The favourite camera I never used.....
About 13 years ago, I made a rash purchase which defined my attitude towards my business. This attitude has changed entirely due to necessity, and it involved a behaviour known in the industry as GAS. This phenomenon can (and in my case, did) result in financial problems. It stands for “Gear Acquisition Syndrome”, and manifests itself in the sufferer convincing themselves that they need to constantly purchase new, improved equipment in order to improve their photography. If I’d ignored the pull of GAS over the last ten years, I’d be sitting here with about thirty thousand pounds in my hand. It’s true that there is a need to update equipment every so often, but only when absolutely necessary, and it shouldn’t put you into long term debt in the process.
This is a Hasselblad H1, with an eye level viewfinder and 80mm HC lens. It is one of the loveliest 6 x 4.5 format film cameras out there (although I think we’re up to H6 models now). I bought it with a view to replacing my DSLR equipment, by fitting a digital back to it. I had it for 18 months, and not a single roll of film passed through it’s graceful curves. I couldn’t face borrowing six grand to get an up to date digital back, and the old girl went up on Ebay at a significant loss. The camera felt lovely in my hands, and I felt like a king when I picked it up. The fact that it never fired off a single shot in anger was testament to my weakness where the lure of equipment was concerned.
GAS has reared it’s head on many occasions. The list of seldom-used kit that has been sold is a lengthy one. A level of confidence that comes with well-paid, regular work lulls you into a sense of security which can insert you into an addictive cycle of buying stuff that you assume will give you better results, and therefore make you feel better. Once leaner times arrive (welcome to the world of freelancing), the addiction of GAS still compels you to buy stuff in an attempt to prove that you can succeed.
The fact is, that you don’t need loads of gear to succeed as a freelance photographer – you need a creative mind, plenty of appropriate contacts, the ability to sell yourself religiously at every opportunity, and a partner with a very well paid job (or your own independent income). I’ve not bought significant gear without having the cash upfront for ages, and I’ve learned to work efficiently with what I’ve got. I don’t need more than 6 megapixels for the majority of my work, so the 36MP of the £2500 Nikon D800 has only been needed a few times since it was purchased over a decade ago. Healthy businesses cut their costs to the bone, and it’s taken a long time, and a few, bad breaks for me to stop the cycle of buying stuff that I want, but don’t need. The only way is up.
