I can’t think of any other profession outside of photography where the pros obsess about their tools quite as much as we do. I’ll pause for a moment so you can write your own joke.
There is no logical reason to replace a perfectly good lens with another version of the same when the previous lens was already great. Your clients almost certainly won’t notice that you’ve used a GM, L, or Art lens, and they definitely won’t care. So why bother?
If you take all the emotion out of shopping for your photography gear then you’d probably end up with a set of professional quality zooms that cover an extensive focal length. They will be flexible and last for years. But that’s just boring.
Sorry zoomers, it’s true.
Often our clients don’t hire us because we have sturdy and reliable lenses. They want our creativity, our inspiration to capture something exciting.
You know what gets in the way of creativity? Boredom.
If you’re just stood there going through the motions with the same old boring gear you won’t necessarily be enjoying yourself. Your lack of enthusiasm will show in your attitude at the time as well as in the photos later.
Great photographers love taking photos. They push themselves creatively and strive to capture something new and exciting every time they go out.
What gets us most excited? New gear!
So there you go.
The next time your significant other is struggling to understand why you had to replace a fully functional piece of equipment with something almost identical that cost twice as much, show them this article. It won’t get you out of the doghouse, but at least they’ll know they are sacrificing a family holiday for a good cause.
About the author: James Morgan is a wedding photographer based in Sheffield who provides wedding photo and video coverage all over the UK. The tongue-in-cheek opinions in this article are solely those of the author. You can find more of Morgan’s work on his website. This article was also published here.
Image credits: Header photo licensed from Depositphotos
