the perfect lens

July 05, 2018  •  Leave a Comment

A lot of people reach out to me with questions about buying their first camera kit (a lens and a camera together). My first two questions are always whats your budget and what will you be photographing? Because in this day and age there is a camera to fit both of those needs. Yes, some cameras offer more than others but a person will still be able to get what they need taken care of.
Once we figure out what camera body to go with we try to figure out a lens. Knowing what I know now finding a lens is probably harder for me than finding a camera body for someone. I'm not familiar with Canon but the majority of Nikon cameras come with an 18-55, a 55-200 or 18-105mm. The next question asked, without a doubt, is "is this a good lens".
With the exception of a lemon (faulty one) here or there I don't know if I would say there is a BAD lens.  Each lens is created for a specific purpose. Some are more versatile than others, some can stretch further than the ones that can see closer. There are some lens that are made specifically for a fish eye effect, a lens made specially for a super close macro photo and a super zoom for the moon. Some lenses are only one focal point while others can achieve multiple focal points while standing in one spot. Each lens works in it's own special way and lenses and cameras work together to have a sweet spot. Once you learn your camera&lens sweet spot you're on your way. Not only because you know what your lens CAN do but you've also learned what your camera CANT do. Theres nothing wrong with having a lens that cant capture the moon perfectly unless you're a moon photographer and vice versa for sports photography, portrait photography and macro photography. (I could keep going but you get my drift).
After several years of photographing i've learned a lot about which lenses fit my needs. Yes, of course, there are certain instances I wish I had a different lens but I always make it with what I have. My kit is perfect for my needs. I don't need to buy more no matter how much I want it. The tricky part is when I scroll through social media and I see someone take a photo that's really beautiful I think to myself "wow I need that lens" or "I should upgrade my camera"...THANKFULLY when I started shooting I had some of the best teachers that made sure I was aware it's not the gear. Gear envy is expensive and pointless. It doesn't matter how good your gear is if you can't use it.
In a same way isn't that how our own personal talents are? God has hand picked specific talents for us to carry out. It's easy for us to get caught up in looking what other people have or what other people can do. Well if the telephoto lens tried to be a macro lens it just wouldn't work the same. It might be able to get the job done but it wont be nearly as good because that's not what it was created for. A binocular is an example of a telephoto lens. A zoom lens is such where you can change the amount of magnification it provides. You can change the focal length at will. A macro lens is one which lets you shoot very tiny objects in a high magnification scale.


 

I read a piece called "The comparison trap," by Jenny LaBahn
She reminds us of just how much thought God put into us each of us:

 

I am the me that God designed. He didn’t make me on accident, and He didn’t form me with some societal mold in mind that He was trying to measure up to. He is infinitely creative and brilliant.

Every time God creates, He does so with intention.

He utilized an equal and exact amount of creativity when He made you, and every other person on this planet. When we choose to compare ourselves with others around us, and the fictitious women we see in the magazine, we aren’t only making life harder on ourselves, we are telling God He didn’t do a good enough job.”

 

It's easy to get caught up in the comparison game it's so important to take a deep breath and a step back to see the bigger picture. Many times we compare ourselves to others wishing we had what they had while someone next to us is wishing they had what we had. Comparison is the thief of joy and envy is an illusion. When something good happens to someone else it takes NOTHING from you. Comparison and envy are dangerous because they makes us forget what we have, what we are good at and how blessed we are.

So for you out there that's struggling with what you're not good at? This is for you. This is your reminder to stop focusing on what you don't have and focus on all that you do have.
Stop looking at what you're not good at and focus on what you're good at. Be really good at the gifts God gave you, focus on your  blessings and watch your life, attitude and relationships change.
As soon as you see how truly awesome you are in your own unique way it wont bother you that you can't be telephoto lens when you were created to be a macro lens. 


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