If I’ve learned one thing over my numerous years of buying and selling camera gear at an alarming rate, is that no camera or lens will make you produce art, if the art you haven’t gotten it in you already. That’s why you’ll sometimes (often, actually) see people carrying big, expensive and top of the line cameras and still unable to make a single good, interesting picture.  The photographic “eye” can’t be bought (at least not in the shape of a camera, but viewing many good photography books is a good place to start). 

Even when you’re not doing to bad and generally pleased with your photography, you will go thru “desert” phases.  Stretches of weeks, or even months, when you feel empty and vastly uninspired to shoot anything, if at all…

The best you can do then is double your resolve to go out and shoot.  Maybe it’s just Resistance (the sworn ennemy of Art and Achievement) trying to keep you from greatness, and you don’t want to take that chance, so just grab your camera next time you head out of the door…

When gearheads and pixel peepers on photography internet fora agonize about which model will take “better pictures” or is “the better camera” they totally overlook the inspiration factor.  Yes Image Quality, frames per seconds and other features are nice to have, but pretty irrelevant if the camera doesn’t *inspire* you to shoot.  I took my best pictures with those cameras that I had bonded with.  That would be Canon 1D MkII, Nikon D700, Panasonic GX-1, and NEX 7. 

So I think next time you consider a camera, ask yourself if it’s likely to tickle your artistic string, rather than merely bring you braggings rights.  Those don’t last, and never inspired a good picture AFAIK…

One Response to Where’s the inspiration button ?? 

Sometimes new gear gives inspiration a lift, but does not replace an ‘eye’ for a great picture, which you have, (in spades as the saying goes) and then the talent to translate that to film…..digital or otherwise 🙂