I get why people do this, but I think think you’re massively underplaying the importance of gear. I just can’t take anything like the same kind of pictures with an old iPhone that I can with my 1986 Mamiya 645 and the beautiful old lenses. It opens up huge possibilities for art, with obvious limitations. My expensive DSLR and nice modern lenses opens up other options, more control, more resolution, different feel and a different output.

The truth is that good gear is worthless for somebody who doesn’t know what you’re doing, but it’s essential for a skilled photographer to open up the possibilities and flexibility to get the kind of result they want. It’s not even ‘expensive gear’ - my 645 was only $600 from eBay (and a couple of old lenses only a few hundred) but I’ve taken some great stuff with it and I love the experience and feel of working with film. But it serves a different purpose than my far more expensive DSLR setup, and I still take a lot of everyday photos on my phone.