As a photographer the worst thing you can do is miss the shot. Luckily with a good eye, experience, and enough battery, this won't often happen. There's an expression in photography that goes:

"Spray and Pray."

You won't find this in any text books, as it's typically used to poke-fun at your mates. Anyway the point here is, what do we do with all those images once we get back to the computer? You've got your social media, your online portfolio, and maybe even a few prints. But how do you possibly choose the best images over thousands upon thousands?

Could you narrow it down to 100? Could you do 50? How about 6?

Mission Impossible

Well that's exactly what a new website is asking you to do. International photography magazine InMyBag has introduced what they claim to be:

"The World’s Only Searchable Database of Photographers and their Gear."

Should You Choose to Accept...

On their website, photographers will create a profile, add their equipment to the gear list, and choose their 6 best images. Users will be able to browse the database and compare up to 12 photos from photographers profiles, including the gear used to get the shot. The site boasts 3 unique searchable features that enable users to find what they're looking for.

Kit Wars compares photographers and the gear they use side by side
Talents drills down awesome photographers by genre, location, etc.
GearHeads gives you the low down on tonnes of gear and who uses it.

How Can I Enter?

Being as is just getting off the ground, those who sign up get a chance to win $4,400 USD (£3,000) worth of gear. You can sign up at the bottom of the page here.

I Though it was About the Photographer Not the Gear..

Comparing photographers based on gear is a touchy subject for many. InMyBag is claiming that the ability to browse by gear will be a valuable resource enabling users to view the full potential of a given camera or lens. I think centrally comparing photography cameras with real world examples will indeed be a useful tool for many. Is it right for you?

Full Press Release

If you love photography, then you’ll love The World’s Only Searchable Database of Photographers and their Gear from international photography magazine InMyBag. You can now select photographers by different criteria- for instance, genre, location, equipment etc and then Inmybag’s clever visual search engine presents you with the best images of each photographer.

This ‘Kit Wars’ system lets you select up to 12 images you love, stack these photographers and their gear side by side to discover new talent and see what gear they have in common. So, whether it’s wedding photographers from the USA or Car photographers from around the globe, or creative portrait photographers in general, you can get a new and fascinating insight.

‘Gear Heads’ provides a new perspective on photography equipment and shows you the best image from each photographer who uses that item. It really shows you the potential of the gear and acts as inspiration for up and coming photographers.

“We wanted to utilise all the information we capture by featuring and promoting a different photographer per day on Inmybag. We’d like to become the Wiki-tographers of the internet: providing a free resource which will enable us to build a historical and evolving picture of photography as it embraces shifts in technology.”

“We want to be able to pull out fascinating observations about photographers, for example, how little gear woman photographers tend to use compared to the male counterparts, to the most popular lens for portrait photographers and how it varies by country.” said Simon Ellingworth, Editor of Inmybag.

What’s interesting about this project is it has an open door policy and so embraces photographers of any skill, level, genre, or location. It doesn’t matter if you use an iPhone, GoPro, video or traditional film – everybody’s welcome.

To encourage photographers to submit, this month Inmybag have teamed up with Swiss lighting specialists Elinchrom and are offering the chance to win £3,000 ($4,400 USD) worth of gear.

Submission is simple; each entrant to the site generates an online profile which features their 6 best shots, web and social media links which helps promote their photography to our global audience.