In my life and career I’ve gone through the usual phases. Newbie, equipment junkie, minimalist, and everything in between. Since I stopped shooting commercial work and started working for myself, I’ve been doing mostly landscapes with a single lens, a 16-85. It’s a terrific, sharp lens that is perfect for grand landscapes and general people work. About six months ago I decided that I needed to stir things up a bit, so I got a 70-200. Longer lenses aren’t usually associated with landscapes but in my case the effect was remarkable.

The new lens really began to change my vision. From the same vantage point it was like two different shoots. By being able to see new details and force the perspective I got a whole new vision of a location.

In the picture here, I was standing on the rim of a volcano, looking down on a miles wide crater with steep walls. This place had everything… lakes, rivers, forests, steep walls… even a town! I could find wide angle views that would work as abstracts or could partially express the look of the place. Only the long lens would allow me to find the details that would bring out the feeling. Seeing the farmland against these imposing walls is a small but powerful detail in the midst of everything else. That lens really gave me a new way to interpret a landscape and to bring out it’s character.

Sure, I was happy with my minimal setup. I could go anywhere I wanted without a backache. The new lens added considerable bulk to my bag. It also added a whole new way to interpret a scene and a new creative vision.