I enjoy nature and the outdoors well enough on their own, but what I really enjoy is the act of making a photograph. I go to the places I go — scenic, strange, even scary sometimes — because I like being there with a camera and going through the steps of composing a photograph, waiting, making little adjustments, trying again. The process of making the photographs is the reason I go, and why I keep going.
Regarding equipment, I buy what I need, and then I stop thinking about it. I don’t follow the latest camera debates or worry about whether one brand is better than another. Honestly, I sometimes think I should use an old 8×10 field camera with a single lens. The big bulky thing would slow me down even more and force me to focus (pun intended) on composition, exposure, and the image. To repeat, for me, the enjoyment comes from making the photograph: being out there, paying attention, and trying to create something that feels honest. The equipment is just the tool that lets me do that.
