Oh boy, the choices out there on the market for lenses. It’s quite overwhelming really. While I will admit that I own a few myself, I must say that I researched the heck out of them before taking the financial plunge.
Often, we are caught up in thrill of sparkly new gear that was released, hot trends {lensbaby is a popular one} or we must have that lens that some other photographer is using, because their work is so great {it must be the glass they’re using}. Or my favourite “if I just have this one, it will make my photos so much better!”
While YES, the lens CAN create a certain ‘look’, you must make sure that it is the right fit for you.
You should consider which type of photography that you wish to pursue and research which lens will do the best job. A portrait lens, take an 85mm for example, {while it is amazingly tack sharp with buttery bokeh}, it’s not going to be a great fit for a landscape photographer. The same is true that a gorgeous, cinematic wide angle lens will be really useless when shooting head shots. Make sense?
If you are really unable to ignore the urge to try out that shinny new toy, consider renting one first if you can. I’ve known too many photographers that have buyers remorse because that lens that they were swooning over didn’t fulfill their expectations. Talk about a loss on many levels.
Moral of the story…don’t get caught up in the hype. Don’t buy a lens simply because this photographer swears by it, or because that photographers work is amazing. It’s not just about the gear. It has to be the lens that works with you and your style. There are many other facets to being an artist not just the paintbrush or in this case, the lens.
D xo
dana walton photography 