Yes, I'll admit I was an equipment whore. I always had to have a different camera, a better lens, more software, more speedlights, till I realized that the equipment really doesn't matter that much. I've learned to slow down, be a little more deliberate and to wait for the shot. My photographic idols are the old school "National Geographic Guy's", Margaret Bourke-White (see post) and photographers like Jeff Ascough. These photographers don't carry a boatload of gear. Often it's a simple camera body, a handful of lenses and a small flash, it's learning to work with what you have not what you wish you had. I guess you could say less is more. Galen Rowell the awesome outdoor photographer got great shots not only because he was a fine photogapher but he would go places few photographers would go, often having to scale mountains and run to catch the light. He carried an ultra light kit and made it work.
I often think there's a little kid in Cuba, or Africa or somewhere off the beaton path who has an old Nikon D100 or a Canon 30D whose taking pictures that would probably blow me away. They are making do w/ what they have and not worrying about what they don't. I try hard to maintain the same attitude. I try hard not to get equipment lust and just concentrate on getting the shot. For me it's all about that moment in time and being ready for it. I used to shoot sports and like weddings there's no redo. You can't fake what really happened. A friend of mine was just starting to do some wedding photography and he took a picture which kind of blew me away. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm extremely critical of photographs. When he showed me the picture I gave him my highest compliment, "I wish I had taken that photo." I then went on to explain that what he did right was nothing. He got low waited for the moment and just before it happened he clicked the shutter. He didn't wait an extra second, he didn't call out to the couple to look this way...he just clicked. Somethimes that's the secret.
For pictures and info, go to www.billybeach.net
The blog for Billy Beach, a photographer based in Wilmington, NC. Commercially I'm wedding centric. Personally I'll shoot whatever moves me. Whether with a digital camera, gopro, phone or a film camera, I love capturing moments and preserving them for future generations.
