OwlsEyes
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sum1sgrampa wrote:
I very much appreciate your thoughts Bruce. Thank you for that. We have our good and bad days as I'm sure you can relate.
Another reason for the switch is my interests and opportunities are changing also. I can't travel alone nearly as much as I used to. I don't like leaving my wife alone anymore for any extended period of time. Even my California trips to visit my daughter have changed. For the first couple of years I thought nothing of taking off by myself for a whole day to San Pedro for Falcons, or the Arboretum, or whatever. But now that he's four years old I look forward to spending more time with him and probably will even more so as he gets older. And I'm a little burned out from my local spots. I guess what I'm saying is I'm just not interested in chasing after stuff anymore. I'm just as happy sitting for three hours on the edge of a pond and watching Dragonflies and Butterflies and grabbing what I can here and there. Or sitting in my garden. Or throwing a pack on my E-bike and pedaling around. If I see something, great. If not, no problem. For years I've been saying that one of the things I love about Nature Photography is, when the time comes, I can do it from a rocking chair. Well I guess that time has snuck up on me.  And I feel I've spent too much money already on this hobby. Buying, selling, switching gear. So that has led me to a system that fits my needs and right now I feel I'm set. I doubt that I'll be adding the 150-600. I kept my 100-400 and as long as I'm close enough that lens does a great job for what I need. That'll help me hone my stalking skills.There's a line in a Lowest of the Low song that I love. "And it's a kick in the nuts, when your vision clears up, and you realize you've only been playing with change." For years I've longed for that "better lens", the latest exotic prime. Closest I ever got was a 30 year old Nikon 500 f4 AF-I. Great lens btw. I realize now that's never gonna happen. But the best part is, I don't care anymore. And I'm not saying that in an apathetic way, if that makes sense. It just doesn't matter much anymore. All those shots that I thought I needed/wanted to get, I think of them now and it's a big shrug. I don't say any of this to disparage photography. I love my photography. Just for different reasons now. I've always felt, if you have a camera in your hand, you can never be bored. I think back to years ago when I showed up at my son's house to help with some job. Of course, he was running almost 2 hours late. I was locked out so I grabbed my camera, sat on his back deck, and spent that time pointing my camera up at the fall colored leaves and experimented with long exposures. Twisting the camera. Twirling the camera. Shaking the camera. Before I knew it he was home. If you've read this far, I applaud you
Thanks for listening.
Gary
And BTW, I fully agree with your assessment of the 180-600 and other similar lenses in that class. ...Show more →
So you know, I read the entire note, and that is because I have lived the existential crises you are living and have lived. Be it the softballs of the gear we want or think we need, or the hardball of watching a partner and spouse degenerate, life presents us with challenges and lessons. In the end, very little depends on how good our photos are, how sharp they are, or if we ever got the shot. So it is with the baggage of life's rewards and challenges, I say... it does not matter what gear you choose to use, "being there" and creating opportunities to just enjoy a bit of nature behind a camera is therapeutic for some of us, and that's good enough for me
cheers,
bruce
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