything flows fluidly, my heart/mind and tools.