Removing Clutter and Refocusing on Photography

 As you might know, I started collecting cameras a few years ago, and I’ve been sinking money into this new hobby ever since. It’s gotten to the point where the cameras I want to buy are of the more expensive variety. Additionally, I’ve been stuck in a rut, collecting or writing about the collection, but not doing much photography. So I’m removing clutter and refocusing on photography.

I’m Selling My Cameras

No, I’m not selling all of them. But there are some that I bought out of curiosity that I simply don’t use. My Nishika N8000, for instance. It was cool for one roll of film, but it just didn’t inspire me to use it after that. It has high overhead because it shoots four half-frame shots (2 full shots) per image. That’s 12-18 shots per roll of film, and the shots are vignetted and fuzzy. It’s just not a camera I would pull off the shelf again. That’s important to me. I want all my cameras to be ones I would use again. I might find that one day I’m interested in shooting medium format, or taking an SLR out for an afternoon. These I’ll keep. Ones friends have donated to my collection are also staying in the collection.The One Step is another camera I wouldn’t use again. It was fun taking photos of the kids using it; giving them the experience of shooting the original Instagram camera; but it’s not worth the expense unless that’s all you shoot.  I don’t even really appreciate the technology. If you want instant pictures, use your phone. If you want instant film photos, you’re in some weird niche that I’m just not tuned into. To each his own.Some of it is junk, too. I don’t regret buying this, but I do regret not spending half that to get the no questions asked warranty on my expensive camera.  So I’m unloading some stuff.

I’m Refocusing on Photography

The thing that collecting cameras and having so many options does to your photography is it makes you spend a lot on film as a commodity, and very little on film as an art medium. I’ve found myself wasting my film just to take photos with some obscure camera. It really can be wasted. I burned through a roll last week and not a single shot worth keeping. I mostly took dumb pictures of my lawn because I missed taking photos.

If a day goes by without my doing something related to photography, it’s as though I’ve neglected something essential to my existence, as though I had forgotten to wake up. -Richard Avedon

I wholeheartedly agree with Richard Avedon as I miss just taking photos. In the past, I used to go out at lunch every day and take photos. Now I’m lucky if I take a couple a week. Some of that comes down to the fact that I have so many cameras I can’t decide which to take, so I end up spending ten minutes each morning trying to decide which one to put-in-or-take-from my bag. It’s also partly environmental. I’m either at home or at work. Both places have a lot to offer as far as photography; I work in Downtown Memphis, TN, and I live in a private wooded lake neighborhood; but I’ve recently suffered from debilitating tunnel-vision. I take the same route when I go on photo walks, take the same pictures over and over. Boring!

So What is the Solution to My Problem ?

Well, I built this site to share my love of photography and camera with you, and I haven’t been sharing much of my photography lately. I think the only real solution is what I’ve mentioned earlier. I’m removing some of the clutter, some of the distraction. I’ve got to settle on one camera for a while, and I need to get my brain back into photography instead of cameras. Which camera ? It doesn’t really matter, does it ? Yeah, it does. I need some instant gratification and some ability to just blow off sixty shots and not worry about the consequences. I’m going to save my film for a project while I shoot digital for a little while.Fickle me, I know, but I think this is a good time to embrace my digital camera. Plus, I’m saving up to move us to another neighborhood, so I need to stay off eBay for a while. I’ve got 6 batteries and a bunch of memory cards for my X100T. Time to wear it out.