There is a belief by many photographers that fewer lenses translates into more of something. I am not sure if that means more images, more creative images, or both. The logic being, by placing a self-imposed optical restriction on yourself, it will force you to become more resourceful and creative, and thus produce more images and better images.
I met Rodney Lough last fall at Kebler Pass Colorado. He shoots 8x10 and uses only two lenses, and he is of the ilk that less is more. I also have a friend who is an accomplished b&w photographer who also executes his craft with a very limited number of lenses.
I, on the other hand, believe more is more. I believe that a lens is akin to an artist’s paintbrush. Most artists have 100s of paintbrushes, and each brush allows the artist to apply paint to the canvas in different ways. Likewise, each lens has its own unique optical characteristics and allows the photographer to apply light to film in different ways that compliments the composition being constructed. I have found the more lenses I bring, the higher and better my yields are.
At the time I met Rodney I had ten lenses and harvested seven images in an area he only extracted one from. On several occasions he made fun of the Nikkor 1200mm lens. Since then I have bought the Nikkor 600mm, 800mm, and 1200mm lens suite bring my total to 13 lenses. I have just built a snap-on bellows extension that fits on both my 5x7 and 4x10 to facilitate the extension needed for these lenses. I have full confidence that these new lenses will allow me to shoot a whole new class of images and further increase my yields.
I also believe more is more does not stop with lenses. It also applies to formats as well. I now shoot 4x10, 5x7 and 4x5. Having three different formats at my disposal has also increased my yields in the field. Sometimes the scene calls for a panoramic view, and other times, a rectangular format will work better.
Am I just a foolish stupid gear junky, and Rodney has it right that less is more? Or perhaps I am right, and more of everything brings more and better images!
What are your feelings about this?
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