Quote Originally Posted by TheFlyingCamera View Post
If you're chasing it as some kind of silver bullet, then you're more likely a gear whore or a dilettante.
I'm not sure I agree here. If the equipment you use doesn't produce the result in your brain then of course you're going to think about some other equipment. You're not going to get screaming facemelter guitar solos out of a bajo sexto, even though technically they're still guitars any more than you'd get 15fps sports shots from an 8x10 setup.

But if you want that Sally Mann/Alec Soth/Paul Graham sort of look you're just not going to get it from your dad's hand-me-down OM-10 no matter how good your concept and execution are.

Maybe, just maybe, there's someone who started off saying "Ok, to get that awesome color palate and detail, I have to start off using 4x5/8x10." I've never met one of them, though.

And that's to say nothing of people who rotate through different gear because they're looking for a 35mm/6x6/whatever setup that feels invisible in their hands. People talk about Leicas that way. Could/Should/Would people just accept whatever gear is in their hands and make great photos? Engh. Anyone who's met me knows that I'm not going to be comfortable in a size 36 jeans or size 7 shoes. Why not find something that fits?

Now if/when someone gets to the point where casting about for gear takes the place of making photos? That's another issue, a pathological one that should be remedied with a prescription of one full day off, five rolls of film, and $15 for beers or coffee to be had throughout the day while making photos.