Almost everyone has that feeling, that internal thought process of: "If only I had...", well you fill in the blanks. For me, this blank was filled with the following sentence, "... a 'real' camera, then I would be a 'real' photographer." The truth is, the tools or equipment that you use are only the method by which you present your existing or developed gifts and abilities. I believed the lie that until I had a "real" camera I would not be a "real" photographer. Now, the ironic thing is that it took me having a nice camera to realize that I did not need one to actually be a photographer. My step-mother, for Christmas (Birthday, Christmas, and Birthday again) gave me a Canon Rebel t5 dSLR. As someone who always loved photography, but never "had the means", this was the best Christmas present ever. I always felt I saw the world differently than others, but needed a creative outlet. This was that outlet. After receiving this present I realized that the camera was not necessarily what I needed, but the confidence in my abilities was.
A "real" photographer does not allow the tools he has to limit his or her creativity. The photographer uses whatever means necessary to get the shot. Honestly, the limitations of using something other than the typical Canon 60D, Nikon D5500, or another dSLR, helps to almost prove the moxie of the photographer. Being able to display creativity and artistic prowess with even the most meager of cameras is one of the best ways to show off a photographer's abilities. You see, it is not the camera that makes the person into a photographer, but it is the photographer who turns the camera into the tool by which he creates and captures. This distinction between craft and creator are so important and the lines should be carefully drawn.
Over the next few weeks I will be discussing three things that I have found incredibly helpful in honing my craft, helping me to discover my abilities and my identity as a person and a photographer - these apply to photographers and others alike.
1. Start Doing - Stop Waiting
2. Get in a Like-minded Community
3. Find a Mentor - Get Feedback