Photography And The Outdoors: The Gear They Say You Need vs. The Gear You Want.

As you all know by now most of my life is lived outdoors and I've had seasons where I captured a lot of it with my camera and seasons where I barely captured anything at all. Whether or not my camera was out, I am someone who has always been interested in the art and pursuit of photography. Like many people out there I felt I needed the latest and greatest of all the gear in order to share and, maybe one day, make an income from the images I created. But the fear and anxiety that comes from feeling like you always need the best of the best is actually what kept me from pursuing my hobby and potential career as a photographer over the years. There was a time when I just stopped completely. I was tired of trying to keep up with what everyone else had and lugging all of the heavy gear around while feeling like an imposter.

A couple of years ago I finally decided to join the rest of the general population and upgrade to a smart phone. The first thing I noticed was a difference in the camera quality so I started testing it out snapping pictures around the house of my dogs and garden and then venturing further out using it to capture fun moments out on the trail and while camping. It didn't take long for the joy I use to feel from photography to come flooding back in, but I didn't immediately go and pull all of my dust covered camera gear out of the closet. Over the next couple of years I just kept capturing moments with my camera phone and it was fun. I really enjoyed the ease of use and was happy with the image results. It wasn't until early last year that I pulled out my "professional" camera gear and thought about using it again. Well ,what I really did was sell it all and start over with something much more suited to how I like to captures moments in this season of life. I went with a much smaller camera body, a mirrorless digital camera from Fujifilm (X-S10).

I've had it for just over a year now and to say my love of photography is back is an understatement. I've used it on camping and hiking trips to capture the landscape, in busy cities like Santa Fe capturing the hustle and bustle of the beautiful and historic architecture and then quieter moments captured with my niece and nephew as we adventured through Denmark and Norway last fall. I've spent this last year learning how to really use this camera but more importantly, I've spent the last year learning how I want to capture and share the art I make and create. What kind of photographer am I? What type of gear do I like to use? What sort of images do I want to produce? The conclusion I've come to so far is that, for me, less is more. I really enjoy the challenge of taking one camera body and one lens out for the day and seeing what I can do. What can I create with this one tool. This mind set has sparked so much creativity in my life. It's what helped me start this blog. Do I still use my iphone? 100% Yes. Could I go out and buy better more expensive lenses? Yep. Could I produce better images with a professional editing program? Of course. And I probably will do these things at some point in the future. But for now, I'm just over the moon happy this creative part of my life is back and that I'm making a real go of it in a way that sustains and challenges me.

You have to start somewhere. Just get out there and start with what you have. Some of my best memories are captured on blurry out of focus shots or blown out or too dark with low light. And in reality that can add so much to the memory of that adventure. In someways it makes it seem more real and human. The defects, the grain of the image from a phone or disposable camera can add a certain level of nostalgia that a perfectly crafted image just can't. So if we ever meet out there in the wild, let's capture it with wind blown hair, big smiles and the spirit of a real moment we shared. Until then, I'll be out there living All The Outdoor Things I love most.

Thanks for reading - Katie

Below are images from some of my favorite life moments with all their imperfections and I wouldn't change a thing about them!