The Joy of Less: Finding My Flow with Photography

I’ve been mildly obsessed with taking photos for the best part of five years. During that time, I’ve gone through maybe three or four different digital camera systems all in search of the “perfect” setup for me.

What I’ve come to realise is that the perfect setup for me, at least is “the less, the better.” The more choices I have with my gear, the more I overthink while I’m out. And that just makes the whole experience feel a bit of a chore and a bit of a job. At one point, like most beginners in anything, I had way too much gear and spent way too much money on stuff I barely used multiple lenses, camera bodies, filters, accessories, doodads and whatsamajigs all over the place. Keep in mind, I’m a complete amateur. I don’t do this as a job; it’s purely a hobby albeit a fairly obsessive one.

Lately, I feel like I’ve reached a stage where I’m starting to feel like im maturing as a photographer. I want less gear and less tech getting in the way of the act of making photos. For example, my digital setup now includes a single 40mm-equivalent lens, and I don’t use the back screen at all (it’s actually broken, but I didn’t notice for 6–8 weeks because it’s always switched off).

That said, I’ve recently felt a bit disconnected from the process. Being able to fire off hundreds of photos in seconds has made “making photos” feel more distant, less intentional. So, how have I been trying to get back to that feeling?

Well…

Since I was 15 or 16, I’ve had a film camera. I studied multimedia at college, and photography was a real highlight during that time. But, like most things from your teenage years that don’t survive the discovery of girls and the pub, it eventually faded into the background. Still, film never left me completely. When I picked up a camera again as an adult, film photography was always lingering in the back of my mind.

Over the years, I’ve bought and sold quite a few film cameras rangefinders, SLRs, point-and-shoots, the lot. But the cost has always been a turn-off.

Recently, though, things have shifted. In my quest for a more simplified, intentional approach, my Canon 7 rangefinder has been coming out more and more. And the sheer joy of that satisfying “clunk” from the metal shutter? It hits a dopamine spot in my brain like nothing else.

Maybe this is my subconscious pushing back against the wave of AI-generated images flooding the internet a way to ensure the photos I take feel tangible, physical, real. Or maybe I’m just finally embracing the hipster I never let myself be. I’m not entirely sure yet. So I’m going to keep exploring and see where I end up.

I currently have eight rolls of film waiting to be developed so let’s tackle that cost first, and I’ll check back in soon.