Use Gear That Works for YOU

Hi, in this article I would like to give one of many examples of why I don’t always listen to what other people tell me I should be doing. In certain facets of life, it is considered wise to take suggestions from other people, but that isn’t always the case. Gear that works for another, may not be the gear for your style, and/or you may not have access to what works for others. You may be tempted to purchase a lens based on it’s positive reviews, but is that going to accomplish what you are trying to do?

There are endless ways to explain the point I’m trying to make, but today I would like to keep it as short and sweet as possible.

Let’s consider the main difference between the Canon 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 lens, and the Canon 50mm f/1.8 lens. My first lens was the 10-18mm, and I like to shoot portraits. The 10-18mm is a wide angle lens that has a very broad reach. The 50mm I mentioned has a more narrow reach. In order to take a portrait with the wide angle lens, you have to get so close to your subject that it can be uncomfortable for the both of you. The wide angle lens is more suitable for landscapes, and cars.

The image below is an example of how close you have to get with a wide angle lens to have your subject fill the frame. You can tell by Sabrina’s left hand…

 

For the image below, I was a bit further away than with the image above. I used my wide angle for this shot as well. Luckily I knew the band, because not all bands are comfortable with photographers getting this close…

Simon, of Triggered Heart…

Note: The watermark represents one of two last names of mine, which I stopped using for readability purposes.

 

As you’ve probably noticed, the 10-18mm distorts angles, which in some cases, can be beneficial to an image.

Let’s move on…

In the image below, I was actually further away than with the above images, because I was using my 50mm lens which is complimentary to portraits. It shoots tight, which allows for more room between you and your subject.

 

In the image below, I also used the 50mm lens. If I was standing in the same spot, and using my wide angle lens, you would see a whole lot more of the environment, and everything would look smaller.

 

Now if I had done everything the same way in each photo, but swapped lenses, I wouldn’t have gotten the result I was looking for in these photos.

It is my hope that this article leaves you with a better understanding of why you should use gear that works for you, instead of dictating all of your decisions solely on what everyone else tells you to do. Yes, if someone’s advice will help you achieve your goals, then go with that advice. But if you want to shoot portraits and someone tells you to get a wide angle lens, consider the look you’re going for. Had I known early on that the 50mm f/1.8 lens was more suited for portraits than a wide angle lens, I’d have reconsidered that decision before purchasing.

Find out what you want to do, how you can do it, and then make your decision based off of your goals.

Feel free to drop a comment, email me, like, follow, share, and as always, you can ask me questions and if I know the answer, I’ll answer it. If not, I’ll do my best to find the answer.