Get Frustrated
April was a month of stripping things back, creatively, mentally, and in my gear. I found myself leaning harder into simplicity.
If you’ve been following along, If not welcome! you might’ve noticed this thread running through a few recent posts. Whether I was revisiting the way I shoot street photography, reflecting on gear obsession, or just navigating the creative ruts we all hit. It kept coming back to this:
Limitation teaches you something that abundance can’t.
Slowly over time, I’ve evolved into someone who ditched zooms altogether. These days, most of my trips are done with just a couple of prime lenses, and more recently, only one.
There’s comfort in options. A zoom for this, a prime for that, maybe a wildcard lens for good measure. I used to carry it all, because hey, you never know, right?
But lately, I’ve been doing the exact opposite.
There’s this mindset—a trap, really—that I and a lot of photographers fall into. The belief that you need a wide lens for establishing shots, midrange for your subject, and a telephoto for the details. But honestly? Any focal length can do any job, if you let it. The challenge is trusting that your perspective matters more than the gear. Limiting yourself to one lens forces you to look deeper, think differently, and find new ways to tell the story.
Just me, a Sony A7C II, and a tiny 40mm f/2.5 prime. No zooms. No backup lenses. Just one small lens and the challenge to make it work. And honestly? It’s been kinda freeing.
When you only have one focal length, you stop overthinking and start seeing. You begin to roam, searching for new angles and fresh perspectives. You crouch, climb, lean, and twist your way into shots you might’ve ignored before, because you’re working harder to see it differently.
Have I missed shots? Absolutely. Are there times I’ve cursed not bringing a wider lens? 100%. But weirdly, that frustration is the point.
Because if you’re not getting frustrated, you’re not being challenged.
If you’re not challenged, you’re not improving.
If you’re not improving, you’re not growing.
I used to think gear was the shortcut to better photos. I think a lot of us fall into that trap. Believing that better results come from better tools. But now I think limitation is the teacher I needed. There’s something about stripping it all back, making the process feel more interesting. More personal.
This isn’t me telling you to sell your kit and go minimalist overnight. But maybe next time you head out, try it. One camera. One lens. One chance to see what happens when you stop relying on variety and start trusting yourself.
Spoiler: you’ll probably learn something. Even if the photos suck. And that’s kind of the point.
A round-up of Aprils Blogs:
