How Important Is the Equipment?

Photographers often debate the importance of equipment. A good camera certainly can't help a bad photographer create quality images any more than expensive golf clubs can make you Tiger Woods. Still, the right lens for the image you are trying to create certainly helps. Last week I invested in a Canon 50mm f1.2 lens after reading rave reviews. Yesterday I took it out for a test drive with Ryan and Samantha - my favorite small subjects. Here is my favorite of the shoot:

And here's another I just can't resist sharing. So, you make the call. I could never have gotten the sharpness or the soft bokeh with any other lens I own. You might also want to notice how really cute the kids are.

Image: Taken of Ryan and Samantha March 2008.