I absolutely love this movie and can recite most lines and scenes. My friends typically fall into one of two categories when it comes to Jim Carrey. Those who are in awe of his comedic talent, and those who take themselves a bit too seriously to enjoy what Jim brings to the table. I guess a third would be people who just hate comedy and don’t laugh. I’m not joking here. I know a few people who don’t find ANYTHING based around comedy to be funny. I’ve sat with them as we experiment with standup routine after standup routine and they just keep repeating “Not funny.” Could be Gaffigan, Chappelle, Carrey, etc.
But let’s get back to the “So you are saying there’s a chance,” idea.
We all know the bulk of successful online material when it comes to photography revolves around gear. Blogs, video sites, rumor sites, etc. Gear, gear, and gear. I believe the vast majority of men dwelling on these sites, and let’s face it men, it’s us, would rather talk gear than actually make images. Absolutely nothing wrong with that. You can either be a photographer or you can appear to be a photographer, and appearing to be is more than enough for the majority of prosumer photography types who obsess over equipment.
For me, equipment means something else, and it certainly FEELS something else. For me, gear is a means to an end, and the “end” is the only thing that matters. For example, I need to drive the van to a specific lake, unpack my collapsible canoe, pack my birding gear in a waterproof bag of some sort, add my camping gear and head out to find a specific bird that represents the county where the lake exists. The PRIMARY focus of this entire adventure is THE BIRD. The primary focus is not the camera brand, the canoe brand or the make of van I happen to drive out. It’s the goddamn bird. Everything else is a layer of obstruction keeping me from the goddamn bird.
For the past two years I tried to solve the waterproof bag “thing.” I love being in the canoe, and I love birding and fishing from the canoe, but I never had a good waterproof solution. Consequently, I would derail my own plans but fumbling around with either subpar options or no options at all. I tried stuffing gear in a cooler. I tried dry sacks. I tried toploader, water-resistant packs. I would always end up stifled as I tried to cover three or four adventurous bases at a time. From Maine to Ohio to New Mexico, I never seemed to get what I was after.
And then I found my pack. Nothing too fancy, but uniquely built and perfectly suited for my needs. And I also found my long-lens birding rig. I had options here, but based on a variety of measures, I made a decision to move in the Nikon direction. Now, I have this setup. Now what? Both of these things are no longer taking up space in my limited capacity brain because I know they are there and I know they work. Now, all the matters is the goddamn bird.
When I look down and I see this setup, it makes me FEEL something. It makes me imagine my upcoming mission to nail a new feathered friend and add to my ongoing, multi-year project that if done correctly will showcase and utilize every skill I have ever developed. So, you are saying there’s a chance I get to drive to the lake, deploy the canoe, pack my kit and nail the goddamn bird? That’s the juice baby. That’s why this stuff matters. It’s the only reason it matters. If I was focused on the van or the canoe or the camera kit, wouldn’t that mean I was missing the point? If you find yourself spending copious time on gear sites, ask yourself why. And then ask if you have a goal, a mission or a drive that is fueling your time on the site. If not, take a break and step away. Read a book, see a film and find your fire. Without fire, with drive, life becomes hollow as you wait for widgets.
Comments 14
Well, chalk me up as finding Carrey a total turn-off.
On the other hand, I could probably say, hand over heart in most presidential manner, that Woody Allen’s humour pretty much speaks for me. I still search vainly for Jewish roots somewhere in my background
because I also enjoyed Seinfeld a lot in its time, though I don’t find it, as a show, to have time-travelled quite as well as have Woody’s movies.
We used to have a very politically incorrect lad called Benny Hill on UK television; I found him funny too, as I did a very different style of comedian called Dave Allen, a master of quiet understatement and thorn in the side of the religious zealots. People who think that just pulling silly faces makes them comedians have their own audience. Hill did that, but he had so much more going on at the same time. His girls were delightful spoofs of the then fashion and glamour ethic; adding to the fun for me was knowing that some of them actually were professional models. He ended up a casualty of political correctness, his shows suddenly rejected by the tv moguls, which broke his heart. What a bunch of bleedin’ hypocrites so many Brits became.
Author
I love all the people you mention. Used to watch Benny Hill on black and white TV with my parents.
Still one camera one lens. Simply horses for courses.
Author
That’s great. Until you start birding. And then your life is over.
Wow, that looks like a whole lotta camera! Looking forward to seeing the bird photos.
Author
It’s been fun so far. Giving a talk for Nikon in the coming weeks.
Sometimes, when I’m bored, I’d peruse the DPReview Forums. I find it telling that gearheads are often discontent with their gear or camera brand and usually complain that their new stuff doesn’t do X or the camera maker doesn’t release a new model (with which they would probably be dissatisfied, too). Obviously, the satisfaction to be had from new stuff seems to be shallow …
The only gear that matters are good shoes. If your feet are cold, wet or sore, you feel uncomfortable and can’t take good pictures. Unsuitable shoes can also impede access to certain locations, and without access no photography.
Author
Shoes, water, rain gear, hat, sunscreen, notebook, pen/pencil, passport, cash. TIME…
What happened to the IV001X?
I love Jim Carrey, I discovered him in the early nineties, back when I was buying imported Laserdiscs in a small shop in the basement of a mall on the Champs Elysées (because there’s a law here that prevents films to be distributed too early after cinema release, I think at the time it was 18 months, so I imported from the US). It was prior to « the mask » and I found a « Ace Ventura, Pet Detective » disk. I had never heard of Jim Carrey, but I was instantly hooked with the crazy cover art and bought it, and never looked back.
To me, the funniest scene ever is in Ace Ventura 2, when he is getting out of the hippo’s assh.le. Just rewatched it, still crying in laughter.
Author
That scene is SO good. Filmed in San Antonio, where I was living at the time.
I love Jim Carrey’s award acceptance speeches. Hilarious!
Author
Oh man, the one where he was wearing a wig and dropped the “P” bomb? That one is so fantastic.
I was “introduced” to Benny HIll while staying with my Grandparents in the summer. Great stuff for an 8–10-year-old. I hear that Saxophone riff all over the place.
I appreciate this post Dan. I still cannot comfortably and consistently get my 8×10 kit from house to car then to my shoulders and to a site. I’m close, but the fiddling with this ‘n that almost derails my efforts. My line in the sand is my back patio; if I get a pile of gear out to the patio, I’m going photographing somewhere. I do always get “That’s a nice ski mask” comments at least.
Author
Getting out is more difficult than it seems. Especially with a day job.