A Design For Life: Stories From Behind The Lens
2022 Part 7: Sick Cycle Carousel
"If the photographer is interested in the people in front of his lens, and if he is compassionate, it's already a lot. The instrument is not the camera but the photographer."
Eve Arnold
Every now and then, I have been asked about the camera gear that I have and it always never fails to amuse me about the reactions I get when I tell people that 99% of my gear were all bought secondhand.
The honest truth is that most of us who are in this business are not as successful as some. Call it what you will, but even for someone like me who's been shooting for almost a decade, I don't consider myself a successful photographer. I consider myself more of an experienced photographer than anything else. That's a big difference.
I know of fellow photographers who have the means to get the latest gear or are sponsored by the major camera companies to try out the latest gear. These people are blessed because they have the money and the connections, and they change gears every couple of years like they change shirts.
And then there's the other group, where people like me who do not have the means or the connections work our way slowly but surely to where we want to get to in the business. It's hard work, but I have said time and again that if you want to get into this business full time, then you better be prepared for a long hard road ahead.
It used to be that when I first started out in this business, I was told of 4 key lenses that is essential for every photographer to have: a portrait lens, a zoom lens, a wide angle lens and a telephoto lens. Along with these I was also told that every photographer shooting full time should have AT LEAST 2 camera bodies. The reason for this is twofold; having 2 cameras saves you time from having to switch lenses at crucial moments in a gig, and also should one of the bodies break down having another one acts as a standby.
A lot of people I have spoken to usually give me an expression of disbelief when I tell them that in the 7 out of the 9 years that I have been shooting, I only had ONE working camera body and only up till 2 years ago did I finally manage to find a second camera body on Carousell for an incredibly low price. But in all honesty, I really had God to thank for that surviving camera body not breaking down or malfunctioning all this time. Plus, being OCD about my gear helps.
I'm also thankful that I managed to acquire (over a long period of time) the 4 key lenses that I needed, so these days I look for smaller accessories like extra batteries for the cameras or lighting equipment that go for cheap. But there are pros and cons with Carousell and if you don't navigate your way wisely, you might end up buying something cheap that either doesn't work (you got conned) or doesn't last (you fooled yourself into buying it).
This has happened to me a couple of times, so now I look through listings on Carousell with a fine comb, always making sure to read the fine prints on the listings before making a decision. Most times I have come across many good deals, and I've ended up making friends with some of the sellers and even buyers on Carousell, some of whom are fellow photographers or videographers whom I ended up working some gigs with.
The thing is, you never know what good might come out of deals in Carousell so don't ever doubt where your next gig might come next!
The key thing I want to emphasize is this: Your gear doesn't make you a great photographer. It's there to help you shoot the pictures you have envisioned. They are tools to make it work so don't be fooled into thinking that having the latest gear makes one a better photographer. That statement is FALSE!