Do what you can

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” Theodore Roosevelt (American 26th US President (1901-09), 1858-1919) this post might just be full of quotes so I'll follow up w/ a paraquote from the semi fictional Minnesota Fats. "If you know how to shoot pool, you can do it with a broom stick". (I have a broom stick in my lighting gear and my wife isn't to happy about it right now)
So whats this got to do with photography? I'm sure most of you know. Sure I we want the best photo gear out there, but that stuff is expensive so maybe we should just hang it up and quit shooting if we can't afford it. Of course not. We need to do what we can, with what we have. I don't want to say we should settle, what we have is more than whats in our gear bag. We have something that money can't buy, our creativity. We are all born creative, some of us more than others, but we all have it. Lets develop that creativity and make it one of our tools, don't put your thoughts in a box and then put that box into another.

I just can't get into one of those discussions with other photographers about whose sensor is bigger, or mega-pixels, or whatever is new and hot. Sure it all has an effect on our craft but its not why I make my art its just a tool. So lets take whatever camera we have and find any subject we can and make it ours. This all sounds so much better in my head so I will just say one more thing and then leave you with another quote or maybe two. It is your portfolio that speaks for you not the name on your camera, lens etc. I have been outranked in photo contests by point And shoot users, and I know I can outdo anyone who thinks he can buy a good shot w/o putting any of his own effort into it.

I know I promised only one more thing but this is an important point. It's your art it needs to make YOU feel good if you aren't pleased who cares what the rest of the world thinks. Do what you like with passion and you will gain a following of people who appreciate you and not your ability to sell out to the world. Do this and everyone will win. so here comes another quote from one of the most inspirational US Presidents Teddy Roosevelt, and then one from Eleanor Roosevelt (FDR's wife).

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”
-- Theodore Roosevelt

"You must do the thing you think you cannot do."
-- Eleanor Roosevelt