"Before I really got into photography as a serious hobby, this was the question I asked more often than any other. When I looked at the pictures other people were making, I was hit simultaneously with waves of curiosity, followed closely by sharp pangs of jealousy. How does one take a picture that is as pleasant to look at as it is expressive? I so wanted to be able to take a good-looking picture that was easy on the eye and told a story.

I set about firing off messages to some of my favorite flickr photographers at a machine-gun pace: What kind of camera do you use? What mode is your camera set on? What do you use to edit your pictures? Where are the best places to photograph people?

Of those flickr-ers I asked, one (I can’t remember who) sent me a message that said something to the effect of “don’t worry about what I use to shoot. Just go take the pictures you like.” I was furious. What kind of response is that?

Without the confidence of owning the proper gear how could I take these impossible pictures of perfectly juxtaposed street scenes? How could I photograph a fleeting moment of abrupt humanity in a crowded market, let alone the quiet isolation of an abandoned city neighborhood? Where would I begin to look? Where do I begin going about finding these people and places, and what is the first step in making that picture?

The reality dawned on me when I realized that you simply don’t. Your gear does not make you a better photographer. You don’t go looking for a certain face, or a certain scene. If you set about discovering only one thing in particular, you deny yourself the opportunity to find anything else. Documentary and street photography are less about photographing any one thing so much as they are about photographing anything. You take a great picture by letting yourself be open to the potential of the street." Michael Wriston http://www.boyghost.com/