'The Best Camera Is The One That's With You'

Why Didn't I Listen To Chase Jarvis Sooner?

Apr 22, 2026

When I was packing for this trip, I did what a lot of photography enthusiasts do: I agonized over which cameras and lenses to bring. There were so many options. Honestly, too many options.

I tried to be smart about it. I ended up packing my old Ricoh GR II for photos, my new DJI Nano for video, and my trusty iPhone 16 Pro as a backup.

Guess which one I’ve used the most? The iPhone, of course.

Not because the other cameras aren’t good. They’re great. Sharp, capable, technically better in all the ways that used to matter to me. But because they require just enough forethought to make me hesitate and cause just enough friction to turn a moment into a decision.

And that decision is where things fall apart.

Invariably, the camera I want to use is in my bag. Or in my pocket. I have to decide if the photo or video is worth interrupting the moment.

Meanwhile, the iPhone is already in my hand half the time. Or one second away. No decisions. No setup. No negotiation. Just instinct.

Click. And done.

Somewhere along the way, I started valuing convenience and portability over more megapixels and bigger sensor sizes. Over dynamic range, zoom range, and all the other things I used to obsess over.

I don’t want to carry anything extra anymore. Not physically, not mentally. Long story short, I am tired of collecting and managing all my fucking gear.

Yesterday at the Great American Lumberjack Show, that realization finally became crystal clear.

Axes were flying. Logs were spinning. Chainsaws were roaring. The whole thing was loud and fast and more than a little ridiculous. There was no time to think, no time to plan, no time to switch cameras.

I either caught the moment or I didn’t.

And the only reason I caught anything is because I had my phone in hand.

I didn’t step outside the moment to document it. I stayed inside it. And when I look back at the photos, they feel like the experience itself. Not staged or overthought, just lived. And I didn’t need to edit or post-process anything.

*GREAT AMERICAN LUMBERJACK SHOW* VIA MY IPHONE 16 PRO

For a long time, my idea of being a “real” photographer was tied up in what gear I owned and carried. So I bought lots of cameras and lenses. Lots of tripods, bags, and other shit too. Gear Acquisition Syndrome (G.A.S.) is a very real and dangerous thing, y’all.

Letting go of all that stuff feels strange.
It also feels like I wasted way too much time and money.

Maybe the point wasn’t the gear all along.
Maybe it was about paying attention.

It’s taken me years to really hear what photographer Chase Jarvis meant when he said, “The best camera is the one that’s with you.” I listened, but didn’t really hear.

So I’ve decided when I get back to LA, I’m going to start selling most, if not all, of my cameras and lenses. Not out of frustration, but because I don’t need or want them anymore.

I don’t want to move through the world with all that bulk and weight.

I want less friction and fewer decisions standing between me and the moment at hand.

Right now, the iPhone in my pocket is all the camera I really need and want.

Keep calm and shoot on!
Clint 🌈✌️

P.S. When the iPhone 18 Pro Max debuts this fall, I’ll probably upgrade. Cuz old retail therapy habits do indeed die hard!