You hear it all the time:
“You need better gear.”
“You need the right lens.”
“You need to know exactly what settings to use.”
And yet — some of my most recognized images, honored by international juries at competitions like IPA and PX3, were made… with the wrong lens, the wrong settings, or even a cell phone.
Not because I was trying to prove a point.
Because I was in the moment. I was chasing a story. I was so excited, I grabbed the wrong gear — and shot anyway.
You Don’t Need Perfect Gear — You Need to Be Present
Photography isn’t about technical perfection.
Sure, technical skill matters. But vision matters more. Instinct matters more.
In the real world, things don’t wait.
The horse turns its head for half a second.
The light flares just right before it’s gone.
The moment you’ve been chasing shows up — and you have two seconds to respond.
When those moments appear, the photographer who captures them isn’t the one with the cleanest kit.
It’s the one who sees, feels, and trusts themselves to hit the shutter — even if the conditions aren’t ideal.
2016 Honorable Mention Awarded Cell Phone Image “Pink Tulip” IPA.
One of My Awarded Images Was Taken on a Cell Phone
Yes, seriously.
That image — recognized in an international competition — wasn’t made with a DSLR or mirrorless body.
It was made with a phone I had in my hand while I was walking. I saw something fleeting, lifted my phone, and trusted my eye. That’s it.
No tripod. No plan. No “professional” setup.
And the judges still saw something in it — because emotion, light, and timing can’t be manufactured in post.
2025 Honorable Mention Px3 People/Culture
The Red Calf and the Rodeo Chaos
Two of my awarded images tell the same story.
The red calf portrait — honored by IPA — was a quiet moment I nearly missed. I didn’t have the “right” portrait lens on me, but I had the right timing and attention.
The PX3 rodeo image was taken in chaotic indoor light, with dust and motion everywhere — I barely had time to think, let alone dial everything in.
They weren’t technically perfect. But they were honest. They were alive.
And that’s why they resonated.
The Takeaway
This post isn’t about saying gear doesn’t matter — it does.
But it’s not the full picture. And it never will be.
Some of your most powerful work might not happen when everything is perfectly prepared.
It might happen when:
You grab the wrong lens.
You forget your plan.
You’re chasing light, breathless, and just trying to keep up.
But you see the moment.
You feel it.
And you shoot anyway.
That’s photography.