The Summer of Lenses

The summer came and went with so many adventures that were both expected and unexpected, but all together it was one to remember. In order to help me do just that I set upon my own noble quest to learn more about a world that I, for some naïve reason, thought was taboo in the professional photographer world: renting lenses.

Most of the work I’ve done has been captured through my Canon EF 50mm or 85mm prime lenses, with the former being my main weapon of choice. While you can always count on a 50mm being in my bag - especially my new-to-me 50mm macro, more on this in another blog - I’ve never really ventured out of these prime lenses much less a big league Canon red line lens.

A thought had always occured to me on how photographers would become so knowledgeable on lenses and other equipment or show up for a shoot dragging along crates of various lens sizes: How are you paying for all of that?? It wasn't until shooting an event in Nashville, TN in May when I was chatting with some gentlemen out in the venue's Queen's Garden (the images I caught of these two are fantastic, by the way) that one happen to be a photographer. After complimenting my clever hideout he asked what I was shooting with and I sheepishly told him (Canon EF 85mm 1.8). While it was a perfect lens for my current needs, talking to another pro I knew that he knew that we both knew - it could be better.

That's when he told me - just rent lenses, man! We do it all the time! Do you really think we afford 3, $2000 (average) lenses for BOTH of us?

Well, $#I&. It was in that moment that I knew that with the summer plans laid out in front of me: Indycar races in Detroit, vacations at the beach, travelling Michigan, & food work - this was my origin story. My Quest. My road to discovering how more money can equal more better in the world of photography. This is the Summer of Lenses.

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