{"id":43867,"date":"2017-03-17T05:00:53","date_gmt":"2017-03-17T12:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?p=43867"},"modified":"2017-03-17T19:05:29","modified_gmt":"2017-03-18T02:05:29","slug":"how-to-conquer-gas-gear-acquisition-syndrome-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/17\/how-to-conquer-gas-gear-acquisition-syndrome-2\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Tips How to Conquer GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"eric<\/p>\n

I have the wrong impression that if I somehow bought a new camera, a new gadget, or gizmo\u00e2\u20ac\u201c I will somehow become more creative.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

I often genuinely believe that I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcmissing out\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 by not having the newest and greatest.<\/p>\n

The real fault? Myself.<\/p>\n

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1. Ignore the sirens<\/h2>\n

\"halmunee-grandma-eric<\/p>\n

In the Odyssey by Homer, Ulysses has to sail past the sirens. Imagine the sirens as some evil, man-eating mermaids. But they were so beautiful, and had the most intoxicating songs. Many sailors jumped to their death, because they couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t resist the temptations of the sirens.<\/p>\n

So what did Ulysses do? He ordered his fellow sailors to tie himself to the mast (front) of the ship. And to fill his ears with beeswax.<\/p>\n

The sirens in today\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s world are blogs, gear review sites, advertising, marketing, and social media.<\/p>\n

To overcome GAS, I had to plug my ears with wax. Which meant installing extension plugins on my browser (Stayfocusd on Chrome, and Wastenotime in Safari) to block myself from visiting distracting gear websites. I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t trust<\/p>\n

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2. One camera, one lens<\/h2>\n

\"eric<\/p>\n

Too many options is creative death. Fewer options, more ingenuity, and more creativity.<\/p>\n

So I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve given myself a creative constraint of sticking with just one camera, one lens.<\/p>\n

Now, I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t stress about the gear to use. I know my limitations, the Ricoh GR II and the integrated (non-changeable) 28mm lens.<\/p>\n

As an assignment, lock all your cameras in the closet, and just choose one camera, one lens to use for a year. Better yet, give away all your cameras to your friends, family, or those who you think can use it better than you (what I did).<\/p>\n

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3. Why do you make photos?<\/h2>\n

\"eric<\/p>\n

The last question to ask yourself:<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Why do I make photos?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

When you figure out why you make photos; you will figure out that you don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t need the fanciest gear to make the images you want.<\/p>\n

Ask yourself why you make photos. To get more Instagram likes and followers? Or to fulfill your creative spirit and soul?<\/p>\n

Always,
\nEric<\/p>\n

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How to Overcome GAS ><\/a><\/h2>\n

\"eric-kim-photography-Cindy-Project-color-2\"<\/p>\n

More articles on how to overcome GAS:<\/p>\n