The claim you make in your first paragraph does not follow from the second paragraph. While indeed a professional / artist / skilled passionate amateur will be limited way less than a random snapshot taker, as they might overcome many limitations in many creative ways, it’s not true that the gear does not matter and it’s not limiting.
If it doesn’t, then why do professionals use gear that’s often worth tens or hundreds thousand dollars? Try to picture wildlife or soccer with a smartphone from 2010. Are you sure it’s not limiting you? ;)
In photography both things matter: skill AND tools.
Also not all photographers are alike and not all photography is art. Event / documentation photography is also professional photography. It requires repeatability and acceptable results, not great results once in a while. That’s why professionals use expensive, sophisticated gear with autofocus, eyetracking, high speed drive etc. They cannot afford getting only 1 shot out of 1000 great. They need all (most) shots good enough.
Btw: Many amateurs who do photography for fun are often way more artistically skilled than professionals so I would not look down on them. It applies not just to photography but probably any discipline. The original meaning of the word „amateur” is actually very positive. Being paid for something does not mean you’re good at it. I’ve seen plenty of terrible quality work from professionals (in photography, in computer programming, in electronics design/rework).
If it doesn’t, then why do professionals use gear that’s often worth tens or hundreds thousand dollars? Try to picture wildlife or soccer with a smartphone from 2010. Are you sure it’s not limiting you? ;)
In photography both things matter: skill AND tools.
Also not all photographers are alike and not all photography is art. Event / documentation photography is also professional photography. It requires repeatability and acceptable results, not great results once in a while. That’s why professionals use expensive, sophisticated gear with autofocus, eyetracking, high speed drive etc. They cannot afford getting only 1 shot out of 1000 great. They need all (most) shots good enough.
Btw: Many amateurs who do photography for fun are often way more artistically skilled than professionals so I would not look down on them. It applies not just to photography but probably any discipline. The original meaning of the word „amateur” is actually very positive. Being paid for something does not mean you’re good at it. I’ve seen plenty of terrible quality work from professionals (in photography, in computer programming, in electronics design/rework).