I agree. A good photographer can make excellent shots with any camera. You have no argument from me there. But better gear can help you capture your images more efficiently, offering more creative options and competitive advantages in a tough, highly competitive professional world.

I have never made images to receive awards, but to tell the stories I wish to tell, and to be a witness to and document human history. Awards may come later after or sometimes not at all, but I have done my job as a photojournalist if my images help move the soul, help inform and educate you to important issues, and help make the world a better place, and they have. That has meant more than any awards.

I try to instill that in my hundreds of photos students I have taught and the countless others I have mentored to their own successful and fulfilling careers as photographers, just like the great photographers who taught and mentored me coming up, as they and current peers still inspire me today. I even learn from, and am inspired by my students that I teach.

I wont show you folks the gory stuff I photographed , but here is one of the photos I made while covering the War in Nicaragua between the Contras and Sandinistas. A war that had many innocent civilian casualties as well as the soldiers.

Here is a photo of a mother standing guard over her children and their tiny one-room hut of a home, while her husband was away in the Sandinista Army fighting the Contras. She has her gun at the ready and flies the flag of the Sandinistas. Many civilians were killed in attacks by the Contras on civilians in their homes and villages.

I didn't shoot this and all my other shots of war for any awards, though they did win many. FYI, this was shot with a Canon F1 film camera, and Fujichrome 100 ASA transparency film . I also had a second Canon F1 camera loaded with Tri-X 400 ASA B&W film at the same time.

My newspaper, the Philadelphia Inquirer had two, two-person teams covering the war, one reporter and one photographer on each side, one team embedded with Contra troops, and me and my reporter with the Sandinista Special Forces.

Our combined story of all the pain and suffering and death of this brutal war when published, lead to the two US .Senators from Pa. at the time, Sen. Spector and Sen Heinz to move the US Senate to cut off US aid to the Contras (over President Reagan's objections) and the result was the long , bloody war ended. That outcome from our risking our lives to tell the story meant folks we had met on both sides of the conflict would be alive to enjoy their families and watch their children grow up. . OMG that means more than all the awards I received.

Cheers and best to you.