Bumbling

I embody something infuriating — an average person doing something. The combination of being run-of-the-mill and doing something creative is a frontier.

My journey with the 5D began in 2009, and my first lens was a 35mm prime. I went with the prime because I didn’t have much money for lenses and saw it as being versatile — neither too wide nor too tight, good for walks. The EF 35mm 1.4 L performed well in low light, and I eventually accepted it.

The harsh West Texas landscape shapes thoughts, behaviors, and vision, and out here, there’s little time for triviality. The dusty air changes a photographer’s relationship with their camera and teaches us to look beyond pretty pictures and see ruggedness unfolding all around. At each step, we must evaluate photographic methods because technology evolves, we learn, and new knowledge enlightens stubborn opinions. Circumstances change.

A serviced Leica III (TML M39) is all anyone really needs.

For lenses, I have the 35mm, but think a 50mm fits my vision and personality best. The 35mm is a storytelling lens, and I'll continue to see the world through a 50mm when using it. I do value lens versatility, but think the 50mm is a stronger tool for detached observations made from eye level, with minimal up or down angles.