Lens of the Month
Traveling to Utah and Arizona with the Tamron SP 15-30mm F/2.8 Di VC USD lens
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By Patrick Nagle
Whenever I start to pack my gear for a trip, I tend to bring much more than I need. Of course, it goes to the saying, ‘rather have it and not need it…than need it and not have it’. But with that said, I will always bring my Tamron SP 15-30mm Di F/2.8 VC USD with me 100% of the time! No matter what the shoot is, whether it be a new landscape or a lifestyle portrait, I always find a need for this lens. I absolutely love wide angle and why not. It captures such a unique perspective that the normal human eye can never see.
My Tamron 15-30mm has been with me on hundreds of flights and to some of the most beautiful parts of the United States. When I found out I was headed out west to Utah and Arizona, I knew I would find plenty of need for this lens. It actually became the only one I used the entire time! My first stop was in Moab, UT where I went to Arches National park to see some gorgeous color and pristine night skies. I wanted to capture some shots of what the park had to offer along with the milky way sky. Because I was so far from any light pollution, it was absolutely breath taking how many stars could be seen with the naked eye. When you shoot stars at night it is imperative to have a fast lens. Since this is an F/2.8 and can shoot at 15mm with minimal distortion, I was extremely flexible at what could be shot. An aperture of f/2.8 allowed me to shoot at a proper ISO to give me as clean of an image as possible. I also spotted a cool looking tree and had no worry on how close to get since the Tamron 15-30mm has a minimum focus distance of 11 inches.
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After shooting all night, it was time to catch sunrise at one of the more popular spots in Arches National Park…Mesa Arch. Here I was able to stop down my aperture and not worry about how slow my shutter speed would be because I had Vibration Compensation to help me along the way. With this motor, I am able to shoot up to 4 stops slower and not worry about any camera shake. When the moment of orange glow came, I was ready and able to get the shot.
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My final stop on the trip was Horseshoe bend in Page, AZ. This is another epic spot for photographers and travelers. It is quite surreal because it really does look exactly like the photographs on the internet. This location is a must have wide angle situation. 15mm was a must and I couldn’t have any distortion on the horizon line. Luckily this lens is rectilinear corrected. This means that when my tripod is level, I will have straight lines all throughout. And having an angle of view of 110 degrees helps me capture the entire scene from edge to edge.
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Wide angle photography can be a lot of fun and capture a vast scene. The Tamron SP 15-30mm Di F/2.8 VC USD is one of the best and versatile wide angle lenses out there. Between its fast aperture and stabilization, I’m able to take this on every trip without hesitation.
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