civilized ku # 2779 ~ gear addicted guy tries to steal one of my picture making schtiks
Monday, August 11, 2014 at 10:36AM 
bathroom corner ~ Au Sable Forks, NY - in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggenBecause I am a naturally inquisitive kinda guy, I am forever striving to learn something new (to me). One area of that ongoing endeavor is in the realm of human behavior. That is, trying to understand another person's behavior, especially that of those whose inclinations are quite different from my own.
In the picture making realm, one example of behavior quite different from my own would be that of Kirk Tuck at The Visual Science Lab. Kirk is, IMO, a bona fide member in extraordinarily good standing of the I-Never-Saw-A-Piece-Of-Gear-I-Didn't-Covet Club. My mind boggles at the sheer number of cameras, lenses, and other assorted gear he has acquired, tested, and used over the short period of time (1 year-ish) I have been aware of his existence.
ASIDE: I am most definitely not casting aspersions, re: Kirk Tuck's gear acquisition proclivity. Everybody has their own thing. I am just pointing out the difference between my picture making domain behavior and his. Close ASIDE
As anyone who has followed The Landscapist knows, gear and gear related discourse doesn't really interest me. Yes, I choose my gear carefully - to match my specific needs - but when that choice has been made, it's on to the real business at hand, i.e. - making pictures. And I most definitely reside in the picture making camp of, the simpler you keep it, gear-wise, the better your picture making will be. That is, your gear becomes "invisible" and rarely gets in the way of you and your chosen referent.
That written, and in the interest of complete disclosure, I must admit that my gear collection most likely dwarfs that of Kirk Tuck's. I still have all of my commercial studio cameras (35mm [3], panoramic [1], 120 medium format [2], 4×5 [3] and 8×10 [1] view cameras) and lenses for each format (probably around 20 altogether). But, of course, that gear was acquired in the cause of meeting a wide range of client needs; from annual report / editorial (mainly 35mm), people / fashion / beauty (mainly medium format), to 4×5/8×10 still life - product / food work.
However, when it comes to my personal picture making, it's 2 bodies of the same model camera - E-P5s - and just 2 (fast) lens - 20mm and 45mm - one of which (the 20mm) is employed in the making of 90-95% of my pictures. I don't know how to, gear-wise, make it any more simple than that.
All of the preceding written, what caught my attention recently was a Kirk Tuck blog entry, Sunday Morning. Local seeing., in which Kirk relates an personal epiphany:
.... Weston probably returned dozens and dozens of times to the famous park mostly because it was available to him. He was able to infuse the scenes with his vision and his point of view. He distilled his feelings about his vision over time and then overlaid them onto the subject matter at hand.
With this in mind I started to look around my own dining room and kitchen, noticing the play of shadow and light. Noticing the juxtaposition of shapes and objects. I realized that "where ever you go, there you are." ....
Now, truth be told, I don't really believe that Kirk was actually trying to steal one of my picture making schtiks. However, that written, I have been making pictures around my house for well over a decade - check out some selects from my kitchen life and my the light bodies of work to view some examples thereof. Or, browse through a few entries in my kitchen sink series. Had Kirk Tuck viewed any of this work before he experienced his epiphany? Only he can answer that question.
In any event, the answer to that question doesn't really matter. What I really wonder about is - did his gear preoccupation get in the way of his noticing what was always right in front of / under his nose?
Reader Comments (5)
First just to clarify, I don’t follow or read whoever this Kirk Tuck guy is.
But yes Mark, as you so incessantly make clear, you are still the center of the universe and it all begins and ends with you — at least in the realm of your inflated self-esteem.
You couldn’t you even let Tuck have gear kudos, you had to suggest you probably have more gear then he has.
After having been blessed with not reading you in months I had to stumble across this one. At least you're consistent. See you in another year or so…hopefully not!
Let it be.
(Paul McCartney)
And the reflection of the cat in the photo makes it for me.
Hi Mark, Some of my readers brought your blog to my attention. I'm thinking it's funny that my blog creates a full bodied caricature of me as nothing but a gear collector. I"ll admit to liking the process of auditioning cameras and lenses but it's good to know that I probably spent more time USING the gear than anyone I know. I am a full time, working photographer and I also shoot for my own enjoyment and edification.
I've been collected in a number of private collections for work that has never seen the light of a web page or sharing site. My documentations for the World Monuments Fund and the Nature Conservancy are well regarded and I create lots of portraits for many different kinds of clients.
While I sometimes use "newly discovered" inspirations as literary devices in blog writing the whole idea of discovering my own environment is hardly new. I learned it from a teaching assistant who worked for me at the University of Texas College of Fine Arts when I taught there nearly 35 years ago. Marty was documenting every two foot square of his parent's house with an 8x10 view camera on color film.
Most of the camera I evaluate are loaners from makers and friends. The ones I end up keeping are very well used. But I still have around many of the cameras we worked with back in the days of film. And the lenses that go with them.
I hope that you enjoy reading the camera adventures as I write them and that the discussions of cameras save you from actually having to spend time and money on something you might ultimately decide wasn't worth the investment.
To summarize: Yes, I have used a number of cameras. I understand the effect of the tool on the art and the artist. I am curious. But at the same time I am a committed photographer and work at it every day. I probably spend more time with the same camera in my hand in a year than some amateurs do in ten. So think of my buying and sellings as time spent in "cat years."
Your blog looks fun and interesting. Best of luck with it.
Been a while since I have commented on here but I see it is still lively.
My wife and I keep it inexspensive and simple with our equipment. We use Nikons 2-D3200's, a D90 and D60 with various lenses and yes they are zooms. I like the 18-135 and wifey uses a 55-200.
I started my hobby at 11 years old, carried my Yashica in Viet Nam, now I'mm 66 and want to keep shooting and having fun.
I agree with John Linn.