hard pleasures

By aonon56

What is in my Bag or G.A.S.

About year ago I have bumped onto Japan Camera Hunter blog (here) which is run by an Anglo-Saxon based in Tokyo ( there is something about Japanese fascination with all things Western and than about our fascination with "western" things produced by Japan, but that is subject of maybe another musing).
JCH is nice little website for people who are film hard-core followers but what has intrigued (and much more than that) me is "what is in your bag?" column that have reached 575 entries. People (mostly analogue photographers) take photo of their equipment and bag; post it with little description about them and link to their web and flickr site. My initial interest converted quickly to an addiction and I started to skip text and links and focus only on what was in the bags, comparing with that I have and what would be good to buy (notwithstanding the fact that at the time I haven't shot film for more than year ). I event went back to earlier column so at one stage I have seen last six months entries. Almost every day I would check if there is a new entry. Finally at one point I decided to stop as it was obvious that I'm addicted. There was no real reason for interest what is in other people's photo bag's. I could understand interest in the gear of famous photographers, one maybe want to know technique, but is it really that relevant for Salgado's output that he has switched form Leica analogue to Canon digital? Or what camera is Eggelston using (Leica and/or Makina Plaubel). Daido Moriyama has been using humble Ricoh GR and that didn't make him lesser photographer that someone who is using Leica S or similar. Real reason for my addiction was well know condition, which has its acronym GAS (gadget acquisition syndrome). Looking at other people bags would simply give me urge what to buy next. I have found yesterday on www.dpreview.com excellent article Confessions of an ex gear addict: How buying cameras and lenses made me miserable and lose thousands (link to a blog by Olivier Duong here) which is hilarious but very true read. It was depressing to read it not so much because of the fact that I am GAS sufferer (I knew that already) but more of the fact that my symptoms are so common which added insult to the injury, not only that I have it [ GAS ] but my condition is nothing special so even in that I'm not exceptional. But his blog would be like ten others if blogger haven't described how to manage GAS. There are two simple rules a) you cannot kill addiction you can only change it with another that is lest harmful; b) turn your addiction in taking photographs addiction and you will look less to the gear you have to buy.
I am saying this that since I have started photographing regular (every weekend at least hour a day, plus with blips I have always some sort of camera on me) I started thinking less what to buy next. Obviously it didn't disappear, in last six months I bought one camera (GR) and two lenses (28 and 50) . However I sold 2 lenses so I am not that bad. And despite popping into my local Leica store and checking about M I don't feel an urge to buy it. Now I have to admit that I still buy tons of unnecessary stuff (filters, dioptre lenses etc. and not to mention the books) but hey nobody's perfect
However past is always to haunt me. So as I'm planning to go to Croatia for the summer I have started my regular routine, which camera and lenses to take. I pulled out lot of my stuff (not all of course, Nikon F5, Hasselblad 500- CM, two tripods, flash unit(s), another light meter, two more big and two small bags plus bunch of smaller issues are excluded) and was pretty shocked with the amount of equipment I have amassed and more that most of it I'm using rarely. However one have to face truth from time to time, and I keep this photo as a reminder whenever I have urge to enter photo store.
( So what am I taking: MM, M9, 50, 16-18-21, 35 and 90. Plus of course GR. Looks quite a lot but there were years where I have taken much much more. Two more days before the trip. I should try to cut at least one lens )

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