India, April 11 -- Put down the camera for a minute. The best shots, as most photographers will tell you, have nothing to do with equipment. Sure, a good lens can capture light, colour and detail better. Zoom tech can focus on what humans often can't. But there's a reason that everyone who's bought a fancy camera isn't automatically picking up awards or even the best gigs.

That's because a device can't choose which shot matters. A camera cannot find meaning in a a fleeting glance or a shifting shadow. And it certainly has no sense of timing, instinct, and discipline of its own. We asked wildlife, fashion, art and urban photographers what it means to be the eye behind the lens, and why buying a camera is only the first step.

Learn to loo...