By Michael Blumfield
If you’re a photographer, you probably have GAS. If you’re just starting out, be forewarned: You might get it, too.
No, I’m not talking about digestive problems (although, maybe). GAS is short for Gear Acquisition Syndrome. It’s the infliction with which a photographer feels a constant need for more camera equipment – lenses, mainly, but also flashes, bags, filters, tripods, or even new cameras or whole systems.
There are only two cures: 1) willpower 2) poverty.
I have been afflicted with GAS myself and have it under control. Largely. Sorta. Let’s just say that my GAS is in remission at the moment. So let me recount how my affliction started so you’re alert to the symptoms as they arise.
The Symptoms
I bought an entry-level Olympus package that included the camera body, a bag, a tiny SD card, and what I now see as the virus that causes GAS – a “kit lens.” Camera manufacturers are clever. They realize that beginners will not buy a camera with just a hole in the front – known as a “camera body” – because such devices are extremely difficult to use. This is because they cannot actually take photos. You need a round thingy with glass in it to stick in that hole.
Enter the cheapest round thingy that the camera company offers – the kit lens. If the camera body sells for $500, the kit lens might cost you only an extra $100. You buy them both and think you’re set. Until …
“It dawns on you that your camera isn’t letting you do everything you want. While the kit lens can zoom in and out a bit, it can’t go to the extremes well. You can’t get as close as you’d like to some subjects or as far away as you’d like from others.”
It dawns on you that your camera isn’t letting you do everything you want. While the kit lens can zoom in and out a bit, it can’t go to the extremes well. You can’t get as close as you’d like to some subjects or as far away as you’d like from others. The terms “wide angle” and “telephoto” enter your vocabulary. Most dangerously, a Japanese word you have never heard before becomes a driving force in your search for better lenses – “bokeh.”
This is a reference to the idea that it’s a no-good, terrible and very bad idea to take a portrait in which you can actually see what’s behind your subject. If you take a portrait photo of your friend standing in front of some trees, all you “should” see is your friend’s face and some blurry green stuff in the background. You need that blurry BOKEH, and you need it NOW! This requires buying a more expensive lens with a lower f-stop – one that can create the thin depth of field that brings your friend into focus while the background is so blurry that it seems like your camera wouldn’t even be able to see the E during an eye exam.
Consequently, you’re on the hunt for lenses that zoom out further to get more into a frame, go tighter to capture distant objects, open wider to create bokeh, and go faster to capture fast-moving children or furtive subjects around midnight. But wait – there’s more! As you look around you, you see photographers taking photos of the Milky Way (need a super-wide, super-fast lens for those little stars!), birds grabbing fish out of a river (mega-zoom or prime, also with a low f-stop!), and close-ups of insect eyes and antennae (macro time!).
At this point, one of two things happens: 1) You keep buying more gear and see what else needs to be jammed into your camera bag or 2) you pause and think for a second: “Am I really going to get up in the middle of the night and take astro shots for years on end? How often am I going to be sitting on the bank of a river waiting for an eagle to swoop down for a snack? Do I even really like bugs enough to take their portraits before they sting me?”
The Solutions
Fortunately, there’s a way to test out how dedicated you are to specialized subjects. You can rent lenses designed for different scenarios. You can try different cameras, too, to see if you feel like switching systems. The only drawback is that you might rent a lens for an event and find the weather isn’t cooperating – clouds obscuring a full moon rising, for example.
What I have recently discovered is that there’s much to be gained by restricting your gear options. Call this the Monk Method – you avoid temptation and just shoot with one lens. I’d switched camera systems and had to add lenses. This time, I skipped the kit lens and chose a 35mm f1.8 prime. I walked around with just that, challenging myself to create interesting shots by relying on my own creativity as much as the equipment.
“I found a lot of value in the Monk Method, which forced me to see the environment afresh and to realize that it’s possible to create nice photos of things other than distant stars, hungry birds of prey, and weird-looking bugs.”
I found a lot of value in the Monk Method, which forced me to see the environment afresh and to realize that it’s possible to create nice photos of things other than distant stars, hungry birds of prey, and weird-looking bugs. I could photograph landscapes, street scenes, and friends and family, using – as they say – my feet to zoom in and out.
It’s been so satisfying to use the Monk Method, and my GAS has disappeared. Well, nearly disappeared. I knew the value of a good 70-200mm, so I recently picked up a used copy. But that’s it. I’m done. I don’t need anything else.
Except maybe a good wide-angle zoom for architecture and interior shots. And my own big honkin’ telephoto so I don’t have to worry about whether the weather’s bad when I’ve rented one. And a good macro to get through the winter by doing close-ups on my kitchen table …
Need help with GAS? Knowledge is the #1 cure for it, and we’re here to help. If you’ve been shooting for a while and are interested in acquiring new lenses but don’t know where to start, consider our online Lenses for Beginners class. Just getting started? Try our three-part Camera Basics series to get in-depth instruction on shooting in manual mode and controlling your shutter speed, aperture, and ISO.
A frequent contributor to the Boston Photography Workshops Facebook page, Michael Blumfield lives in Watertown. He became addicted to … um, took up photography in 2018. His favorite subjects are landscapes, street scenes and tuna cans. (Don’t ask.)
