Talent vs Gear vs Money

This topic often comes up when I'm talking to amateurs
or beginning pros. I does get my hackles up when anyone 
says "gee if I had your gear/funding I'd make better/great
photos". Ok, let’s face it: all three Talent, gear and 
money are important, But one is singularly critical to 
getting good images.  Talent enables you to find, think up 
and control the intended image, so that you can produce what
you or your client wants.  Gear enables you to provide a 
certain look or produce the image in difficult conditions, 
such as underwater. Money enables you to control the fine 
external details, like renting the helicopter, model or 
going to an exotic location for the assignment.

HOWEVER! There have been so many great images made:

1)  By total beginners who were just lucky.  Some Pulitzer 
Prize winners were rank amateurs with little more than point 
'n shoots.

2) Made with the most minimal of gear. David Allan Harvey 
and William Allard, long time National Geographic 
photographers, usually do the bulk if not all of their stories 
with a single body and 35mm lens. Ansel Adams didn't need 
more that about 3 lenses in his entire career. 

3) With no money.  There are wonderful images to be made 
without spending a penny.  If you determine that the only 
way to photograph is with expensive models in an exotic 
locale while you are photographing them from a blimp with 
the most expensive equipment possible, then fine, but that 
doesn't necessarily mean that it will be any better of an 
image than doing the shoot at the local location.

What all three have in common is: They give you choices. 
Money gives you access to things to make the job easier 
and potentially more interesting circumstances.  Gear gives 
you more options as to how the photograph could look.  
Talent enables you, however, to recognize a good image and 
be able to use your gear and money to your advantage to the 
end of not even needing super gear and tons of money to make 
wonderful images.

Talent is really everything when it comes to being a long 
time professional. If you have talent, you can produce the 
goods where ever and how ever. If you can't find and make 
interesting images armed with only a manual body, no motor 
drive, a 50 mm lens, manual flash and slide film, then all 
the money and fancy gear will, at best, only marginally 
decrease your ability to make good images.  Without talent, 
you are working on luck and that doesn't happen all that 
often. 

Bottom line: A talented photographer can go anywhere at any 
time armed with only a beat up old FM2 and 50mm lens, or any 
other camera you consider outdated/cheap/low quality and 
consistently make good solid pictures. Without talent, but 
with a case of the best gear and loads of money, when you 
press the shutter release, you will keep saying the seven 
deadly words of photography: "Gee, I hope that one comes out!"