Does a great kitchen make you a good cook?  Does an awesome guitar make you a great musician?  Does the best camera make you an amazing photographer?

No!  Gear does not make anything.  It’s the person behind the gear that creates art.  Art is created by a combination of your skill/craft, vision and imagination.  You can make great art with the simplest of tools.  

I love gear as much as the next person (maybe more) and you have to understand how the gear works to some degree to realize your art, but great photography is created by what’s located behind the gear.  You!

Certainly the more you learn about the craft of photography, the better you will be able to use the photographic tool(s) at hand to create the image you envision.  The good news about the craft of photography is that the craft of photography hasn’t changed since the beginning of photography almost 200 years ago.  

You still need a composition.  Some part of the scene should be in focus (unless your intent of the image is to be out of focus - see Catherine Opie).  You need to choose a focal length.  And of course you need to know where to stand (see Ansel Adams).  Meter the scene and choose the right combination of the exposure triangle settings  (aperture, shutter speed, and media sensitivity) to get a “good” exposure.  And there you go!  Create an image!  The camera can help you with many things like focus and the exposure.  Use your smart phone.  Focus on the composition.  Set your camera to “Pro” mode as Ken Rockwell describes it.  Pro mode is also known as Program mode.  

But walk away from any photographer or photography instructor that says there is only one way to approach photography or says things like you have to photograph everything in manual mode.  Use the tool in anyway that suits your purpose in creating images.  If shooting in manual helps you to better understand the exposure triangle for example, then shoot in manual mode until you feel confident about your knowledge and then try another mode.  Or even try the scene mode available with may cameras.  Don’t be afraid to experiment.

The other thing you need to do is get out an create images.  You can’t create an image sitting at home in front of your computer waiting for inspiration to strike.  You just need to be out with your photography antenna up.  Take lots of images.  Work the scene.  Hopefully then inspiration or an idea will strike you.  Woody Allen is often quoted with saying something like “80% of success is showing up.” Henri Cartier-Bresson said “Your first 10,000 images are your worst.”  Maybe you won’t need to take 10,000 images to get some decent compositions.    Fail often!

 If you have a digital camera, you’ve already paid for the film.  So take advantage of it and go make some photographs.  Cartier-Bresson also said “Of course It’s all luck.”  Which is to say, sometimes you have to be at the right place at the right time.

Now go create an image.  Just go in the backyard.