This morning started like a completely normal day.
Coffee.
Camera bag.
A quick look at a few photos from the previous shoot.
And then I noticed something strange.
One of the photos looked a little soft.
Not terribly soft. Just… slightly blurry.
So I zoomed in.
Still soft.
I zoomed in again.
Still soft.
At that point I did what any responsible travel photographer would do: I blamed the camera.
Maybe the autofocus was off.
Maybe the lens needed calibration.
Maybe the entire camera industry had secretly decided to lower quality just to annoy photographers.
Then I zoomed in even more and had a troubling thought.
What if the photo was actually sharp…
and I wasn’t?
A few hours later, I was sitting in an optician’s chair staring at an eye chart and realizing something important.
Apparently photography now requires two lenses instead of one.
The Moment I Realized Photography Now Requires Two Lenses
For years, my photography setup was beautifully simple.
One camera.
One lens.
One reasonably confident pair of eyes.
But this morning, during a quick visit to the optician, I discovered my photography system had officially been upgraded.
From now on, every photo requires:
- The lens on my camera
- The lens on my face
This discovery was confirmed when the optician handed me a pair of test glasses and suddenly the world became suspiciously sharp.
Street signs had letters.
Menus had readable text.
And small camera buttons apparently have actual labels.
This felt like turning on 4K vision.
A New Kind of Lens for Photographers
As someone who runs travel photography workshops in Asia, I spend a lot of time talking about lenses.
Wide-angle lenses for landscapes.
Telephoto lenses for wildlife.
Prime lenses for beautiful portraits.
But today I discovered a new category:
Face lenses.
The only problem? Camera lenses and face lenses do not always cooperate.
When I raise the camera to my eye, the camera and my glasses now perform a small negotiation about who gets to occupy that space.
Usually, the glasses lose.
My New Photography Workflow
Before glasses, taking a photo was simple:
- Raise camera
- Focus
- Take photo
Now it looks more like this:
- Raise camera
- Push glasses back up nose
- Camera bumps glasses
- Lower camera
- Clean glasses
- Check camera lens
- Push glasses up again
- Take photo
Repeat this process about 400 times during a photo walk.
Professional photographers call this advanced lens management.
Signs I Probably Needed Glasses Earlier
Looking back, there were clues.
Recently, while reviewing photos on the back of my camera, I noticed myself holding the screen farther and farther away.
Eventually, my arms were fully extended like I was presenting the camera to someone across the room.
At the time, I assumed this was a new ergonomic photography technique.
Apparently it’s just called aging.
Running Travel Photography Workshops With Slightly Better Vision
Running travel photography workshops and photo tours across Asia means I spend a lot of time helping people see light, composition, and details.
Ironically, it turns out I now need a little help seeing the details myself.
So from now on my essential photography gear list includes:
- Camera
- Lenses
- Extra batteries
- Memory cards
- Cleaning cloth
- Reading glasses
Professional photographers always talk about carrying backup lenses.
I just didn’t realize mine would live in my pocket.
A Question for Fellow Photographers
So I now need advice from photographers who already live in the two-lens world.
How do you manage:
- Camera viewfinders with glasses
- Foggy lenses in humid climates
- Two lenses competing for space on your face
Is there a secret photographer trick?
Or do experienced photographers eventually evolve a third lens somewhere on the forehead?
Please share your wisdom.
Learn Travel Photography With Us
Despite my exciting new optical upgrade, I still spend most of my time guiding small group travel photography workshops and photography tours in Asia.
If you’d like to improve your photography while exploring incredible destinations, you can learn more here:
Asia Travel Photography Workshops
We focus on:
- Travel photography
- Street photography
- Learning composition and light
- Small group photography workshops
And occasionally we help photographers find their glasses before the next shot.
Because great photography isn’t just about the gear.
Sometimes it’s simply about seeing the world clearly.