Am I Falling Down Another Rabbit Hole?
I’ve always been the type of person who dives headfirst into something once it catches my interest. If I like something, I tend to throw myself into it completely, investing not just time but also money. Over the years, though, I’ve learned that some hobbies can quickly spiral into obsessions—obsessions that can drain my time and money. That’s precisely why I stick to pinhole photography 95% of the time. It keeps me grounded. If I were still shooting digital, I’d constantly be chasing after new lenses, filters, and accessories. The same goes for film cameras. I know myself too well—if I indulged too much, I’d be scouring eBay and Facebook Marketplace for the next "must-have" camera for my collection, and soon I wouldn’t have enough time to actually enjoy any of it.
That’s why pinhole photography works for me. It’s simple, and I love it. It gives me the satisfaction of creation without the distractions of endless gear upgrades, even though I have started to get a small collection of cameras...
But recently, I made a surprising move. I bought a drone—a DJI Neo. Normally, I would’ve stopped myself from going down that road, knowing full well how easily I could get hooked. But I had some birthday money saved up, along with a little extra from photography bits, and I saw the drone at a great price. So, I thought, “Why not?”
Of course, I should have known better. Now, I’m carrying the drone everywhere, using it whenever I get the chance, and all I can think is, I wish it had a better camera. I wish it could fly higher. I wish it could do more. The familiar pull of wanting “better” is back, and I find myself considering what I can sell to afford a more advanced model.
I’ve got a bunch of old digital lenses collecting dust, lenses I once thought I’d use again if I bought a new digital body. Now I’m wondering, do I really want to go back to digital, or would I rather invest in a better drone? Would I get more use out of it? Probably. Then there are the vintage film cameras sitting like trophies on my shelf—would I miss them if I sold them for drone money? Maybe. But would I regret it later? Probably.
I’ve gotten better at pulling myself back from the brink of these obsessions, learning to pause and assess the situation before diving all in. I know that sometimes, the initial excitement fades, and what’s left is a pile of gear and a fleeting memory of why I bought it in the first place.
Anyway, today, on my ride home from work, I had the drone in my bag and stopped at a few spots to take some shots. The sky was beautiful, and the evening light was perfect.
I reminded myself that the Neo is small and fits easily into my backpack with everything else. A bigger drone wouldn’t be as portable, stick with it Will :)
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