Gear Up, Soldier!

If all the photography people I follow on Twitter are any indication of what photographers are most interested in learning about, gear and equipment tops the list.

Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against gear. I even own some. I also have nothing against keeping up with the latest and greatest advances and trends in photographic technologies and all the equipment represented by them, the technologies that is. But it seems to me either the Twitterers I follow have it mostly wrong or I do.

Sure, I occasionally write about gear. But I write about it less than I do the craft of photography. Much less. I don't do that because I don't know what's what in the world of photography gear. I do this because, in my opinion, my priorities for learning and sharing about photography hold skill and knowledge above gear and equipment.

Call me crazy but I think it's more important for photographers to learn about photography than it is for them to be given a heads-up on every freakin' new camera, lens, light, software, service, or whatever else represents the tools of this trade rather than how to become a better, more skillful and knowledgeable tradesman. (Or woman)

It might be, of course, that many of those on Twitter (and elsewhere) who constantly Tweet (or blog or write) about gear and equipment really don't have much else to say? That' s not necessarily a bad thing. Those people could be terrific shooters without the additional abilities that are helpful when getting into writing about other, less gear-related and more art-and-craft enlightening, aspects of photography. Maybe they simply know something I don't know? Maybe they've figured out that more photographers are more interested in the things we use to make good photos rather than the many ways, gear and equipment aside, that we call-on to make good photos?

Someday, I might figure this all out. Or not.

I can't remember the sexy young lady's name shown at the top. (I'm old, okay?) But I shot it and her for Playboy/Club Jenna a handful of years ago.