I'm officially depressed

After spending 4 1/2 years on this forum and more hours than I can count, buying and selling, laboring over the gear I need, and the software I need to be an accomplished photographer, I have come to a startling conclusion:

I have everything I need.

So now what do I do? My facination with all the latest and greatest equipment has died. I've used ultra wide and macro and lower quality zooms and high quality zooms and a couple primes, especially the 35L, and if I'm honest, for what I shoot day to day my gear list is everything I need.

I guess I should now spend my time learning how to be a better photographer:o

Chris wrote in post #11974123
I guess I should now spend my time learning how to be a better photographer:o

You think?

Sure..... What? No full frame? You got one prime only!!! Won't the 580ex II feel a bit lonely? Buy him a companion like another 580ex II or 430ex II and so that one can be a "master" and the other a "slave."

Try to convert that obsessive nature away from gear and towards shooting. I see a lot of folks here obsess over gear, test shots, test charts, more gear, lenses ect… and when you go to their flickr, you see maybe 6-7 real world shots of actual photography.

Gear is fun, but I think a large part of that fun in acquiring a new lens or camera is the possibilities that come along with it. Now that you have what you need, follow through on the possibilities aspect.

Direct that obessiveness towards shooting. Stress over composition. Research lighting techniques. Improve your PP.

Photography is basically infinite. Explore it.

Chris wrote in post #11974123
I guess I should now spend my time learning how to be a better photographer:o

Winner winner.

I went down the same path (though in apparently much less time ), and, although I will continue to seek out and buy better equipment, I'm done with stressing about it. With all those hours spent in the lens/camera sections, I'm sure you've seen the same threads over and over and over and over again, and know much of it by heart.

Get out and shoot, and, as your photography grows, I'm sure you'll be bitten by the gear bug again as you "need" this or that to accomplish a new technique you want to try.

this is like the guys who spent weeks in front of his computer till he finally sufred to the end of the internet. lol.

Sell all your gear and go Nikon and start over!

Chris wrote in post #11974123
After spending 4 1/2 years on this forum and more hours than I can count, buying and selling, laboring over the gear I need, and the software I need to be an accomplished photographer, I have come to a startling conclusion:

I have everything I need.

So now what do I do? My facination with all the latest and greatest equipment has died. I've used ultra wide and macro and lower quality zooms and high quality zooms and a couple primes, especially the 35L, and if I'm honest, for what I shoot day to day my gear list is everything I need.

I guess I should now spend my time learning how to be a better photographer:o

Deep.

I'm right there with you. I have everything I need to shoot what I want and am realizing that I have no reason to produce crap work and if I do, it falls on me and me alone. I'm starting to focus and pinpoint exactly what I need to work on. Instead of saying "shooting portraits", I'll focus on specifically poses until I feel comfortable with it. Same goes with lighting and editing.

Chris wrote in post #11974123
I guess I should now spend my time learning how to be a better photographer:o

Horse hockey!

I don't see any fancy studio lights in your sig. No alternative glass. Not a single 1D or FF body either.

How can you possibly be "done"?


In all seriousness, I'm in a similar situation. I've got 16-300 covered with f/2.8 zooms, a nice 1DIII and a very capable 20D "backup". That capably covers 99% of what I do.

I'm now having to face the hard reality that I have zero creative talent, I'm nothing but a mechanic.

mbellot wrote in post #11974473
I'm now having to face the hard reality that I have zero creative talent, I'm nothing but a mechanic.

sheesh - thats harsh.

even 'creative people' can fall victime to gear-ism.
i've always been very creative, always was talanted at illustrating/charcoal/​ect throughout highschool, went to college for art, and now photography - but even I found myself lurking in the gear section, a bit more than I realy needed to. partly because i'm just bored here at work, but partly because i believe i was falling victim to gear-ism.

once you feel you have enough gear, stay out of the gear threads and more in the photo-sharing threads. they spur creativity & inspiration, and you realize all the work you can do with the gear you already own.

i'm trying to fight the urge to just linger in the lens section right now.

welp - back to the photo sharing section for me

That happened to me with my harley. Still love the bike but haven't been to the forum for years.

I've noticed the same thing too about myself. After I finished being depressed with myself, I decided to pick up my camera and start learning how to shoot good pictures (and not the gear inspired crap I've been shooting up until then, you know, like when you get a wide lens you want to shoot everything wide, or when you get a super fast lens you want to creamy bokeh everything). I think I'm getting better. I'm actually relieved that I don't have the pressure of feeling like my skills are under utilized from lack of equipment.

Good on you! Nice to know you have all the tools required to get the job done. It's certainly possible and I liken camera gear to my guitar gear. My band gig requires certain specialized equipment for me to sound like guitarists from the 60s. My guitars cover the playing, amps and pedals provide all the sounds needed meaning I no longer want for more guitar-related gear.

When I dial in my shooting preferences, I'll come to the same end. Glad you've already found that place because it's an expensive journey getting there!!!

dave

What kind of printer do you have?

I think when my Sigma 17-70 Macro arrives in the mail, I'll be in the same boat. I got a long lens, I got a nice portrait lens, I got a moderately wide-angle and macro multi-function lens. I got a great body, and a Speedlite. Reflectors over here, diffusers over there, seamless paper and muslins and a backdrop stand over by the wall in the dining room.

Now all I need is inspiration, and time.

I could stand to spend some hours with the wife's Lynda account, and learn up on LR3 then PS.