Photography Is A Journey – Phase 2: The Gear What-Ifs

So you first start off with Phase 1: The Possibilities are Limitless. Gradually, you find yourself looking at more images taken by other people, particularly via Flickr. You look at an intriguing photo there, and you start checking out the EXIF (the technical data behind the image containing camera, lens and setting information). You also start asking friends who do photography what camera and what lens they used to take the images.

Right around this time, you are likely to buy your first extra lens that did NOT come with your camera. Very likely it’s a 50mm f/1.8 or something similar. Cheap. Good. Fast. With Bokeh. And just like that, it begins.

Phase 2: The Gear What-Ifs…

Symptom 1: You ask friends and fellow photographers what lens and camera they used to take a photo you like and wonder ‘what if’ you had the same setup
Symptom 2: You start checking out how much those lenses cost and where you can buy them and wonder ‘what if’ you owned them
Symptom 3: You start checking lens review sites to see if a particular lens is any good, in some cases you just ask your photographically inclined friends to let you try their gear so that you can answer some ‘what ifs’
Symptom 4: You think of getting another ‘cheap-ish’ lens or accessory, like a simple telephoto or a basic flash to satisfy some ‘what ifs’
Symptom 5: You gradually think less about techniques and instead focus more on what a lens or accessory can do for your photography
Symptom 6: You start lusting over things like L lens, f/2.8, f/1.2 and ‘what if’ you owned them
Symptom 7: You begin to start using the excuse that your images are no good because your gear is not good enough

Any of the above symptoms sound familiar? Well, that’s just Phase 2. I personally reckon, usually during this phase, the high you had during Phase 1 is still pretty much there. This means you’re still happy with the possibilities, but only now, it’s no longer about what YOU can do with what you have, but rather what you can do with what you DON’T have YET. The thrill and exhilaration will still be there, but you do find yourself gaining more interest in the gear itself, especially since it is one of the things you learn about as you progress further along your journey.

Right around this time, you’d start to meet more photographically inclined friends and hobby groups. You’ll start being more exposed to different lenses and different cameras. All in the name of learning. And all in really good fun. But you’re now more informed on the gear you’re using, the gear you not yet have, and also the gear you desire. It is intoxicating. And it’s just so easy to keep getting involved in all the gear lust, and the wonderful lenses and camera gear you have yet to own.

Then, naturally, more often than not, it happens. Phase 3. This, I’d like to call The Official Assignment.

Photography Is A Journey

Phase 1 – The Possibilities are Limitless
Phase 2 – The Gear What-Ifs
Phase 3 – The Official Assignment
Phase 4 – The Photographic Lull
Phase 5 – Defining The Photographer In You