Hey Reader,
A reader called Naomi replied to my email two weeks ago asking how to deal with camera gear paralysis and feelings of unworthiness if you don’t have “professional” gear.
And honestly…
This is something I still struggle with sometimes.
Even now.
I’ve captured hundreds of thousands of photos, posted over 2,000 times online, built an audience of over 1 million followers across platforms, and do photography and content creation full-time…
But in September last year, I was shooting a motorsport event and walked into one of the coldest rooms I’ve ever been in.
The media centre was full of photographers with massive full-frame cameras and huge lenses.
Meanwhile, I walked in with my little Sony APS-C setup.
And honestly?
I felt really small.
I got in my own head thinking people probably saw me as a joke because my gear looked “amateur” compared to everyone else’s.
Maybe some people did.
Maybe they didn’t.
But I definitely felt it.
And for 4 days straight, I had no idea where I was going at that racetrack either.
But I did what I always try to do.
I worked hard.
Learned fast.
Introduced myself to people.
Offered to grab coffees.
Made conversation.
Tried to be helpful.
And by the end of the event, most of the room had warmed up to me.
But the experience reminded me of something important:
Better gear doesn’t make you a better photographer.
It just gives you more options.
And if you haven’t yet developed your skills, style, and understanding of photography…
More options don’t actually help you.
Because how are you supposed to know what you truly need if you haven’t even reached the limits of what you already have?
I’ve been shooting on Sony APS-C cameras for 4 years now.
Started on the a6400 and now use the a6700.
And honestly?
For 90% of what I do, it’s perfect.
Yes, there are situations where better gear would help me.
Motorsport is one of them.
A faster burst rate, bigger buffer, faster write speeds… absolutely.
But I only shoot motorsport a handful of times per year.
The rest of the time?
I’m doing normal shoots, dealership work, travelling overseas, and creating content where the smaller form factor of APS-C cameras is actually a huge advantage.
And honestly, I still feel like I’m squeezing more and more out of my current setup every year.
That’s why I haven’t upgraded.
I think one of the biggest traps photographers fall into is believing they need better gear before they deserve to take themselves seriously.
But in reality…
The photographers who improve the fastest are usually the ones who stop obsessing over gear and start obsessing over creating.
Because at the end of the day, your portfolio will always speak louder than your camera specs.
That’s what I focused on.
Building the biggest body of work I possibly could.
And now most people already know what they’re going to get from me before I even show up.
Not because of the camera I use.
But because of the work I’ve consistently produced with it.
If this was useful, just reply with “yes” so I know.
And if there’s anything you want me write about in upcoming newsletters, please let me know. I always really appreciate the topic ideas!
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Thanks so much for spending some of your time with me & reading Filling The Gaps.
Talk soon,
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P.S. One of the reasons I’ve been able to get so much out of my gear over the years is because I focused heavily on refining my editing and developing a recognisable style.
That’s exactly why I built my LTO Signature Preset Collection: Volume 1.
It’s designed to help you improve your editing faster, build confidence in your work, and create photos you actually feel proud to share online.
Check it out here if you're interested.
