Or, Never Let Them See You Sweat
This week I dropped a camera with about 70-100 people watching me. I did my best to act like it was no big deal. It happens all the time. My big concern was the football team in front of me and the spectators that were watching me. The worst thing that could happen would be for any of them to think I was more concerned about my equipment than them or their picture or that this might affect the quality of their pictures.
If you are charging money for your services you should only use equipment that you consider expendable. I smashed a $500 lens. The damage to the lens was no big deal compared to my embarrassment, but I didn’t want anyone to dwell on either. We had more important things to do, their team picture.
I like nice tools as much as the nice guy. But we photographers, more than many professions, can get too wrapped up and in love with our tools. If you’re charging for your services, cameras aren’t important. People are important. The most important people are the ones you are photographing and the ones that are paying you. It is much harder to replace customers or subjects than equipment.
The lens is on its way to Sigma for repair. Although I have other similar lenses, I will miss it while it’s gone. It’s the lens I use most. But the worst part isn’t the cost of the damage, it’s the impression I made on those watching. If I had made a big deal of it, that impression would have been worse.
I suppose it is possible to go through life as a wedding/portrait photographer without ever dropping a camera. But perhaps you are worried more about your equipment than the people you are photographing.
It was a Sigma 17-70mm lens on a Canon camera. It is a great lens for the price and ideally suited for a lot of my work. There are lenses that might be marginally better and even prettier, but I was buying a tool. I was going to use it under conditions that would place it at risk.
Whether you are photographing your own kids or shooting as a professional, don’t let an accident with your equipment ruin your day or anyone else’s.