Lea & Lens

Stuff. All kinds of stuff. We fill our lives with it. Every nook and cranny of every drawer, closet, glovebox and shelf…packed with stuff. Some of it is necessary. Some of it is useful. Some of it is sentimental. But most of it is wasteful. As I’ve come to terms with my own gear acquisition syndrome (a.k.a. G.A.S.), I’ve realized that it extends far past camera equipment. My life is littered with things I don’t use and don’t need, and my most of my friends would consider me a minimalist! I spend so much time caring for all the stuff, organizing all the stuff, even spending more money buying containers to store the stuff. Why, when it only drags me down?

No more. I’ve been working on an intense declutter of my house for the past month. As I sit typing this, the garage is the only space left to tackle. The amount of things I have been able to donate or sell up to this point has been astounding. And liberating.

It’s no secret that I switch out my gear quite often. What can I say? I like trying new cameras and lenses. But even that has been something I’ve identified as wasteful. I’ve had a higher turnover rate in the last year than is normal, even for me. I’ve decided that if I’m unlikely to keep it for at least a year, I shouldn’t buy it. Far too often, I take a loss and even small losses add up. I’d like to be a more conscious consumer. And I’d like to stop being so distracted by learning new gear that I’m able to actually go out and take pictures. Novel, huh? I’ve barely touched on my ongoing project goals this year. I’ll certainly never get them done that way!

Moving forward I plan to lessen my gear turnover rate by at least half, go out and shoot more, share more and enjoy feeling less encumbered by material possessions. So far, it feels great.