Whenever we head out to a family function or just a day out somewhere, I always debate on which camera lens to take with me, or how many.
After several hours of mentally debating it with myself, I had the decision narrowed down to two lenses: my 70m-300mm zoom, and 17mm-40mm wide angle zoom. The trip we were planning was a day trip to go hiking at Rock Cliff Lake and Trout Pond in West Virginia. I wanted to take as light of a load as possible, but still be prepared not to miss an opportune shot. The 70-300mm zoom lens would have allowed me to zoom in on people and animals from a distance, but the wide angle had prospects for landscape shots. I wanted to take both, but I have learned in the past to hike with only one lens, especially if going far.
At last minute, I made the choice for the wide angle lens. I am so grateful for my choice! As we were hiking, we ran across an information stand that mapped out what appeared to be an amazing outlook. So we got in the car and drove to the hike's starting point. Partially up the forest trail, my fiance spotted a sign saying that the outlook was one mile. I groaned, but I soldiered on! His parents turned around about half way, but I was determined to proceed. My fiance had no problem, but I am not in the best of shape! I had to stop frequently, but I was determined. As we walked, the trail became steeper, the soil sandier, and the terrain rockier. It was a challenge, but well worth it when we got to the top! I was so happy for choosing my wide angle lens to capture the rolling beauty of the hills.
Below are the images of our trek that have made it to my online portfolio. My advice for hiking photographers: When in doubt, stick with the tride and true lenses. If you are narrowed down to two, carefully contemplate where you will be going. Will there be a lot of landscapes, or a lot of far off details? Which do you believe would be more likely? Try to plan for that, and you should be happy with the results. I certainly am. :)
