Lenses, a big talking point among photographers right? Prime lens, telephoto lens, portrait lens, sports lens, big lens, little lens, however you describe them they can cause headaches for all photographers.
Let me just explain my current set up to you, sorry if you aren't a photography nerd but this bit is all about detail, but to keep it user friendly I will use my wife's terminology for my lenses to help you along with the description...
Camera Body: Canon RP
Lens 1: Canon 50mm f1.8 - The little one that doesn't zoom
Lens 2: Canon 70-200 F4 USM - The rocket looking lens
Lens 3: Canon 17-40mm F4 - We making a vlog?
Now for you camera nerds out there, you will agree it isn't the most glamorous set up, but it works. Which brings me back to my title, "My lens is bigger than yours!".
I am on my 5th or 6th Tamworth FC game of the season, after a great promotion last season. Which means the games are against clubs that often have their own club photographer. We are easy to spot, we are wearing high-vis tops and have a big bag with us with camera gear (I often have sweets in mine), and we are like magnets, drifting towards one another before the game. Now, what do you talk about with other photographers, that you have never met, before kick off? Of course the first question I always I get asked is "What you shooting with?" Here we go again, tell them about my kit just so they can tell me all about the kit they have with them. Once we have had that conversation, the most common question that follows is "that's all you shoot with?" & "You only have 1 camera?". Don't get me wrong, I fully understand why people take 2 bodies, multiple lenses etc to football matches, but this is the Vanarama National League North, not the Premiership. What's better, most of the guys travel across the country shooting for these clubs and don't get paid a penny, mind boggling!!
Why write a chapter about this? Like many things in life, people want to show off what they have, theirs is bigger and better, "my car does 0-60 in 2 seconds", "my TV is 128 inches", which are easy comparable conversations, a lot of these things are consumables. When it comes to photography, anyone can go and buy the biggest, most expensive Peter McKinnon recommended kit, but if you don't have a clue how to use it, not quick enough with your composition or generally a "shit" photographer, then it is pointless! I am not saying I am the best photographer out there by a long way, go and check out Ollie Neglerio or JP Ongpin for some elite level guys, but what I am saying is, I believe my photos are composed well, in focus (durrr) and tell a story of the match. Please stop judging me on what is in my hand, what I am shooting with and just check out my work before you awkwardly ask stupid questions or laugh at me (yes this has happened). Also, for all of you photographers out there who also don't have a lens that is worth the deposit of a house, that is ok!!! You do you, learn and work on what you love and eventually you will be able to upgrade if you want to, if not, just keep shooting!!
Also, below are a few of my images I have shot recently on my "laughable" set up...
