The camera is a tool, not the work.
I believe this wholeheartedly.
And yet — without technical mastery, frustration quickly follows. Craft and intuition are not opposing forces; they are two ends of the same stick. One without the other is limiting.
For me, technique had to be learned the hard way. Through mistakes, trial and error, and years of practice. Slowly, I developed a personal technical fluency that now allows me to work calmly, easily, and intuitively. When the mechanics are internalised, attention is freed. I can be fully present — aware, responsive, and ready.
That is the gift of experience.
I have never been particularly interested in owning the latest camera, the biggest lens, or the equipment that signals professionalism from the outside. Tools only matter to me when they serve a specific intention — chosen deliberately, used consciously, and then forgotten about.
Once the camera is in my hands, it disappears.
