This is a photo I took during my last trip to Japan. We took a tour of Kyushu, the southern part of the country. It was beautiful in the summertime!
Speaking of photos, I have created a page called “Personal Photo Documentary”. Since I started taking daily pictures, I thought it might be nice to put them all in one gallery. So now if you don’t want to read the daily post, you can just go the the photo page and see the latest pictures that I have made. You can get to the page using the navigation at the top of the site, in the Photography drop-down menu. I hope you enjoy!
I posted the photo below to my Instagram account and it got me thinking about why I pared down the amount of camera gear I use. It’s kind of a shift in thinking for me that has taken place the last year. I am now completely satisfied with “good enough”.
Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 26.5mm, f/6.4, 1/55 sec, ISO3200 “My 2016 Camera Kit” USA. Texas. Cedar Park. 2016.
I have already blogged a bit about the benefits of simplifying the amount of camera gear I use, but one of the reasons why I can do it (and still be happy) is that the cameras in the photo are “good enough” for what I want to photograph. Specifically, the size of the images is more than enough for me. When I was using my Konica-Minolta 7D DSLR, I was already satisifed with 6 megapixels! My wishlist for future cameras just included low-light sensitivity.
When I upgraded to the Sony A77, the 24 megapixel images were huge, especially when I started shooting RAW! I realize now that it was overkill for my shooting style. And that is the important part… each person’s shooting style should dictate what camera they should use. For instance, I don’t shoot sports so I don’t have need for high-frame-rates. My X100T can shoot at 6 FPS which is “good enough”. I do not photograph wildlife or birds so I do not need a long telephoto lens. If I need to get closer, I have my legs. That is “good enough”. My photos will not be used on billboards so I do not need a 50 megapixel sensor. My cameras have 16 and 12 megapixels. And that is more than “good enough”.
So, what is the benefit of settling for “good enough”? Well, in the case of the camera, I am no longer suffering from “GAS” which stand for “Gear Acquisition Syndrome”. I don’t need to think about upgrading any longer. Sure, it is still fun to see the new cameras and technological advances, but now all of these new things do not have the pull on me that they once did. I actually think to myself how nice it is to NOT have the desire for the newest gear. I really feels great! And it is nice for my wallet too!
So now that I have experienced that with my camera gear, I am trying to think of how to apply the “good enough” philosophy to the rest of my life. I haven’t thought too much about it yet, but I am excited to see what unfolds.
I believe everyone should think about what is “good enough” for themselves, and not worry about maximizing on everything. Just use what makes you happy, then let go of the desire to buy more stuff. Enjoy what you have!
How are you doing? It’s nice that we made it to the weekend, isn’t it? Do you have big plans? For us, there is not too much planned. Tomorrow Bay and I will see Star Wars VII again! I am excited to see it the second time where I can focus on the small details in the scenes and not worry about the plot. Will it be a better experience, or just different? We’ll find out!
This morning was not the best one for me. When I rolled down the passenger side window of my car, the glass dropped into the door! It seems that the mechanism that raises and lowers the window broke. So I had to drive to the service department with the window open which made for a cold and loud commute! Outside, the temperature was 46°F so I was bundled up in and extra jacket and a scarf, plus I had the heater going full blast!
But, it got fixed and I also had four recalls done for my car. I drive a 2004 Honda Odyssey minivan which has over 140,000 miles on the odometer, so it is getting pretty old and worn out. But I love that vehicle so much! It is really convenient and comfortable. I hope I can keep it for a while longer, but it seems like things are starting to break in it so I am predicting I will have to get a different car this year. I will probably get something a bit smaller with better gas mileage, but who knows?
Today’s photo is of the sky this morning. I took it right before the window broke. I post-processed it to give it an ominous look. The clouds look like brushstrokes, don’t they?
How are you today? Mine was a good day. I got a lot of work done, which is kind of funny. The reason I say that is not because of the actual work, but because my morning routine has changed a lot lately concerning it. For a while now I have been stressing about the tasks and projects that are on my plate. And usually I would be filled with a bit of dread that I might get them done. But I always do, and things work out. So nowadays, I wake up, think about work, but the thoughts are not filled with stress about how am I going to manage, but rather wondering in what way I will end up managing things. I have confidence that things will get done, but I am curious to see how I will actually do them. Like I am two people, and one is sitting back watching the other. Strange, isn’t it? But it’s also fun and fascinating.
But there is some sad news at work too. A coworker who I have worked with for 7 or 8 years is leaving. She found a different job with better growth potential. So while we are all sad to see her go, we are happy for her too. Today’s photo was taken at a local pizza joint, where we took her out for lunch. I made an Instax print of the photo for her, and my friend and I wrote a short good luck message on it.
