Where Should You Invest Your Photographic Dollars?

Giant Coastal Redwood Trees; Avenue of the Giants in Humboldt State Park, California

Visit my website here.  Thank you!

Before I address the subject of this post, I wanted to talk about the above image.  After all, these posts are primarily about photography.

If you ever are overwhelmed by the noise, hustle, bustle, confusion, bad news, crime, tension and information overload in today’s modern society, I can guarantee you that if you spend some time in a redwood forest it will cure your ills.  I have been to all 50 states and I have never found another place that has given me such a peaceful feeling and sense of relaxation and calm.  The quiet is deafening, so to speak.  You can sit, stand or walk through the redwoods and hear nothing.  No wind, no man-made sounds only silence.  The only sound you may hear is your own breathing.  If you walk far enough, you may here the air disturbed by the wings of a bird as it passes by.  Other than that, pure silence.  It had been a long time since I have been in a place where there was no sound, so I made a conscious effort to remember it.  Take some time for yourself, go to your favorite place and drink in the feeling it gives you.  Dennis Mook 

For perspective, in the attached image, the traffic lanes are about 10 ft. wide.  The trees are wider!

And now, the post.

If you have a limited amount of money to spend on photography gear, as most all of us do, how do you best spend it?  Where will you get the best bang for you buck, so to speak?  What will provide you with the best image quality for the future and the long term?

The answer for me has always been "buy the best lenses you can afford."  Cameras come and go, sensors improve, features are added and you will often time find a need for a new camera, but lenses can last for the length of your interest in photography.

For example, I still have and use lenses I bought in the 1990s when auto focusing was in its infancy.  They work just as well today as they did then.  They work on film cameras as well as digital cameras.  I keep them because they allow me to make good images with them.  No need to buy newer models to replace them.

If you already have all the good lenses you need, the same philosophy can also be said for filters, tripods and camera bags.  Buy the best ones you can afford and they will last you as long as you photograph.  I have high quality filters from as far back as the 1970s, the tripod I use most is from the 1980s and my main camera bag was purchased in 1977.

Invest wisely and not only will you save yourself money over the long run, you will be a happier photographer!

Thanks for looking.  Enjoy!

Dennis Mook


All content on this blog is © Dennis A. Mook.  All Rights Reserved.  Feel free to point to this blog from your website with full attribution.  Permission may be granted for commercial use.  Please contact Mr. Mook to discuss permission to reproduce the blog posts and/or images.