When I first started this blog, my thought was to “narrate” my journey into the photography world. And I did that, up to a point, when I got side-tracked with other things. I will continue the story from where I left off.
I had my mind set to go through Central Park for foliage colors, but things did not come together for some time. After I got my new camera, the 7D, I decided it was time to do what I planned.
First things first: Gear Selection – I decided to use two bodies – 7D with canon 17-55 2.8 lens and 40D with canon 70-200 f/4 IS lens (this lens was rented, and I got it because it has the reputation of being the sharpest zoom in canon’s lens lineup, even sharper than some primes). I also decided to put the 85 1.8 lens in the bag, just in case. All these were housed in my Tamrac Aero 85 backpack (which I will review separately). Batteries were charged up from the night before (it once happened to me to forget to charge the battery when going to a baseball game, and it died halfway through the game…), memory cards were empty and formatted.
The plan: there was no real plan, just go in Central Park, walk around, search and find things to photograph.
Execution: I entered Central Park near the Great Lawn, and I geared up – 40D on an RStrap, and 7D on Crumpler Industry Disgrace strap, and I started walking. You can see some of the results below, or you can go here
When I left my home, all I had was an idea – “foliage in Central Park”, but I returned home with some really good shots, not all foliage related (not as many shots as I would’ve liked though). What made this possible is the fact that I did go out looking for a specific image/composition. Instead, I kept my mind clear and I let my eyes guide me.
The 70-200 f/4 IS is indeed a very sharp lens, better than 70-200 f/2.8 at f/4, and it is on my wishlist. But it has a major drawback, at least in my book – maximum aperture is 4, which makes it unsuitable for low light situations or portrait work (f/4 is not good for bokeh).
Thanks for reading, I’ll post more soon.
