Few weeks ago, when flying back from Italy - something 'usual' happened at the airport while waiting to board my flight. I never know what it is, but photographers somehow seem to sense each other and most of us are a friendly and talkative bunch (some are not!).

In a typical Italian style the boarding 'queue' was more like a free-for-all, and having liven in England for so long - the one thing you do learn is how to queue. Queueing is probably the thing that Brits do the best..

So I got talking to an elderly couple behind me about this, and somehow the talk turned to luggage and how we like to take this certain airline due to hand luggage restrictions being more relaxed than the 'other' airline. The man mentioned that he had his flash gun damaged in his luggage and now carries cameras/lenses in his hand luggage.. this developed into a long conversation about cameras and photography in general.

Funny how photography always leads into a long conversation between strangers.

Most amusing moment came when talking about shopping for new equipment - the conversation went a little like this :

"Going to camera shops can be dangerous"

"I know.."

"One tries to stay away as much as possible, because every time you do go into a shop you find that there is something you would rather think you should buy..."

"Yes, you go for the first time and just browse.. week later you go again, this time you might handle the lens/body you have seen.. the following week you start to mention to your partner that a new lens/body worth £5000 is something that you just HAVE to HAVE. And the following week you buy it!"

"Exactly!!"

By this time his wife was smiling behind him knowingly.. :-)

Now, this buying of new gear, we all are guilty of it sometime - but when we say that we NEED this piece or that. It almost makes it sound like the photos we have taken in the last 5 years have all been useless pieces of s*$t and if we don't get this lens.. it is just not worth living any more. Perhaps we should pause for a moment every now and then and think whether this piece really will make out images £5000 better or not??