Changing My Mind About Wildlife Photography

I used to hunt wildlife until my little girl called my attention. God’s creatures she called them. So, I switched now focusing a telephoto lens using a viewfinder instead of aiming a rifle barrel through a telescopic sight. You still have to learn and study their habitats in order to capture their glory in photos and videos - but no longer with a kill shot.

Very proud of you man. You are one of the few YouTubers I can relate too. Not just as a wildlife photographer but as a disabled vet. You will love that lens. I can't part with my 100-500 lol but hopefully one day I'll get a big prime for my car photography. By the way, Congratulations on the 100k subs. You deserve every bit of success going forward. Cheers, brother and happy shooting 📸

Hard to watch your videos and not think… “what a good dude!” Despite the sacrifice of your other kit, you’re not going to regret your purchase… the fast primes really are game changing in every way. You’ll continue to be thrilled with the images you can capture and the light you can capture them in. Wish you great success and more so, great joy and health!

God Bless You, Brent, on your new (modified) Professional Photography journey. Looking at the recent pictures that you have been capturing, I see the development in your proficiency and style. You are on the right track toward success. I'm an 86 year-old wildlife hobbyist, and you have re-kindled my desire to get out and shoot more. Thank you!!

Thank you for your service. Hoping your healing continues. Excited for you and for pursuing what you love!

Congratulations on 100k👏! Great video, amazing photos, amazing confession. Enjoy your new lens, enjoy the life and do only things that make you happy! All the best, Mira

Thanks for a great video. When you reach a certain point in the wildlife photography journey gear really does matter. I am also somewhat limited by physical health issues and doubt I could make good use of a heavy lens, but the IQ. especially in low light, really extends the range of what's possible. The most important thing is to be happy with the gear that you have and to feel that you are making progress. I look forward to seeing what the future brings and the images you take.

Congratulations on your accomplishments! Anxious to see more wildlife photography! Thanks for taking me along!

Very impressed that you’re willing to share so much regarding your personal and professional journey. It’s never easy to be vulnerable when making big life decisions. I think that lens is still a great balance of IQ, portability, and (relative) affordability, and have no doubt your continued results will be fantastic.

Great video, Brent. I really enjoy your videos. Your knowledge is very relatable and I've learned a lot from you over the years. It sounds like you are in a great place and I do wish you better health now and into the future. My interest has always been in your wildlife videos but I watch pretty much everything you put out because it is so enjoyable.

Congratulations!!! On so many levels, congratulations to you!! I can definitely relate to your decision making process. I go through the same struggles almost daily. I wish you the very best of luck and look forward to watching you continue to grow!

An Osprey shoot would be great. I think you did the right thing. You had time to think about it. You have specific ideas you want to pursue, accomplishments you want to achieve, and doing it for yourself. Do it with no regrets no matter how it turns out. You already sense what you chose to do is working and will continue to get closer where you want to be as a photographer. Thanks so much for sharing,

Congratulations Brent on your new lens! It is definitely a game changer as you already know. I am fortunate to have the rf600f4 and I am grateful every time I take it out. I love your channel and keep up the great work!

You made the right choice to follow your passion. You can always get another wide angle down the road. I wish you nothing but success going forward, and can't wait to see what you capture. Just last week someone was giving me crap for having a crop sensor vs full frame. 90% of what i do is wildlife, and it's what I love doing.

Keep strong… I’m also a Disabled Veteran since Vietnam War & part of the VA Healthcare system. They are fantastic. Love your photography. I also do wildlife and nature photography mostly.

Fantastic video Brent. I love how down to earth and relatable you can talk about and upgrade that's out of reach for a lot of people, and even for yourself had you not made the necessary sacrifices to do so. I also love the message here, because whether you're upgrading from (say) a RF 100-400 to the 100-500 L, or from that to a big prime; you need to know for yourself if you're at that point (professionally and financially) to make the right choice. Sacrificing your 100-500 to do so sends an even more powerful message than just having the means to get one imo. Looking forward to your upcoming shots, and grats on the 100K!

Great video Brent. You are one of the most inspiring photographers. Incredible shots of the Osprey, especially shaking off the water, amazing!! Can''t wait to see what you can do with that lens!!

Congrats on your acquisition of the 500mm. I understand the trade-offs you needed to make. Since I am primarily interested in wildlife photography, going forward I ams use that I will enjoy your youtube channel even more.

Great video man. Thank you for taking the time to explain how you were able to get the lens. I think it’s super relatable to us that in order to get something you really want you would have to sacrifice other things that you have for it since most of us aren’t made of money or are one of those influencers that get gear for free all the time. Looking forward to more videos with it!

I'm happy for you, such a great lens to have and it will definitely help you take your wildlife to the level you want to. Don't feel bad about your being relatable changing, people relate to you and your experiences more so than the gear you use, and wit will be great to see your journey continue and progress :) I currently have the RF 100-500 and the R7, and I'm happy with it. I'd consider the 500 F4, but I can't justify the price (just a hobbiest, not a professional) and the weight and size wouldn't be ideal as I mainly do walkaround/handholding. So this way I can live vicariously through you and I'm sure others will feel the same. Thanks for sharing your experiences with us!!!