Is there room for lil' ol' us?

I'm new to the photography world, and I have been meeting more photographers by the day. Most of them are male (disappointing) and typically concerned with the size of their lens. For some reason, conversations start off with an inventory of their fancy equipment, and the array of their cameras. Which speaks nothing of photographic knowledge to me. It's a total turn off, and most of the time I may look like I'm listening, but in my head I'm thinking about tacos. I would love to have a conversation where someone starts off with their favorite photographer, favorite place to shoot, or possibly a new DIY trick for making camera accessories. Let's have conversation on the bending of light, the perfect subject, the one photograph that made you cry, or the man you had to run away from after asking if you could take his photograph and he went all crazy on your ass.

I understand how nice it is to have expensive equipment. The luxury of that makes photography especially comfortable. But that's not where I'm coming from, that's not my niche. While I anticipate some day having a more expensive camera (cause to me, that really all it is, right now), it's not the focus of my work, or the primary topic of conversation.

I talk, too, about my camera and equipment. I understand how format effects your images. There are so many cool cameras out there that do all kinds of unique things. There is a difference in discussing how and why you use what you do, versus confirming your place on the totem pole of photography by the size and price of your camera. I can always tell when another photographer is trying to size me up based on my camera. Seriously? We all know how easy it is to be a photographer, anyone can press a button. An expensive, powerful camera can do the job for you, without little thinking on the photographers part. But nothing can make up for photographic knowledge and creativity.

My ethic relates to my love for DIY, homemade, and screw "the man" ideals. I think basic is the best. I adore the idea of making cameras on my own (ie: juice-box pin-hole cameras). I hope to help in spreading the accessibility of photography, to everyone.

This is where the problems comes in. So many people are under the impression that in order to be a good photographer, or to even consider yourself a photographer you must have fancy equipment and an costly accessories. That couldn't be more false. The photography community is not one that should exclude based on economics or privilege. You can be a photographer with a $5 disposable camera, with a homemade pinhole camera, with a recycle $20 Nikon from the Goodwill, and with a creative dream. I promise this to be true.

How much money you have in your pocket does not matter to creativity.

Some of the best photographers I have meet, shoot with small cameras, homemade cameras, plastic cameras. Some of the most overrated and routine images I have seen come from photographers who define themselves based on the high cost of their equipment.

Photography is a big world, with all kinds of definitions. That is exactly how it should be reflected.