NEW GEAR IN MY CAMERA BAG: SIGMA ART 85MM f1.4

I have added another lens to my camera bag, the Sigma ART 85mm f1.4. I spent the day tuning it with the dock so it is pin needle razor sharp (I tune all the lenses that I buy).

This has been one of the kings in the industry over the past couple years that portrait photographers use, and yes this also includes wedding photographers. Weighing in at 2.5lbs it is a beast, not only in terms of size and weight but performance and it cannot be beat when it comes to my Equine Portraiture and taking things to the next level. I've been wanting this lens for quite some time and came across an offer that I couldn't refuse.

I like Sigma lenses but I tend to only stick with their "ART" series as they are their absolute top of the line pro lenses that are very popular within the photographic industry. For the most part, you get what you pay for when it comes to lenses and when it comes to showcasing your skill set through your photos, you have to use the best lenses available to you.

NEW GEAR IN MY CAMERA BAG: NIKON 17-55 f2.8

I have added a new lens into my camera bag, the classic Nikon 17-55 f2.8. Over the past few months there have been times where I sorely missed the lack of 36mm-69mm focal length in my current lens offerings so I had to address it. This lens will close most of that gap. It came down to this or the Tamron G2 24mm-70mm but I chose the Nikon because I found a very solid deal on a used copy that came in around half the price of the Tamron G2 24-70. I am still lacking from 56mm-69mm but it will not be an issue since I can just crop in anyways. 

NEW GEAR IN MY CAMERA BAG: TAMRON 100-400

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The just released and highly anticipated (by many photographers) Tamron 100-400mm has finally arrived! I've had my eye on this lens since it was announced back in the summer and am eager to see what I can do with it.

It will pair perfectly on my second camera when shooting outdoor shows giving me 600mm of reach which will now give me the ability to get more close up shots when working these large arenas. It will also serve as a nice lighter alternative to my 200-500 (which weighs a whopping 5.3lbs) for shooting wild horses. You can never have too much reach but you can easily have not enough.

Goodbye to my 1 year old Nikon 70-300 AF-P, I shot my first two shows (Gymkhana and barrel racing) back in July with this lens and some of my best work has come from this lens but there were times where it fell a bit short. Here are some of my photos from the 70-300.

Now onto bigger and better things. :)

NEW GEAR IN MY CAMERA BAG: TCM WIRELESS TRANSMITTER

I upgraded to the just released TCM wireless transmitter. This will save me precious time when shooting off-camera flash portraits because like I said, time is an extremely critical factor in portrait sessions so I do whatever I can to make the setup procedure as smooth and minimal as possible.

Less time during set up results in more time taking pictures. :) More pictures to showcase is a win-win situation for my clients.

NEW GEAR IN MY CAMERA BAG: TOKINA 11-16MM F2.8

I have introduced a new toy into my camera bag, it should be here in about a week. It will add a completely new and dynamic dimension to my work.

Not everyone is a fan of ultra wide angle photography but when used by the right person, it opens up a new set of doors that can take your photographs to a whole new level in terms of pure creativity and thinking outside the box. Then you bring horses into the picture and the possibilities are endless.

The best part about it, is that it can literally be used for any type of photography, so it will carry straight across from my Equine Shows and Events (both indoor and outdoor, thank you to the fast f2.8) to my Equine Portraiture. It will be a very valuable piece to my arsenal. I can't wait to see what I can do with it.