When my son came along, I had upped the ante and regularly irritated everyone with my need to shoot everything we did. I was still working with film and a cheap little camera, but I was happy to have the photos, which still sit in boxes in a trunk or in the garage to this day. Oh, my delusions of organization were recognized for what they were once I was knee deep in diapers and school lunches. Oddly enough, I'm fairly practical when it comes to budgeting my time on projects requiring my absolute attention. Mostly.

One day, I had decided film was too expensive and a digital camera was needed. I figured the cost of a new camera would be more than made up for by the simple fact that I would no longer be paying for film, developing, and printing. My first digital camera was a little 1.-something mega pixel Kodak and I was content for a while.

After I lived (and subsequently broke up) with a man who had a digital camera capable of taking macros, I knew I had to upgrade my gear. I ended up with an Olympus C-740. It had a 10x optical zoom, macro and super macro capability, 3.2 mp, and good enough resolution that I could print crisp, clear 8x10s without problem. I even had larger prints made of some of the photos and they still looked pretty damn good. But the lens was fixed and over time the dust began to work its way in between the glass. Most of the time you can't tell it's there, but I know.

I've been using my trusty Olympus for a few years now and I still love its portability and its many SLR-like features. More than a few times, I've had pros or people with better gear ask me what sort of gear I have because I get some incredible shots. When I tell them, they're quite surprised. But I see the flaws and the limitations of my camera with such clarity that it's become a major frustration.

This is where my covetous nature takes over. I have been known to strike up conversations with strangers when I see their cameras. In some ways, this has paid off rather nicely because I've met photographers with incredible talent and connections. We talk cameras, events, exchange images, and compliments. Several have expressed interest in working with me — when I get "real" gear. They see what I'm capable of doing with my limitations and have no doubt about my abilities with something "better."

On the other hand, many of these conversations have proven even more frustrating because the vast majority of the gear-rich folks I encounter have no idea what they're doing. They have the money and they buy the biggest, most powerful camera they can find. I see their photos and cringe. They have no sense of composition, exposure, depth of field, and they have no eye. They point and shoot. There are also those who call themselves "photographers" who have absolutely no comprehension of aperture and any talk of f-stop makes them think of F Troop instead.