Lea & Lens

What can I say about Charleston that doesn’t sound cliché? I’m not a southern girl. I’m from California, people. The only true commonalities are the muted colors and palm trees. Somehow, Charleston and the surrounding area just fits me.

I love walking around the downtown peninsula, especially the old city side, with its cobblestone streets and colorful houses (aptly named “Rainbow Row”), and stopping in for a beverage at the myriad of independent coffee shops scattered throughout the area. I love driving along The Battery to take in the impressive homes with their old world charm and unique architecture. (Don’t worry, my husband is driving so I’m free to gaze to my heart’s content).

I adore the ocean air and dolphin spotting in the bay. Yes, I’ve spotted them. I love how just being there invites one to go outside. Regardless of the time of day, there’s no shortage of people walking their dogs or enjoying a stroll. And you don’t have to go far to find yourself in a lovely park, full of picturesque greenery. I love the history of Charleston, and appreciate even the shameful parts because I think history is probably the greatest teacher, and I know for myself, I want to learn its lessons so I’m not doomed to repeat them.

I can’t visit Charleston without taking a trip to the beach. Just a short 20-25 minute drive away, through Mount Pleasant, you’ll find yourself at Isle of Palms beach. It’s probably my favorite beach on either coast thus far. It has a vibe I can’t quite place. Definitely nothing like the beaches I grew up going to in southern Cali, but also not quite like other east coast beaches I’ve been to either. It’s very calming, very relaxing and never packed when I seem to find myself there, which is especially enjoyable.

I know I’ve barely scratched the surface of all Charleston has to offer. I look forward to further exploration.

And here they are…

After my last post, as I stared at the box and label to ship some gear off to KEH, I got really frustrated with myself. I put the gear back on the shelf and decided to persevere a little longer. And after I made that decision, I picked up some cameras and started shooting! Nothing epic – I’m no where near that. It’s probably been since summer of 2021 that I shot an image I was really proud of (and it won first place in the first contest I ever entered). Since then, I’ve struggled to shoot much at all, so I was pretty happy just to find the motivation to shoot at all.

Baby steps.

I did it again. I know. I feel as dumb as I sound. Despite my best intentions, I always seem to make the same mistake. Why is that? It’s only April and I’ve broken my gear resolutions for the year as I prepare to pack up a box for KEH. Nope, I didn’t keep it a year. I thought I would. I should’ve known better. I also said I was going to stop talking about gear so much…

Maybe this isn’t really about gear though. I guess it’s just about me. The back and forth with gear is only the symptom. The truth is that I haven’t been inspired to pick up a camera and shoot in a long time. I don’t really know why. My life has been busy, true. Carving out time for photography hardly seems a priority these days when I enjoy my coffee each morning while pouring over the color coded calendar of events for the day. I keep hoping some new-to-me piece of kit will be the spark that gets me started again. I love photography, so why have I essentially stopped pursuing it? Is it just a time constraint?

It’s not that I take no pictures at all, simply that I have pretty much stopped doing so intentionally. I see pictures and compositions everywhere, but never feel I have time to stop. And when I do take pictures of my life, it’s with my phone. I haven’t really been a part of the photo community since I left social media. Is that part of my issue? Not having other creatives to share and grow with? I sure do miss it.

And I miss photography. I feel a void, yet my cameras still sit on a shelf, collecting dust. They’ve basically become expensive home decor. I currently have five… When I say it out loud, I immediately think, “Wow. That’s too many.” Hence the reason I’m boxing some up and shipping them out. I think I need a challenge. Something with definite parameters that will force me to take some dang photos!

Oh my. If you still read this blog, kudos. And thanks for riding the crazy train with me. I have no idea when we’ll reach our destination but I’m pretty sure it will be a bumpy trip.

You’ve just spend hundreds, if not thousands of dollars on a lens. The glass is pristine, and you want to keep it that way, so the moment it arrives, you affix another piece of glass to the front element. After all, if something gets scratched, better the less expensive filter than the multi-hundred dollar lens, right?

I used to think so.

I’ve spend hundreds of dollars on filters over the years. I thought it was a worthwhile investment at the time, but I’ve changed my tune and I’d like to share my reasoning with you. Maybe you’re an avid user of protective filters (the standard UV filter being the most common) and you’re only reading this because you saw the title and can’t wait to give me a piece of your mind. That’s cool. I welcome differing opinions. How else are we supposed to learn and grow? It’s those differing opinions that changed my mind. See, I was the person described in the first paragraph. I always put filters on my lenses, pretty much the moment I unboxed them. But no more.

To begin with, lens glass is sturdier than you think. Lens manufacturers are well aware of the abuse gear takes and they put it through its paces before it ever hits the shelves. Unless you’re storing your lens in a bag, sans lens cap, surrounded by things like your car keys and loose change, you’re unlikely to scratch it. If you keep it strapped to your person as you’re walking around, using the lens hood (most lenses come with one) will offer sufficient protection from bumps and such. Maybe you hate lens caps and lens hoods…well, maybe you’re asking for your lens to get scratched then. Is that harsh? Sorry. Ish. I mean, you have to use common sense here, but if you do, your lens is well built and can withstand normal use.

Which brings us to the fact that your lens is precision made and will produce the best results as is. A protective filter does not add to the optical quality of the glass. It doesn’t improve your images. I can’t say it lessens the quality of your images either, however, just to be fair. I don’t feel like my filters took away from my images when I purchased high quality filters. In my experience, using cheap filters does degrade the quality and also introduces other annoyances like ghosting.

Oh, but if you only purchase high quality filters, you’re adding an additional $50-$100 to the cost of EACH LENS. Why each lens? Well, because filter thread sizes are specific. You can’t necessarily buy just one filter and have it work across the board. And tacking on that extra cost to each lens adds up quick.

Not only does it add up, but you don’t recoup the cost of it. If you decide to sell the lens in the future, the filter adds no value. A private party buyer may appreciate it, but if you sell to a reputable reseller like KEH, MBP, B&H (I just noticed how many of these places only use letters in their name…), they’ll actually ask you not to send the filters. They know they have no value and so would rather not mess with them.

As I sit typing this, I have six unused filters in my drawers. They probably cost me about $250 and not one of them fits the two lenses I currently own. And guess what? Not one of them has even the slightest scratch on it. (Unlike my desk apparently). They weren’t needed to protect my lenses after all.

And so, my filter buying days are over. I’d rather invest that money elsewhere. In fact, I just bought an “UGLY” rated lens from KEH for significantly less at only $190! (Spoiler: it’s pristine, it simply didn’t come with front or rear caps or a hood). I think that’s a much better use of my hard earned money.

I feel…refreshed. I think. I’ve taken a few months off to reset and spend time with my family. It’s been a very nice break that included welcoming my soldier home, traveling to a few Caribbean countries via a cruise ship, and playing with some gear purchased last fall that I hadn’t really had time to put through its paces. It was a long hiatus here on the blog, but the real world time seemed to fly by.

As I ponder the things I’d like to cover here, and in the process hopefully open up some discussions with you, I’ll leave you with just a few images I’ve taken in the past several months.