Spark

Whenever I get something new, I feel this immediate pull to go out and use it. I think that’s pretty normal. New shoes, you wear them; a new car, you take it for a drive. For me, it’s always been camera gear. Over the past few months, that’s meant a new lens at Christmas, a new camera, and now another lens.

At Christmas, my wife gifted me a Canon 35mm lens. It filled a gap I’d been missing for a while. 35mm has always been my favourite focal length; it’s just how I see the world. For the first time, the lens also had image stabilization, something none of my other lenses had, and my camera didn’t either. It just clicked. Everything felt natural again. For a little while, it even quieted that constant itch photographers know too well, GAS. It never really goes away, but it was nice not thinking about what’s next for a bit.

Then in February, I got a pretty big upgrade as a gift from my family: the Canon EOS R6 Mark II. It’s a huge step up from what I was using before. But at the same time, I know better than to think that new gear will suddenly make me a better photographer. It doesn’t. It’s just a tool. A really good one, but still just a tool.

And honestly, even with all of that, I hit a bit of a slump.

The thing that helped pull me out of it was finding my spark again. It’s been a rough winter season. It was either a crazy snowstorm or Arctic temperatures. Along with some health issues and my overall mental health as well. It just made the slump even more difficult.

Then in April, I was heading to Calgary for the Canadian Folk Awards. My wife is part of this amazing all-female folk trio called Jessica Pearson and the East Wind, and they were up for 3 awards. Sadly, they did not win, but even to be nominated is amazing. Since this trip included visiting Banff and areas, I wanted to pick up a telephoto zoom lens. It was time I got one, and honestly, I had done all the research and built a lengthy use case for it. So I purchased the Canon RF 70–200mm F/4. It’s my first zoom lens because everything else I own is a prime lens(single focal length), and it’s also a focal range I’ve come back to again and again across different camera systems. I also wanted something that could do justice to the mountains.

Using it out there reminded me why I love this focal length so much. The way it compresses a scene and pulls the mountains closer together creates a completely different feel. Of course, it’s all about where you’re standing and how you use it, but when it works, it really works.

More than anything, though, it wasn’t just about the lens. It was about what it gave me back.

That spark.

The same one that got me into photography in the first place. The urge to go out, to look for something, to create something, and to share it. It’s easy to think that the spark fades or disappears when you’re in a slump, but I don’t think it really does. It just sits there, waiting for you.

And sometimes, it takes something small, or something new, to remind you it’s still there.

Note: AI assistance with grammar and structure.