As I began to shooting weddings I shoot primarily with the one lens, my 50mm 1.2. Slowly over time I become aware with the limits of a 50 mm, and would evaluate what lens to purchase next. And my bag grew. In 2011 was at the point when I evaluated my desire for a tighter shot of the bride and groom during the ceremony. I read blogs and listen to other photographer’s suggestions of when they used a lens and why. I was thankful for their wisdom and open advice. As I evaluated there were two options that I considered: the 135mm L 2.0 or the 70-200mm L 2.8. I like to talk out loud my thought process and decisions and share what I read, and also question what would work best for me and my shooting style. I concluded to purchase the 135mm 2.0 leaning heavily on its lower aperture and size to make the final decision. Other words I read basically suggested that 70-200mm was the one lens they would have to shoot a wedding. Though I moved forward with the 135mm these words stayed in the back of my mind.
After shooting with the 135mm 2.0 for a year I began to feel its limits, especially during the ceremony. For instance if I was shooting up front during the ceremony and could not zoom or move backward I would run out of space as the bride reach the front of the church, or if I wanted a tighter shot of the bride’s reaction to the groom saying his vows to her. Those are just two examples. The 135mm was close; but not close enough. After talking about purchasing 70-200mm again, I realized what held me back the first time. Fear. Fear of trying something new. Shooting a zoom lens and its size! My first conversation was filled with reservation and I should have known that fear was lurking. Fear wants to hold you back. I’m learning how to identify my fear, look at it objectively and face it with a plan. A plan seems to make all things better.
I let fear keep me back from trying something new that would add depth and a new closeness in the photographs I captured. I am happy to say that I am thankful for facing the fear last year. I have loved the ceremony moments captured by the 70-200mm. I hope this encourages you to lose fear. Try something new this year and do not let fear hold you back. ENJOY!
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