Different Worlds

I’m a photographer.

I’m a guitar player.

I have no shortage of avenues to spend money.

I recently invested in a Canon RF 200-800mm f/6.3-9 IS USM lens for surf photography here in Hawai‘i. At first, I was pretty specific about how I wanted to use it. I was going to sit on the beach and take pictures of locals and tourists surfing at a spot called Canoes in Waikiki.

For that, it does an amazing job.

My approach quickly changed when I noticed the reach and clarity this lens was giving me. I started shifting my work from surf shots to surf portraits. I was able to capture facial expressions and body posture that reveal the humanity of the rider while they are living the experience in real time.

A few days ago, I was bored on a Friday night. The moon was in its first quarter, so I decided to take the lens out for a quick astro-photography session. I mounted the camera to the lens because it’s that big, then took a handheld shot of the moon.

I was surprised by the result.

I returned to my apartment, swapped camera bodies, and added a monopod for stability. I took fifteen pictures while sitting on the staircase of my building on the outskirts of Honolulu.

I was amazed.

This lens can catch the concentrated smile of a person perched on a moving wave from 200 yards away, and it can also resolve crater ridge lines and lunar maria at 240,000 miles.

Same camera system.

Same lens.

Different worlds.

#photography #surfphotography #astrophotography #moonphotography #canonphotography #canon200800 #waikiki #honolulu #hawaiiphotographer #poetryofordinarylife