Here’s how I operate and always did. I’m not saying that this will work for you but I’d be willing to be that it does. There are cameras for any number of reasons to have and hold a camera. I break it down to two.

1st. The camera as a tool. When I was younger and had more body strength and less brains…(Inverse Square Law again).. I used a Canon 5D with all the nice “L” lenses. Yes, I used this camera for anything until one day I said….enough. See I had used many digital cameras but for WORK, this was the TOOL.

When I picked up the 5D, my mind automatically started to think about work and everything that goes along with that word. It’s a great camera and somewhat elegant even but I never found that many images with it for my PERSONAL work. Sure there were some but few and far between.

These photos are not from the 5D, I just wanted to post them so don’t even think about it…….

I made money with the 5D and I did a lot of work including for the Mural Arts Program here in Philly. I felt that I had the perfect tool for the task at hand. I was right.

2nd. The Friend. The camera that is your friend it the one that provides a few things. It makes you think about what your doing and not what it’s doing. (BIG DIFFERENCE). It feels like you are with a buddy, friend, brother, sister etc when you go out together. There is a closeness that can only be felt and not verbally described because it’s more than just a feeling….

When the time is now to go and MAKE images, you get your friend and go to WORK. There’s a difference in the definition of the word WORK. I’m sure you get this. Here we are working for the very essence of our being. Too heavy? No it’s not….

My wife Tanya, not the GR but the GR is named after her because I have to keep peace and harmony in the home front because she takes care of me and keeps me from going overboard and crappy stuff like that so I do her honor as a life partner and name the Ricoh GR after her.

Anyway…I’m back…..when I was working…for money,in business, I would come to the kitchen door and she made me take my shoes off immediately. Then she gave me a pair of soft slippers. Of course a hug follows, maybe a kiss but not too much, we don’t want to start any bad habits….

One day I asked her a question. I asked her why she made me change my shoes to slippers almost immediately. She looked at me ad said…”American’s, you know nothing about life”. When you come into the house, you must change your psychology. Changing your shoes is the start. Leave your work stuff on the job and enjoy being home and with me. Ya know, no one has ever explained anything close to that to me and kept it so simple and direct. Of course now, I don’t question that ritual or others anymore, I just GROK the meaning and live it.

GET TO THE POINT SHOOTER!

When I go to do a shoot for work or business, I pick up my working camera and immediately I am in the frame of mind for the task at hand. My INTENT is clear.

When I go out to do my personal work, I pick up a friend and my INTENT once again is clear. There are a few things to work out here and I’ll explained what I learned and pass it on to you. Take it with a shot, a beer orr lemonade I don’t care just think about the next few things.

GAS is a problem many have and there’s only one cure….depleted bank account…Oh, one more A RUSSIAN WIFE. It’s easier to deal with the bank account then the …well…you get it.

One of the feeding factors for GAS is fining the right camera etc. Is there a cure for that? Heck ya, easy. If you can define the purpose of your cameras then you can find a STOP for GAS. Not a cure but a real reason to not enter the GAS arena.

I am assuming if your reading this that your more serious about your photography than the ones not reading this. Try to arrange your thoughts about your INTENT and what camera leads to that fulfillment.

I have one camera that I consider Transitional and that’s the NEX 6. Oh, hold on…. The Nex is a close trusted friend but I could do work with it because it’s an AZZ kicking camera. All the photos on the post were born from the NEX 6 and the OM 24mm 2.8.

I gotta run cause it’s Russian Tea Time…I must oblige because Tanya watches WWE and she’s learned some good moves and I’m not into loosing a match.

More tomorrow…..later friends……don