Creating on a budget — Working with what you’ve got
Ever heard of the phrase “start where you are, use what you have, do what you can”? I read this a long time ago and only recently found that this was actually coined by tennis legend Arthur Ashe. I don’t watch tennis and I’d never heard of this guy either until now, but I do strongly believe in this quote and how important it is to realize your gear can only carry you so far. With that said, I felt it was important to remind my fellow aspiring creators to stop hanging so much weight on the things that don’t matter, after all it’s not the camera that finds the shot, it’s the photographer! Without you that camera is utterly useless.
I’ve been taking pictures on and off for years but only recently have I started to pick up my camera with a real drive to pursue somewhat of a career in photography and videography. At this point there is no telling where the content I create could lead me but something I’ve been reminded of recently is not to wait for the perfect setup to come along just to take the shot. Imagine you’re out shooting and the perfect opportunity comes along for the shot of a lifetime, but you’re only rocking a measly $300 body with a kit lens, would you simply say to yourself “if only I had a better camera I could have taken a picture of that”. Heck no!
Generally speaking when someone thinks of creating content of any kind, immediately the dollar signs start to circle the brain. “If I’m going to be any good at my craft I’m going to need multiple lenses, I’m going to need a shotgun mic and a tripod and a shutter remote and”……. The list goes on. But ask yourself this, have you even created anything yet? If the answer is no, then slow your roll and earn that equipment, start with the things you already have to hand and finish something before you more onto bigger and better gear you may not even need yet. If the answer is yes, then you’re already creating! You’re clearly doing something right and a gear upgrade isn’t necessary just yet. Keep hustling and you’ll be able to get those shiny new lenses when you’ve finally outgrown what you have.
Don’t get me wrong here, I too am regularly stuck in an evil cycle of self doubt and window shopping on Amazon for the next equipment fix, just so I can tally up the amount of money I don’t have to spend on all these wonderful gizmos. Admittedly, I’m about a week behind on this blog post because I found myself on a downward spiral doubting my self worth as a content creator because I don’t have a microphone or more lenses to play with. But I remind myself that confidence is developed with experience, not with material objects (although it is always nice to buy things). Even if you were to purchase all of the best equipment you would still find yourself procrastinating and may not even know how to operate half that s%@t yet anyway.
The best way you can develop and grow as a content creator is to take yourself out of your comfort zone and just dive right into it, this doesn’t mean buying shiny new toys but creating something so you can earn that fresh lens or a new set of ND filters. Once you’ve finished a few projects and seen a real development in your work then you can say “this is something I could use”. Another great reason why it’s best to start with what you have isn’t necessarily to save money (but your wallet will thank you), but because you’re already familiar with it. Master the equipment you own, even change it up and use it to try new things and master them. After all, you know your gear inside out, why replace it with new gear already when you’re only going to need to retrain yourself to use it.
I truly believe that saying to yourself “i need this to be able to create content” is the simplest form of procrastination, an excuse which proves we’re more in love with the idea of pursuing a passion rather than following through with it. I will freely admit, I am not a finisher. I habitually start a project that will never see the light of day and no matter how much I’ll tell myself I want to succeed, I find another excuse not to get started. Just remember, don’t wait for perfection because it’ll never happen, work with what you’ve got. The best advice I could give to show you what I mean would be to head over to Youtube or Instagram, think of your favourite content creator and track back to when they first uploaded. More often than not, you’ll find that their content was garbage in comparison to their work now. This isn’t because they sucked back then, but because they got it done and honed their skills along the way.
I really hope this helps motivate people to get out and create. But for those who just have to grab those little essentials to help them along the way though, I’ve got you covered. We all know those staples of any content creators arsenal but sometimes even those can set you back a good amount. I’ve been lucky enough to find more reasonable alternatives that will definitely keep you going for a while without having you cursing your tools within a week of use.
I will more than likely be adding to this post as I feel like it could be a really helpful resource for people like me who sometimes need that kick in the right direction. Sign up to the newsletters below and you’ll be notified of new content. If you feel like I’ve missed something important or have any tips then please comment below.
Newmowa EN-EL14 EN-EL14A Replacement Battery
Obviously you’ll hear over and over again from creators that you shouldn’t use third party batteries for your gear as they won’t last long. But who are we kidding, I’m not shelling out $60 per battery when I’m just starting out. I’ve linked to the Nikon EN-EL14 model purely because I rock a Nikon DSLR but you all know how to use Amazon, you can figure it out.
Manfrotto MTPIXI-B PIXI Mini Tripod
This brand should need no introduction, but just in case you’re not already aware of Manfrotto, it’s more than just a weird name and has been a solid brand in the photography game for years. This tripod will not disappoint! I have used this for some time now and it’s a serious piece of equipment that you’ll soon realize you can’t live without it.
BOYA BY-MM1 Universal Shotgun Microphone
If you’ve ever had any experience with the Rode Videomics, then you’ll be familiar with the audio quality of this little gem. Boya has managed to essentially create their very own version of the Rode VideoMicro for almost half the price.
Check out my photography portfolio here: thombradley.ca
