Professional photographer Mike Panic had thousands of dollars worth of camera equipment.
Then he sold them all. Some people may think that was a huge mistake, but he says it was the best thing and helped him find the joy and creativity in photography again. This is what he has to say about it.
More lenses were added to my arsenal, my understanding of the craft expanded and my results improved. My 10d was sold to purchase a 5d, more lenses were added, a few flashes and several studio strobes. 2009 brought the 5d Mark II, perhaps one of the most game changing cameras produced in the century. I didn’t upgrade until late in 2010 though, but when I did wow, was it amazing. Throughout the years since purchasing the 10d the jobs I’d accept started to grow, clients become repeat clients and I was earning a nice extra income from shooting.
By late 2012, I was burned out!
My passion deflated, I felt defeated. I stopped taking on jobs. Months were passing since picking my camera up and I tried everything to reinvigorate the feeling I once had from holding a camera and pressing the shutter button. I bought the newly released Canon 40mm f/2.8 pancake lens and a cross body strap that mounted to the tripod socket. I told myself this compact setup would go everywhere with me, and that it did, for about two weeks. Making photographs just wasn’t enjoyable to me.
On February 1st of 2014 I boarded a plane with a fully packed carry on containing a half dozen lenses, body and all the accessories to make for what should be some of the best photographs of my life. The second day in Costa Rica we made a 2 hour hike through the rain forest to the Rio Celeste falls. It was humid, damp, occasionally raining and I’m hauling 12+ pounds of camera gear and tripod for what ended up being about 5 minutes of photographs. At this point I knew I was over gear. The following days I’d often leave my gear at the house because I couldn’t be bothered to carry such large gear with me and ended up using my iPhone 5s to take pictures.
Within a month of returning home I sold all my Canon gear!
The camera brings me joy. It’s far from perfect, there are quirks and limitations (Y U ONLY GO TO 1/4000?) but overall, I couldn’t be happier. Two friends, one with dual Nikon D3 bodies and another with dual Canon 5D3 bodies were so impressed they went out and bought X-T1 bodies from Fuji to have a fun camera. Both are now using their fun cameras for paid assignments and weddings.
The downgrade to a mirrorless, crop factor camera has only been in size, weight. Everything else has been a total upgrade and in many ways, changed how I approach photography. More importantly, it’s become fun. For years I’ve preached to friends and family that the camera doesn’t matter, only the photographs it produces. I stand by this statement, but from a photographers standpoint, you must enjoy creating the photographs as much as you enjoy looking at them hanging on the wall.
Read the full article over at Light Stalking.
Source: Light Stalking
