Gear Acquisition Syndrome in Street Photography
G.A.S., or gear acquisition syndrome, afflicts 100% of photographers, by my humble estimation. We all lust after cameras, lenses, and other photography-related shit we have no business buying.
I know photographers aren’t the only group to have this somewhat pathetic disease. Musicians have it as well. I know guitar players who have a cornucopia of guitars, basses, and related doo-dads.
So, gear acquisition syndrome is by no means unique to photographers. And it’s kind of humorous how much of a first-world problem it is to have. In the United States, at least, we’re all burdened with an extremely high cost of living. And yet, we find ways to convince ourselves that we can work new gear into our budget or take on debt and put it on a credit card and deal with it later. We also work extremely hard and for too many hours for bosses and companies that don’t give a shit about us. So why shouldn’t we reap the rewards of our work in the form of a camera or lens here and there?
While I do think we live in a historically unique and terrible economic system that forces people into wage and debt slavery, I do think you have to work within the system and have some self-control on some level. I think the term “gear acquisition syndrome” doesn’t really do the phenomenon justice because it gives it a kind of cute label. The consequences can be serious, though.
The issue of gear acquisition applies to photographers in general, but here I’ll explore it as it applies to street photographers.
When G.A.S. Is a Problem
Gear acquisition syndrome doesn’t really apply to you if you’ve got a trust fund. If you’re one of the heirs to the Rockefeller fortune, I don’t see the problem with spending your grandpa’s hard-earned fortune on a few cameras. Splurge a little, why dontcha? You might as well put some of those ill-gotten gains back into the economy.
For the rest of us mere mortals, we experience gear acquisition syndrome a bit differently. In the real world, gear acquisition syndrome can be a real problem.
If It’s a Financial Burden
Photography is an expensive hobby. I say hobby because that’s what it is for most of us. I’ve made money with photography. But I’ve also spent money on a ton of gear that I justified by telling myself that I’d use it to make money. Up until recently, I had a veritable graveyard of unused gear that I spent a ton of money on and wasn’t using anymore. It sat in bags for years, going out of date, so I lost even more money on it had I sold it back when I stopped using it.
Throughout the years of being a photographer, I’ve bought numerous lenses, accessories, and other gear I didn’t need. I always intended to put the gear I bought to good use, but that didn’t always happen. I bought gear that I intended on using a certain way, but then I would use it for a brief period of time and then forget about it.
For me, a big one was buying additional prime lenses for street photography, even though I know I gravitate mostly to 28mm and 35mm lenses. I thought I just had to have those 40mm and nifty fifty lenses to extend my reach for certain situations. Throw in an 85mm too while you’re at it.
The thing is, though, that you can only use one lens at a time. You can’t put dozens of lenses to good use at a time. You can use a certain focal length that works well in certain places. You can switch up focal lengths to suit your mood. But it’s not something you can do really frequently, or you’re going to miss shots.
So not only can collecting a bunch of gear be a distraction, it can also drain your bank account. All this shit adds up. A camera here, a lens here, a strap there, and then the constant desire to upgrade. It can be fun keeping up with the specs for a while, and then it gets exhausting. If you don’t have the money in your bank account to pay for gear and you put it on credit cards, before you know it, you’re in debt and you’re paying interest you can’t get out of.
If It’s Getting in the Way of Photographing
I’ve been guilty of this and let it hold me back from doing street photography. I’ve spent time lounging around being lazy and doing things like watching gear videos and researching my next camera or lens.
I consider spending more time obsessing over gear rather than going out to shoot a grave street photography mistake. Because the biggest hindrance to creating a body of work in street photography is to not go and do it. Sure, I’ve gone out to take photos, and they’ve all been bad. At least I gave myself a shot, though. If I give in to laziness and sit on my ass doing nothing but reading gear articles and watching gear videos, that’s time wasted that I could have spent working on my projects.
I’m by no means anti-gear, but I don’t want to make it more about the tools than the photography itself.
Environmental Impact
We’re barreling toward the destruction of our planet. Scientists have been raising the alarm for decades, and no one seems to give a shit. Certainly not our politicians, who are mostly bought off by the oil industry.
It might not make much of a difference on an individual level, but I’d at least like to do my part to minimize my harm to the environment.
Using gear for its full life and buying used lowers the demand for producing new cameras. It reduces the energy and materials used in manufacturing and keeps electronics out of landfills.
What I Want to Do to Avoid Gear Acquisition Syndrome
I’m not here to preach about how you should do this or that to eliminate your gear acquisition syndrome. I’m just speaking for myself and what I’m going to try to do moving forward to not let G.A.S. get the best of me.
So the first thing I’m gonna do is buy all the gear so I don’t have anything else to lust over. Jokes aside, here’s what I’m gonna do to beat this awful, debilitating disease once and for all:
Go Out and Photograph
Photographing > obsessing over gear.
This should be easy because going out to photograph is infinitely more fulfilling than passively watching gear videos or combing through test shots on DPReview - no shade to them though.
I love walking, being outside, and street photography. So what more could I ask for? Sometimes I need to remind myself to get off my ass, leave the house, and hit the streets. It really is so much better than being cooped up at home.
Get to Know Other Photographers
This is something I haven’t done enough of. I’d like to get to know some like-minded street photographers and hang out in person and maybe photograph together.
I don’t necessarily know how much this will help to combat G.A.S., but I figure if I’m out talking shop about street photography, then I won’t be sitting around watching or reading gear reviews. I think by making friends with fellow street photographers it creates community, which we need in our lives. Maybe that’s part of what we’re looking for when we’re watching gear reviews, is the feeling of connection and community to the reviewer or the photographers on forums.
Only Spend What I Have in My Bank Account
Buying street photography gear on credit is a great way to end up in a never-ending cycle of debt. Just because I have credit cards with a certain limit doesn’t mean I actually have that money. Obviously. And if I do spend that money I don’t have, then I’ll be paying an exorbitant interest rate on it.
Wait to Buy Gear to Avoid Impulse Purchases
Time gives me perspective. I think for certain photography-related things I’ve bought, had I waited to buy it, I would have gotten the clarity I needed to know that I didn’t need it.
If I Buy Gear, I’ll Buy Used
In the future, if I’m going to be making questionable decisions, I’m going to at least be financially responsible about it.
Buying used just makes sense - you can often find lightly used gear in great shape that has a lot of life left in it for a good discount off the new price. It’s not a 100% fair comparison, but it makes a lot more sense to buy a used car because the minute a new car is driven off the lot, it loses a ton of its value.
Buying used camera gear means waiting until people are actually selling used copies of the gear. So obviously you can’t buy a used version of a product on the day of release, but who cares? My current gear works just fine; when it’s time to upgrade, there’s no need to rush.
Get Rid of Any Gear I Don’t Use
This may not directly help my G.A.S., but it’ll certainly help my wallet. I’m fine with having options to choose from, but I just don’t want gear sitting around collecting dust that I never use.
Selling off gear that I’m not using may actually help with G.A.S. issues because I think when I have a lens, I think about the other options out there. I think about if there are lenses with better image quality or character. I might think less about upgrading gear when I have less of it. When I’ve only had one lens to choose from, I think I tend to have less decision fatigue in terms of both using it but also seeking other options. I’m more likely to just use it. Maybe I’m reaching here.
The Great Thing About Street Photography
One of the awesome things about street photography is that you don’t need a lot of gear to do it. It’s really accessible compared to other types of photography.
You can use a camera like the Ricoh GR III, and you’re golden. You don’t need anything else. All you need is a camera and a lens.
Sure, I’d like a Leica, and one day I’ll probably be able to afford one. Hopefully, at least.
But really, you can create great work in street photography with minimal gear. If you’re on a budget like I am, there are digital camera options going back even 15 years that are very capable. There are a lot of great affordable film cameras as well. The film will cost you though.
I love how the genre is accessible. It’s one of the many things I love about street photography.
Buying New Gear Won’t Fill the Void
I ain’t no psychology brain scientist, but I think when we look to buy things we don’t need, we’re looking to fill a void in ourselves. Deep, huh? We’re looking to comfort ourselves or whatever it is.
But when I’ve bought gear because of this, the gear didn’t help. When I got the thing, it made me want to photograph more for a period, and then I kind of forgot about it. Sometimes, I would get it, put it away, and then go about my life as if nothing had changed. Weird.
My takeaway is that gear itself doesn’t make me feel fulfilled; the act of doing street photography does. Thanks for coming to my TED Talk.
