Before Tamron sent me this lens, I would have never considered doing a photo shoot with just one lens. However, after some initial experimentation with the lens, I knew I could create a wide variety of images with it. I decided to put the lens through its paces at Myakka State Park near Sarasota, Florida. On a typical Myakka photo shoot I carry a tripod, two camera bodies; one with a wide-angle to medium telephoto zoom lens for landscape photography, and one with a long telephoto lens for capturing images of wildlife. Sometimes I’d also carry a macro lens for close-up photographs of flowers and insects. That’s a lot of gear, but necessary when considering the diversity of photo opportunities in a place like Myakka State Park.

With just the 18-270mm lens on my EOS 7D, I have an astounding focal length range that is the 35mm equivalent of 30mm to 432mm, which in theory gives me the capability of capturing an images with a great expanse of landscape and with a quick twist of the zoom barrel zooming in to create images of distant wildlife and birds. OK. Theory is all well and good, but now I was actually putting it to the test.

The day began with a glorious sunrise on the misty Myakka River. I started my exploration of the lens’ capabilities by creating some wide-angle shots of the river. Then I saw an area where warm light was dancing on the high grass on the opposite shore of the river. Normally I’d have to switch to a longer focal length to capture the image I envisioned, which is risky when the light is changing by the second. With the Tamron 18-270, I simply zoomed in to frame the image I envisioned. The light was still fairly weak, which would normally mean that I’d I have put the camera on a tripod, open the aperture to let in more light, or switch to a higher ISO to get a fast enough shutter speed capture a tack-sharp image.  Tamron’s fabulous VC (Vibration Compensation) image stabilization saved the day and enabled me to capture the image with a large depth of field at a low ISO and a fairly slow shutter speed.

After photographing the sunrise, I drove to Fox’s Low Road, one of my favorite hiking trails in the park. The only extra piece of gear I took was a bottle of water. Fox’s Low Road is a photographer’s paradise. The trail meanders through a lush meadow that is dotted with picturesque trees. I like to capture the big picture of the lush landscape and clouds, but occasionally I like to capture details like vines climbing a tree trunk, or a patch of photogenic leaves. The 18-270 made it possible to capture both extremes without having to change lenses in a dusty environment. With a minimum focusing distance of 19.3 inches, I can also use the lens to create close-up images of butterflies and flowers.

Just before I left Myakka, I heard the cry of a red-shouldered hawk. I walked to the area where I thought the hawk was, looked overhead and there it was in a nearby tree. I zoomed in to 270mm, focused the bird’s eye and captured several images.

On the Myakka photo shoot, the miniscule Tamron powerhouse exceeded my expectations. I was able to create a wide variety of images under varying light conditions. Indeed less is more when you go on a photo shoot with the Tamron AF 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD LD Aspherical IF lens.

Disclaimer: Tamron sent me this lens as part of an ongoing agreement to review and write about their products. However, whether I’m being compensated for a product review or not, the result is the same: I tell my readers exactly how I feel about a product, good or bad.

For more information about the Tamron 18-270mm for Canon digital SLRs, click here: Tamron 18-270 for Canon

For more information about the Tamron 18-270mm for Nikon digital SLRs, click here: Tamron 18-270 for Nikon

For more information about the Tamron 18-270mm for Sony digital SLRs, click here: Tamron 18-270 for Sony

And I can become a better photographer with any camera that I care to use. Sure I may get sharper images with a better lens or a newer camera with an all-singing, all-dancing sensor that captures a gazillion megabytes, but it’s still possible to take a dead-ass boring picture that’s sharp as a tack. Gear is how we take the picture. Why we take the picture is the important thing. We take a picture to convey a message or how we feel about the subject matter we’re photographing. And that goal can be achieved with even the simplest camera.

I’ve been reading a lot of books and blog posts about photography lately. David duChemin’s excellent eBook, “Vision is Better 2” delves into creativity and the reasons we photograph. David preaches that, “gear is good, vision is better.” Your vision is your unique take on the world and things that interest you and of course the gear is what you capture your images with.

The gear determines how you take a picture, but why do you create a picture? You create an image because you are interested in the subject matter. When you use your unique vision to photograph things that interest you, the resulting images tell viewers how you feel about the subjects and places you photograph. Your images tell people that you think the subjects and places you photograph are important.

The other morning I was on our deck reading and drinking a cup of coffee. The morning was glorious with a clear blue sky dotted with a few high cirrus clouds that looked like an artist’s brush strokes. The golden morning light dappled the green grass and a nearby pine tree with golden light. When I took a break, I noticed the patterns the shadows were making on the wall behind me. The light was changing by the second; there was no time to go inside and grab my digital SLR, so I took a picture with what I had with me: my iPod Touch. I created a couple of pictures of the shadows, and then looked overhead. A single contrail pierced the blue sky, so I pointed the iPod up and made a few more images. Like Chase Jarvis says, “the best camera is the one that’s with you.”

Are they the best images I’ve ever created? No. But the fact that I noticed the patterns and the contrail and decided to make some images flexed my photography muscles. When I have a camera with me, I see better, notice more of the world around me and notice things that would make interesting pictures.  I carry the iPod Touch or my trusty Canon S90 with me everywhere I go.

So if you’re lusting over a new lens or newer camera this holiday season, thinking it will make you a better photographer, it won’t. Only you can do that by shooting more and creating a volume of work. Review your work every six months or so to see how far you’ve progressed. If you shoot often, you will notice a difference, and notice what parts of your craft need improvement. Experience after all is the best teacher.

If someone decides to give me a brand new L-Series lens for Christmas, I won’t turn it down. But then again, I’ll do just fine without it. ]]> http://www.dougplusrox.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=1168 0 http://www.dougplusrox.com/blog/?p=1161 http://www.dougplusrox.com/blog/?p=1161#comments Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:56:07 +0000 Samurai Photographer http://www.dougplusrox.com/blog/?p=1161 Continue reading →]]> Noted author and humanitarian photographer David duChemin’s mantra has been: “Gear is good, vision is better.” I totally agree, but there are times when you go on a photo shoot with a minimal amount of gear and a photo opportunity appears for which the perfect lens is sitting in your closet at home. You mutter a few choice words to yourself, miss the shot and the next time you go out, you carry everything but the kitchen sink, which of course weighs you down and slows you down. When you carry lots of gear, you’re fumbling in your camera bag to grab the right lens while the decisive moment exits stage left.

Tamron came up with a rather unique solution for the photographer who wants to capture every possible photo opportunity, but doesn’t want to carry a lot of gear: the Tamron 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II PZD AF lens. The lens is designed for cameras with an APS-C sensor. Tamron has packed an impressive 15 X focal range into a lens that’s about the size of an 85mm f/1.8 prime lens. It features Tamron’s impressive VC (Vibration Compensation), which when coupled with a lens this light and small makes it possible for you capture razor sharp images at slower shutter speeds than you’d have though possible.

I was initially skeptical when the lens first came out. Then Tamron sent me one for a test drive and I must say I am impressed. Although the lens is positively miniscule when compared to say a Canon 70-200mm lens, it has a solid feel to it. The lens achieves focus quickly and the focusing motor is quiet. The controls are easy to reach and the auto-focus and vibration compensation buttons lock solidly into place so you don’t inadvertently disable either feature when using the lens. A third button on the barrel enables you to lock the lens at the 18mm focal length when you’re on the move or stowing your gear in a camera bag. When you’re ready to take a shot, unlock the lens and then zoom to the desired focal length.

My first photo shoot with the lens was when I hosted Scott Kelby’s 4^th Annual Worldwide Photo Walk in Cortez, Florida. I was busy being a host, but I also wanted to join in on some of the fun and capture some interesting images of the fishing village where the photo walk was held. The wide variety of focal lengths enabled me to capture artistic images of the boats, and then zoom in to photograph details like fishing nets and so on. I must say, many of the photo walkers had lens envy when they saw the wide variety of images I was able to capture with one lens.

I can zoom out with the lens to capture an impressive landscape or seascape.

I can zoom in to capture details without changing lenses.

The second time I used the lens was on the streets of Sarasota, Florida. Street photography has always fascinated me. The act of capturing images of people being themselves is rewarding, but can be a bit dicey. Some people don’t like to have their picture taken, and if you have to stop and ask, you lose the moment that compelled you to photograph the person. However, when I’m zoomed in to 270mm, I can capture images of people across the street without being noticed. But street photography requires many focal lengths. When I’m on a photo walkabout, I photograph people and the scenery. When I see an interesting building or a scene that requires a wide-angle focal length, I can quickly zoom out, frame the shot in my viewfinder, and press the shutter button to capture the image. Before the Tamron 18-270, I would have been fumbling in my camera bag for a different lens.

A wide-angle focal length is perfect for capturing lots of real estate in one image.

My next trip with the lens was to Myakka State Park in Sarasota, Florida. This is a lovely place with beautiful landscapes, abundant wildlife and birds, which if you hadn’t figured out requires a wide variety of focal lengths to capture every photo opportunity. Before I got my hands on the Tamron, I’d pack a 24-105mm lens, and a 70-300 mm lens. With the Tamron I don’t need to change lenses and risk getting dust on my sensor; I simply twist the zoom barrel to frame the subject matter and capture the image. Simple. No fuss and no muss.

I’m very impressed with this lens. It helps my photography due to the fact I don’t have to carry gobs of gear with me, which is a good thing when you photograph landscapes and nature in the brutal Florida summer heat. Carrying less gear also enables me to focus more on capturing beautiful images instead of stopping and switching to a different lens when a different photo opportunity appears. This lens gets high marks in my book. The controls are well placed and the build is rock solid. The lens produces sharp images at all focal lengths. Well done, Tamron.

Disclaimer: Tamron sent me this lens as part of an ongoing agreement to review and write about their products. However, whether I’m being compensated for a product review or not, the result is the same: I tell my readers exactly how I feel about a product, good or bad.

For more information about the Tamron 18-270mm for Canon digital SLRs, click here: Tamron 18-270 for Canon

For more information about the Tamron 18-270mm for Nikon digital SLRs, click here: Tamron 18-270 for Nikon

For more information about the Tamron 18-270mm for Sony digital SLRs, click here: Tamron 18-270 for Sony

For these images I used my Lensbaby Composer Pro with the Double Optic and the f/5.6 Soft Focus aperture with both of the macro filters stacked and the Telephoto optic over all of that. I used the macros together to get very close and the Telephoto so that I did not have to get quite nose to nose with the flowers. I love the clarity of the Double Optic but I’ve found that using the apertures from the Soft Focus Optic I can get some interesting spectral highlights that give the images a bit more of a dreamy look.

Photography or art-you be the judge.

Roxanne

Warm Glow

Fall Berries

The Flame Of Autumn

Green Fantasy

Madame Butterfly

November Dream

Pink Illusion

The Texture of Love

One of the many places Roxanne and I visit on a regular basis is Myakka State Park. Myakka State Park is like an onion; it has many layers. You can take a casual drive through Myakka and visit all the spots where the tourists capture their digital “Kodak Moments.” Or you can delve deeper by parking your car and then meandering down a path where you may see a bobcat, deer, or a hawk perched in a tree.

Recently Roxanne introduced me to another area in Myakka, the Myakka Wilderness Preserve. To visit the preserve we need a special pass. Thankfully the park rangers set a limit of thirty passes per day, which means we can experience the beauty of the area in relative seclusion.

The Myakka Wilderness Preserve is an area of rare beauty. This is how much of the state looked before developers destroyed the natural beauty of many areas by putting up a shopping mall or a towering condominium. The Myakka Wilderness Preserve reminds me of Africa, a place I’ve never visited. But I have seen many captivating images created in Africa. Like Africa, the terrain of the Myakka Wilderness has a stark beauty to it. You see scrub palmetto, tall golden colored grass, pine trees, and scrub oaks. There is one pine tree that’s extremely photogenic, with a tall spindly trunk topped by branches with unique curves and a sparse crown of green foliage. On Thanksgiving day, we spent many hours at Myakka Wilderness taking a leisurely stroll along the trail, stopping frequently when something piqued our curiosity, something we wanted to photograph with our own unique vision. Here are some of the images I created during our hike. Of course my vision included some post-processing and the judicious use of Nik Multimedia filters. Enjoy.