Your Motivations and the Act of Photography

Short answer: It depends.

Longer: read on!

Snowdonia National Park; shot on iPhone 11

The filing cabinet of the Internet is filled with reviews about new cameras and accessories. It makes sense from every point of view. New shiny products sparking curiosity and FOMO leading to fuelling of profits.

And then there are the challengers warning against new camera gear - of GAS - for entirely legitimate reasons. How much farther do camera specs actually go with each new purchase? Are new frontiers being found and packed into new models? Do you really need the latest model?

Parking new gear vs current gear to one side for the moment, does the gear even matter?

The exception I will make, and let’s get this out of the way, is the demands of professional photographers. For those guys the specification of the camera, lenses and accessories is important to delivery the quality outputs their clients need. The same would be said for most professional services.

When it comes to enthusiasts though, does the gear we acquire and use really matter?

For me, and more so over the last few months, it really doesn’t anymore. Yes, there is the urge to read reviews or watch YouTube videos with different cameras (coughGFXcough), but in reality this is short-lived desire for something that I could have in the future. It’s kind of like Christmas - the anticipation is often better than the event itself.

It is not the tool itself that matters most to me, it is the act of photography.

I’m sure I wouldn’t be the only person to admit that I have been out, full pack of camera body, lenses (multiple), tripod and everything else that we’re sold to be ‘better photographers’ only to take 1 image, or worse (for you to decide), a handful of photos on my iPhone that will inevitably be left to sit and rot on iCloud.

Do I return a frustrated photographer? Not really. My shoulders might ache but I often return rejuvinated from the act of photography.

Being outside, being observant and being creative are all part of photography for me. Technical specs and honey-pot locations are much further down the pecking order. My photographic priorities are aligned to my motivations.

Chapel Stile, Lake District; Fujifilm X-Pro1

Photography is fundamentally a form of escapism, a creative release I can only express in a limited fashion in my day-job; an opportunity to learn, develop skills and a route to enjoyment.

Further down the list of priorities sit number of megapixels, frames per second or any other technical specification. This goes for brand loyalty too, I am a practical person at heart, far from tribal and open-minded. I like what I currently have, but I like the process so much more.

I understand that for others, their list will be ordered very differently. One sweep of the comments section of any camera review is illustrative; lots of critical words, but no images to admire or sense of enjoyment; just pure dry statistics.

There will always be new cameras - market participants require it. I will [likely] acquire new equipment in the future, I won’t deny it, but what really matters to me is that I use it. I may use it badly (the images on this page give an indication of this), and I might not use it to its full potential, but if I can use it for the act of photography then I will label this a success.

My Photography Gear

You can probably tell from the images in this post that I have not been either consistent nor wedded to a particular brand or body. I did previously invest in the Nikon Z6 system - which is a great camera by the way - as my only foray into full frame system.

When the Fujifilm XT5 was released I decided to make the switch. I had been looking already at the XT4 for size and bought a second-hand XT3 to add to my dated X-Pro1 to try out a micro-four-thirds system. I found I really enjoyed the Fuji system and ergonomically - much like the Z6 to be fair - the XT5 seemed like a good ‘lead’ body for me. Did I need it? No. Do I want to keep my digital set up to one manufacturer? Yes, ideally.

Being contained to the X-series has allowed me to shrink my equipment down and focus on day-to-day use.

Camera Bodies

Fujifilm XT5 - Main camera body, used for most things.

Fujifilm X-Pro1 - What you might describe as an ‘everyday carry’. There are so many positives about this camera that eat specs for breakfast. If you can find one, snap it up and have some fun.

Lenses

XF 16-55mm f2.8 - Main travel lens. If I am to take one lens only, this is it. Sharp and versatile, awesome with the XT5.

XF 150-600mm f5.6 - 8 - For wildlife. I hired this to try it out and just got on really well with it. It’s a more affordable telephoto for those wanting the reach without the price tag (and can live without insane bokeh).

XF 23mm f2 - Small, compact and really sharp. What more can I say?

Sigma 56mm f1.4 - Relatively new addition acquired with a gift voucher. I will tell you more when I have spent time with it.

TTArtisan 35mm f1.2 - Budget-friendly and darn good fun. I usually attach to the X-Pro1 for local wandering. Everything is manual, the aperature barrel rotates the opposite way to XF lenses, so it’s a healthy slice of ‘WTF did I just do!?’.

Phone

iPhone 15 Pro - I will often use my iPhone when on the move, shooting in RAW Max. More on this workflow soon.

Do I have dreams of GFX? Yes. Do I need it? No, well….maybe!

Substack

I have started sharing images and posts on Substack. If you’re not familiar, it’s a social media platform aimed at creating. So far, my experience has been pretty positive - a refreshing shift in the current social media landscape!

Does camera gear really matter?