How to Deal With and Understand G.A.S.

Living in this time 2016, is a great time to be a live with all these great advances in technology and all the latest iPhones and other shit that comes out every 6 to 12 months. We always get caught up in wanting the latest and greatest things in life and never appreciate what we already have. What really doesn't help is everything being made today isn't made to last very long, everything is meant to have a "planed obsolescence " which basically means things are made to be come obsolete and become unfashionable and useless. This "planed obsolescence"  then creates a "shorting replacement cycle "....examples: new iPhone every September and new camera mode update usually ever 2 to 3 years. 

How Does This Relate to Photography?

G.A.S (Gear Acquisition Syndrom), we always want the latest camera or lens that comes out with the newest megapixel count or film simulation. Some of us think that getting a new camera will make our photography better. People start noticing that there work is suffering and think that a new camera will make their work some how better yet they don't realize that their technical skills have leveled off. People often for get the camera is merrily just a tool that helps you achieve that image.  Now obviously you need a camera to take/make a picture but you have to under stand that it is " you making the picture and the camera taking the picture". People for get it's a tool and that they forget there is someone behind that tool making the pictures. The biggest annoyance being a photographer and showing your pictures to people that aren't creatives or photographers and when they see a picture that is great they assume it's the camera making this amazing picture not the photographer.

G.A.S Isn't Always Bad..

Now don't get me wrong I love cameras of all shapes and colors sizes and where they came from, and I love collecting and buying cameras. Yes, I get that I just contradicted  myself from what i wrote above but there are some cameras that just have something about them that makes me want to buy them. Some cameras I have bought have some sort of cult following or they are just something I wanted to buy and try out. I think over the last four years of collecting I have only bought two cameras thinking they would help my work. Every camera is different and  has a different purposes intended for them. A camera is almost a gateway in to trying something in photography. I have bought countless point and shoots because I thought they would fit better in my shooting and they did for a while and  I got bored and went on to medium format and so on. Now I like cameras a lot, and I love trying new ones and it's almost like the story of "Goldilocks" and trying to find the "right one". I think that is the right mentality in beating or controlling G.A.S, is searching for the camera for you. 

Over the last six months I started a new job and I have had the luck on trying a lot of different cameras and combinations and I have shot one combination consistently for the last six months. Going though all these cameras including mine I started noticing a trend on what I enjoyed and it had to be something with a 28mm focal length and manual controls. For the last six months the Leica R7 with 28mm Elmarit has been my go to and I haven't really put it down. (review coming soon)

Find What You Like and Stick With It

I think the "Goldilocks" method is the best way to find your camera that you can't put down. Its like finding the perfect pair of pants or shoes, find what you like and love the shit out of it.  Obsess over it and learn the insides and out of the camera find its weaknesses and find its strengths. When you stick with one camera and one lens you "K.I.S.S" ( keep it simple stupid) and you learn the limitations of that camera and lens and you know how to use it to its fullest potential and with that you will have no limitations.

You will Never Be Satisfied

No camera is perfect, in fact nothing in this world including yourself. Everything will have faults and things will fail or disappoint you but its your job has a photographer to overcome those obstacles. You will always lust over the newest camera because it has a feature your current camera doesn't have and you must get it. You have to think is it really worth it? Do you really need that feature? It's like "fomo" (fear of missing out) you think that if you don't have it you will be screwed. You have to learn when something works it works and stick will it. 

Conclusion

This seems like its all over the place, at points I'm against G.A.S and some points I am for G.A.S. Don't get me wrong we all love are toys and it's nice getting  something new  and having the latest and greatest but it's when we become solely  obsessed with just gear we loose sight of taking pictures. It is nice to geek out with others and some times flexing with a camera but at the end of the day they all take pictures and we have to remember the camera is just a tool that helps create our artistic vision.

Billingham Hadley Pro

It has been a while BUT, I am back to posting some reviews that I have had queued up and nothing better to start with an a good old bag review.

Now after having this bag for just over one year and getting compliments daily, I can say its been the best overall bag I have  ever owned.

To start off

Billingham has been making bags in Britain since 1973 for photographers and others alike. The bags are extremely well crafted and are made from some great materials. The brown trim is made from leather, and has aged nicely over the year i have had this bag, and the hardware on the buckles and such is brass and again it ages well. As far as the material of this bag is made of canvas that is water resistant.  With it being canvas it will age and wear very nicely depending on how you wear the bag and how ofter you use it. One of the man reasons for getting this bag is I need something on a daily basis that I could carry some cameras and what ever else with me with out it looking ugly or screaming "I have expensive stuff in me".  Billingham really combines functionality and looks in to one. What I really liked about this bag is that it had no zippers or velcro to open the bag because to me that would inconvenient and a bit noisy, and we all know velcro isn't cool. The bag has a camera insert that comes out so you can use it as a messenger bag. Also you can adjust the camera insert to different sizes with inserts and really organize your gear. The straps are adjustable depending on what you put in there and there is a zipper pocket on the back that could fit  an iPad or small book. The Hadley Pro is capable of holding a 13" laptop as well.

what the bag looks like closed, now it does have a handle which is my only gripe with the bag because it throws off the sexiness of the bag but it does become helpful sometimes. The Hadley original is the same as the pro but no handle ,but Billingham has stopped making them.

I have pretty much used this bag everyday for a year wether it was for my photography gear or my bag for college, it did it all. Now I would always have a camera or two in there when i was going to class and what not even if i didn't have a photography class. This bag has been on my shoulder or back through extreme down pouring rain with cameras and important notebooks and other things that can't get wet an not a drop has soaked though this bag. To give context i was in Boston and had to walk to the T stop and my pants shoes and part of my rain coat where soaked though but the bag was dry as the dessert inside and the rain just beads off. It also has a rain guard that covers the camera area but i have it tucked away. 

This is what my daily school bag as well as my street bag  set up looked like, F3 in the big pocket, water bottle in the next side and then the Sx-70 in betweent the bag and the camera insert (not really a pocket but it works) and in the front bag pockets held various things such as an iPhone charger, pens, notebooks and sunglasses headphones.

this as been my set up most recently and for when i go to work leica mini and JCH film case and water bottle and usually a red bull to get me through the day and the front pockets are the same.

the front pockets come with a button i guess you could call it that allows the bag pocket to become bigger or smaller depending on what you put in there which is really helpful.

Now you do get a lot out of this bag and it sure is tough, but with that being said it isn't cheap, around $260 USD you  can pick one up in all black or black and brown like this one or for more you can get limited edition ones. So this bag isn't really for everyone but you are paying for looks style and quality and you can't beat something that is made pretty damn well. This will be me everyday bag unless I ever get my hands on one of ONA's bags. You can get a ton of Billinghams bags on B&H or directly though them. Is this the best bag ever made?! And to that I say no, but it is the best bag for me.