Pause

Ever have that feeling where you’re faced with a situation, and instantly make a snap decision to remedy it? ‘Course you have. We all do it constantly, but sometimes it helps to take a step back and think about whatever this decision is. A few questions come to mind, but namely the big one: “Am I making the right choice? Or, am I just jumping the gun?”We’ve all had our gun-jumping escapades in our lives, we’ve all made snap decisions that we may have regretted. But, rather than regret them, let’s learn from them, and use that life experience to guide us in future decisions, so maybe we don’t have to make a decision too quickly, and cost ourselves something.I’m encountering all kinds of issues with my satisfaction regarding my camera. I’m just not feeling it the way that I used to, it seems to be making my photography more of a chore and less of a joy. I’m even considering switching to a different manufacturer altogether. But, I’m clearly not thinking rationally.I am plagued by the syndrome of being a “gear slut”, which means I put my interest in the equipment itself first, then the craft second, but I want to remedy this, because it gets to be a problem when I start to find fault in what I have in order to justify getting something else.I’m catching myself before I dig my hole any deeper than I already have. I’ve put a lot into my camera rig, and it would really be a major bonehead move to buy all new stuff without really knowing everything there is to know about the gear I have, and what it’s capable of. Not to mention, there are pro’s out there using the same stuff, and getting the results I’m after.My solution? Pause. Take a deep breath, step back, evaluate, and re-evaluate. Troubleshoot, probe, investigate; learn. Stop trying to win the award for “Most gun-jumping.” I’ll leave that to the bonehead.The pro’s that are getting those results that I’m after have one huge thing over me right now: Experience. That, right now, will be worth more to me than any lens, camera body, accessory, or whatever.