After a nine-year hiatus, I decided it was time to get back in the game.
I'll be honest. I've watched a lot of work come and go over the last nine years. Some of it impressive, some of it not so much. But here's what struck me: if I compare what I was producing back in 2012 and 2013 to what's circulating today, a lot of it still holds up. People still stop and stare at those images. The game didn't leave me behind. If anything, it felt like it paused for a while too.
So I came back the way I know how. All in. No tiptoeing bullshit... No easing back in.
I picked up the Canon EOS R5 Mark II. Not a bad place to land after nearly a decade away. Then I did something a little crazy and got myself what I can only describe as a unicorn lens: the Canon RF 28-70mm f/2L. Criminally expensive. Unreasonably heavy. And absolutely buttery smooth in a way that made me remember exactly why I fell in love with this craft in the first place. I've only had a day or so with it before a work trip pulled me away, but I already know this lens and I are going to do some damage together.
I also have the RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM Z on the way, and a collection of EF glass that still covers a lot of ground. The arsenal is locked and loaded.
On the lighting side I went with the Godox AD600 Pro II. Six hundred watts of battery powered outdoor strobe with High Speed Sync up to 1/8000s, a 0.01 second recycle time, and full TTL compatibility. For those who know, you know. This thing is an absolute beast and pairs perfectly with my Mola Setti modifier that has been sitting in storage patiently waiting for this exact moment. Trust me, it's been a long wait.
To round it out I grabbed the Delkin Devices Black 512GB CFexpress Type B 4.0 VPG400 memory card. When you're shooting 45 megapixel RAW files at 30 frames per second, you don't cut corners on storage. Period.
All in all I dropped about $13K this weekend. And I'm completely OK with that. Some people buy cars. I invest in my craft.
But here's what I'm most looking forward to. My son has picked up photography. The idea of being behind the camera together, father and son, creating something side by side? That alone made this whole comeback worth it.
Now. To the game, to the photographers who have been holding it down, and to everyone who has ever stopped and stared at one of my images — I see you. I appreciate you. But let me be clear about something.
You have no idea what's been missing.
You're about to find out.
G. Fikes is back!!!
