We live in a time where gear, gear reviews, and gear marketing are just about more important than the gear we already own to a lot of people. There is an illusion that "If I buy the latest gear that I will create better photographs". Yes, a $900 lens might outperform your $50 vintage Ebay find in sharpness and flare blocking abilities but at the end of the day.......bad lighting and composition are what make a bad photograph. A good photographer can use a 1960s camera kit found at a thrift store and run circles around the modern gear head with a $4000 kit.
In 2020 the only gear that actually matters is more on a tactical or utilitarian standpoint. Find a comfortable strap, find a good LCD protector, get a good cleaning kit. I can promise you that buying the latest lens that every paid YouTube channel is tempting you with will not make you better. We live in a time where consumerism is king. A lot of people feel empty if they don't have well marketed stuff laying around. Yes, it is an illusion and one of the oldest tricks known to man. Salesmen don't need to wear a suit and tie anymore. They can find, tempt, and seal the deal from a 10min YouTube video with catchy music and banter.
I challenge all of you shooters to something this year. Put back $1000-$3000 of money that you will most likely blow on new gear. Use that money for a trip to an area where you can actually use what you already have. There is not one single lens or camera that you will buy today that will make more of a difference than the one in your hand. A brand new camera sitting on the shelf collection dust is forgettable. Bad technique and poor lighting are forgettable. Learning to use what you have and perfecting that tool is memorable.
Kevin
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