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P H O T O G R A P H Y
from the most critical factor in making good landscape
photographs. If you can't get up before sunrise and never
heard of f-stops or the "rule of thirds" then you will be
wasting money on expensive equipment. If you want to put
forth the effort to become an advanced photographer you'll
still be better off starting out with basic equipment. Better
to use the money for a photography course or two, or to
take an extra trip to a scenic location. Trust me, if you
catch the bug you will end up upgrading equipment as you
progress. Remember, It's the photographer, not the
equipment.
Many of the photos on this site were taken with my first
35mm camera - a Canon EOS Elan film camera with a
Canon EF 28-105mm consumer-grade zoom lens. Later I
added another zoom lens, a Canon EF 75-300 IS. Today,
the lenses are gone but I still use the EOS Elan body to
shoot the occasional roll of film. I probably shoot a 4-to-1
ratio of digital to film these days, and the end of film is not
far off.
The equipment that I currently use is shown at left.
The digital body is a Canon EOS 10D, a 6-megapixal
camera that allows me to make up to 11x14 photo-quality
prints. That's all I need (for now). Canon has since
replaced the 10D with the 20D, an 8-megapixal camera,
and the 5D, a 12.8-megapixal full-frame camera that is
targeted at very serious amateur and professional
photographers. The rate of incremental change in digital
cameras continues at a rapid pace.
The biggest equipment change that I've made in the past
few years is to transition from all zoom lenses to a combo of
fixed focal length and zoom lenses. The reason is simple:
fixed focal length lenses take sharper photographs than the
equivalent zoom lenses. To prove the point here are some
comparison photos between the old (now sold) 28-105mm
zoom and the new 50mm lens:
I selected f/4.0 because the effect is most noticeable at
wide open apertures. When stopping the lens down to f/11
the difference narrowed, although it remained in favor of
the fixed 50mm lens. Also, it should be noted that pro zoom
lenses (Canon's L-Series) are significantly sharper than the
consumer-grade models (why else would you pay the extra
money?). However, fixed focal length lenses will always
have some advantage over comparable quality zooms.
The trade off? Weight and ease of use. The additional
lenses add weight and switching lenses slows you down.
As a landscape photographer the speed issue is negligible,
although there have been times - fleeting rainbows and
rapidly approaching storms - when I could have used a
good zoom lens. However, the weight issue is the one that I
consider more frequently. Frankly, the older I get the more
I hate carrying all those lenses on the trail or up the
mountain. The day will come when I trade in the fixed
lenses for a pro-quality zoom. For now, I can cover a pretty
wide range from 24mm to 280mm with my current set of
lenses and still lug it all out into the wilderness.
By the way, as you can tell, my biggest investment is in the
lenses, as it should be. Don't sacrifice lens quality for the
sake of more megapixels or 8-frame-per-second cameras.
Think of your lenses like the speakers on your stereo.
Crappy speakers on a superb stereo receiver makes no
sense. Neither does putting cheap lenses on an expensive
camera body. That doesn't mean you need to run out and
buy the most expensive lenses. Just keep the balance of
investment between camera and lens tilted in favor of the
lens.
The next most important piece of equipment? To me it's a
tripod. Tripods are a pain in the butt and most
photographers have a love - hate relationship with theirs.
But if you're shooting a beautiful landscape in dim early
morning or late day light you need a rock steady camera.
Nothing performs that task better than a tripod. The
downside is that you have to carry it around all day - the
weight factor again. And in the world of tripods, less weight
equals more cost. My current tripod set up is a Gitzo
Explorer carbon fiber tripod with an Acratech Ultimate
Ballhead. At 5.5 pounds I find it achieves a good balance
between weight and rigidity. It also brings the camera up to
eye level (I'm 6'1"). The other thing to consider is the
method by which the tripod legs are locked and unlocked.
Basically, it comes down to twisting rings or locking levers.
I prefer the twisting action. Try both before you spend the
money.
By the way, I consider a quick release plate to be absolutely
essential when using a tripod. The Acratech plate and an
L-shaped bracket from Really Right Stuff allow me to flip
from horizontal to vertical in a heartbeat (and without
flopping the ballhead over on its side). It's not cheap, but I
wouldn't want to be without it.
Finally, camera bags. Another love - hate piece of equip-
ment. I've used several bags over the years and none of
them are perfect. The issue seems to be one of comfort
versus convenience (getting at your equipment easily).
My current bag is a Tamrac Velocity 9 and it does a pretty
good job. With some optional add-on pouches I can carry
two camera bodies, every lens pictured on this page and a
selection of accessories like lens filters, small flashlights, a
compass and a cable release. It has a single diagonal
strap which places a lot of weight on one shoulder. As a
travel and short distance bag it performs well. When I'm
hiking I usually place the entire bag into an internal frame
backpack. That's twice the number of bags to open and
close but weight displacement takes priority when hiking
long distances. Like I said, no single bag is perfect.
Equipment choices vary with the photographer and the
budget. There's no shortage of ways to spend your money.
Find what works for you, and always remember that the
most important component is the photographer.
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Carbon Fiber Tripod
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