Former "gear-head" continues to recover and provides photographic evidence to prove it

"It's been almost a year since we posted Jamie Fullerton's first story on this blog, Confessions of a young gear-head and how he found his way to photographic freedom. (link) As a public service, we're releasing this illustrated progress report on his battle with gear obsession. Here's the story in his own words.

"Last year, I discussed the downward spiral of gear obsession and my determination to stop worrying so much about the contents of my camera bag. Well, almost a year has gone by since I downsized a ridiculous amount of photography gear into something more sensible. I've kept at it even still and have come back to tell you more about how things are at present.

"Upon releasing myself from the crushing weight of so many camera bodies, lenses, tripods and other nonsense, I noticed immediately that I was a lot happier out there in the field! The quality of my worked improved vastly in a short amount of time. I say this with little ego and with a certain amount of added time and experience. However, it is perfectly clear to me that during this time I was not burdened by so many choices in the camera bag. I know it seems silly to consider such a thing a problem, owning too much nice gear, but trust me when I say that it matters.

"Looking back upon a year of what I consider to be my finest work so far, I realize that the majority of my images were made with three lenses providing focal range of 17mm to 200mm. Most of my personal favorites were created using filters in the field rather than in the digital darkroom. The important bit here is that I have begun to develop my own personal vision and style.

"This year yielded several successful images. Over the summer, I visited Crested Butte for a week of shooting from sunrise until sunset with photo instructors Charles Needle and Mark Johnson. From autumn until the start of winter, I enjoyed several trips to Rainier National Park. Some of my favorite images from this fall were created at Chinook Pass. Looking back across the year, I notice the very beginning of what could be referred to as style or vision. What I see and how I like to see it finally has begun to show in my work. I feel now that I have a certain degree of control over the final image. Again, with as little ego as possible, I chalk some of it up simply to spending time making images. Another important bit involves creating the image in my head before clicking the shutter.

"What changes did I make this year that contributed to my increased success in the field? I narrowed down my kit to a mere four lenses, two SLR bodies and a tripod. However, I added a number of Singh-Ray filters to my existing collection.

"An LB ColorCombo complements my LB Warming Polarizer for times when I want to intensify color without affecting color temperature. I discovered the power of the Daryl Benson Reverse ND Grad while shooting a sunrise at Chinook Pass with standard Singh-Ray ND Grads. Wanting to try something new, I purchased a 5-Stop Solid ND Filter for shooting longer exposures.

"Knowing what lenses work for my creative vision, I find myself reaching for a Singh-Ray filter more often than for a different lens. My Singh-Ray filter collection now tallies up to six and weighs less than my lightest lens.

"Did I mention that I can finally tolerate the weight of my camera bag? Must be all the time spent at the gym...

As a point of reference, here's a quote from Jamie's previous confession last April: "But seriously, folks... there's nothing on my wish list. I am, for the first time, completely satisfied with my gear. I have no cravings. I have no itches. I have no credit card debt! And most importantly, I'm free to spend more time photographing in the field."

You can find a more extensive version of this report on Jamie's website and blog along with many more interesting images.