When starting out in photography, you might want to purchase as much gear as possible. However, professional photographers who have been doing this for decades seem to have every lens in the world. It is natural to strive to buy as much gear to be as professional as possible, but the devil is in the details, as it takes decades to amass gear, and even then, the pros still have some things they want to purchase.

For example, I have been toying with the idea of owning a medium format camera for a while now. I’m not saying I will purchase it, but I just might. It all depends on how well work goes in the summer. I digress. While the natural instinct for many beginners would be to simply buy gear, there is an alternative few consider: renting. Renting costs way less, and you can rent any piece of gear you want. For example, if I want to try out something particular before buying, I can just rent it and do the testing. In this article, I will suggest some high-end pro lenses that you should rent and test out as a beginner photographer. These mainly apply to portrait and fashion photographers, however, any image creator will find these lenses useful to some degree in their line of work.

Starting with the king of 50mm lenses, this goes directly against the first piece of advice every photographer gets: get a 50mm f/1.8. While it is a great lens, it is nothing compared to the pro version, which is sharper and more accurate. When I tried that lens out, I noticed that it was quite heavy, which made me realize that I would probably not invest in it.

The second lens that always caught my attention when I was a beginner was the 70-200mm f/2.8 lens. It just seemed like a perfect piece of gear that I am simply missing out on. In fact, when I saved up, it was the first piece of real pro gear that I bought back in the day. I still have that lens. It’s a beast. Nowadays, though, I rarely use it as, once again, it is a heavy piece of gear. Another reason is that it forces me to be naturally distant from the subject, which is not desirable if I want to make a connection and really work with the model in front of my camera. The only reason for not selling the lens is that if a client requests to have a shallow depth of field, I end up using the f/2.8 at 100+mm to get it.

The most boring lens, which I coincidentally reviewed as well. The reason it is boring is that it has none of the cool features that other lenses do. The zoom range is average, the narrow depth of field is almost nonexistent, and the excitement is mild. At the same time, this is the lens I use 95% of the time. While the zoom range does not offer super wide or super-telephoto images, it offers enough to produce fashion, beauty, and other work. I can get full-body, half-body, and close-up images with the 24-70mm. I strongly believe that this is a lens every photographer should try and use.

Going to wider apertures and focal lengths, this is a lens that many photographers enjoy using for full-body portraits. No wonder, as it offers both a relatively wide field of view, as well as a wide aperture which can help create shallow depth of field. Such a lens can be great in an event, wedding, portrait, or fashion photography bag. The high-end versions of this lens offer extremely good sharpness and accuracy, as well as fast and responsive autofocus.

This list would not be complete without this lens. I mean, can we honestly skip this marvelous piece of gear that so many portrait photographers use to capture their images? It offers everything needed to make interesting images: long focal length, wide aperture, and, what’s more, sharpness. At the same time, if you try out this lens, you will quickly find out that it is not all sunshine and rainbows, and it, in fact, has a few downsides, such as weight and focusing. If you shoot a close-up portrait at f/1.2, you will quickly realize that the subject’s nose disappears, as well as the ears. The 85mm is better used for half-body images as then you get the subject more or less in focus. Then again, sharpness and focusing are big problems with this particular lens. The elements are huge, and if you get your hands on the older versions of this lens, you might quickly be disappointed with the results. For Canon 5D Mark II owners: forget it. I have never seen anything focus worse than a 5D Mark II with an EF 85mm f/1.2. This is where I have to admit that having a mirrorless camera is much better than a DSLR. Due to the focusing technology that modern cameras and lenses have, you can easily get incredible shots with f/1.2 at 85mm. It really helps you focus on shooting and not the tech.

Closing Thoughts

In conclusion, as a beginner photographer, it is a must to test out lenses before making any big purchases. Renting gear is an affordable and effective way to determine which lenses work best for your style of photography. I strongly recommend doing this. I think that selecting the right lenses can make a significant difference in your photography. It is important to consider your style and the type of photographs you want to create before making any purchases. Remember that it takes years for pros to amass gear, so take the time to test and experiment before buying gear. With time, practice, and the right gear, you can take your photography to the next level.

What lenses have you tested out throughout the years? Did you end up buying them? What were the best and worst lenses that you tried? We would love to know in the comments.

… another beautiful morning, except that this morning found me about 150 feet above the ground in a open tram and about 50 feet below my friends home and shooting the red tail family that again is using a rebuilt nest from last year in the cliff about 500 feet south of their home and 50 feet below it.

The first photo above is of the mating pair of RED TAIL HAWKS before they assumed their duties as parents … gleefully planning their life together, flying free without a care in the world … then the kids came a couple of weeks ago and the next photo shows the two kids on the right side of the nest. I think they are encouraging their parents to come and bring them breakfast … keep in mind that these young ‘uns are only about two weeks old and over the course of the next four to five weeks they will transform into mostly grown red tail hawks and will be flying … they are perched on the edge of a precipice 150 feet above the ground … first flight is for real.

The next photo shows mom delivering a pack rat for breakfast to the kids. The kids grow fast and that necessitates a lot of food and the photo below shows mom cleaning herself up a bit as she is perched high above the ground on the edge of a cliff and searching for the next meal for the kids. The fact that I am using a 700mm lens distorts the perceived height … those trees are about a half mile away!

Next update next week and expect a substantial change … seems the kids are decorating the walls too … they have not yet learned to eject their “white paint” out over the edge 🙂

Have a beautiful day, keep breathing and smiling … best way to make someone else’s day.

Cheers,

Ted

A bird flies through the sky, and I fly with it. I am in
each pearl of moisture sparkling in the sun. I lie lazy
on the clouds. And I acknowledge my kinship with
each winged thing.

I see all as one, and nothing repels me, as this new
day climbs noiselessly out of the valley of the night.

Peace lies over the world and over the world of my soul.

excerpt from On A May Morning by Max Ehrmann

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The easiest way to reach Mr. Grussing is by email: ted@tedgrussing.com

In addition to sales of photographs already taken Ted does special shoots for patrons on request and also does air-to-air photography for those who want photographs of their airplanes in flight. All special photographic sessions are billed on an hourly basis.

Ted also does one-on-one workshops for those interested in learning the techniques he uses.  By special arrangement Ted will do one-on-one aerial photography workshops which will include actual photo sessions in the air.

More about Ted Grussing …

Road Trip: A New Photography Museum in Yorktown Heights

Photographer Robert CapaAttention history and photography buffs: A new exhibition space has opened in northern Westchester to showcase photography exhibits and serve as a place where people gather to create, view and learn about photography. Their mission is to “inspire visitors to participate in the creative process by illustrating the power of photography as a catalyst for social action.”

Named The Capa Space, after famed war photographer Robert Capa, the museum stands on the grounds of a Quaker Meeting house adjacent to a bucolic cemetery in Yorktown Heights. Members of the Capa family including Robert, Cornell Capa and family members are buried on the grounds, giving context to the presence of a photo exhibition space named for Robert Capa.

On display now are over 50 photographs taken by Capa whose stunning works captures the SpanishSoldierSoldier Saluting at Farewell Ceremony for the International Brigade Photo by Robert Capa from the Robert and Cornell Capa Archive ICP/Magnum Civil War, World War II photos of the landing on D-Day, and WWII in Sicily and France. Also on view are Capa’s final photographs of Vietnam where Life Magazine sent him to document the war in Indochina. Informative signage under each photo offers a chronicle of world history and a look at the art of photography before the birth of digital imagery and the iPhone.

Also included are photos of Capa’s glamourous friends including Ingrid Bergman, to whom he was engaged for a brief time.The Capa Space

The Capa Space is the brainchild of Yorktown resident and artist Elise Graham. She sought to share her mission to use art to inspire change by opening the exhibition space and bringing world class photography to a local setting.

The gallery will host several exhibits each year, along with special events, dramatic performances, films and lectures. It is open to the public and welcomes visitors. Click here to learn more about the space and to plan your visit.

Soldier Saluting at Farewell Ceremony for the International Brigade Photo by Robert Capa from the Robert and Cornell Capa Archive ICP/Magnum

The opening of the Robert Capa show on April 8, 2023.

With today’s digital photography and mobile photography, it’s now easy for anyone to become a photographer. Everyday scenes and commonplace subjects easily become the gateway to photography. However, photographing the mundane and the everyday isn’t new — just look at the works of photographers like William Eggleston.

But, this style of photography isn’t particularly appealing to everyone. Most of the time, it even makes viewers wonder what’s the point of the photograph or the body of work. So, to help us make better sense of this style, Alex Kilbee of The Photographic Eye decodes the mystery behind the “boring” photography of William Eggleston.

These photos of banal objects and random scenes confound people. What’s the point? What are they even about? Even Eggleston himself only had “life today” for an answer. So, Kilbee’s deep dive into his work and style makes for an interesting brain picking. Whether you’re currently into this approach or not, the video above should encourage you to start digging a bit deeper.

Apart from some basic facts about Eggleston, Kilbee covers some topics that provide additional context for his work. The idea to photograph the “ugly,” for example, came from Eggleston’s observation that he had nothing nice to photograph. So, a friend suggested that he photograph the “ugly things” instead, and it all started from there. “If you’re around where there’s nothing traditionally worth photographing, then just photograph the things that are of rubbish, boring, dull,” Kilbee noted. It was an obvious choice, and one that Eggleston took seriously.

The appeal of William Eggleston’s work lies not in some profound reason or story, but in its fluidity and reactivity. His personal rule is to photograph something only once — he documents what catches his eye, reacts to it, and moves on to the next subject. So, whether you’re feeling stuck in your photography or could use a creative exercise, try capturing the boring and the banal. Put your instinct to work and don’t overthink. You’re free to photograph whatever you like, in whatever way you want it.

Want more photography inspiration like this? Don’t forget to join our group discussions if you’re already part of the Photofocus Community!