Objective: learn about buying lenses, lens descriptions, and how lenses are priced.
I was shooting at a party yesterday and a woman comes up to me and the first thing she asks me was, "what lens are you using?". I get asked about lenses a lot. Purchasing lenses is very confusing for most people. Today, I am going to talk about what I use, what I suggest for new photographers and how to shop for lenses.
Lenses are priced according to their focal length and their widest f-stop or aperture opening. Prices also change according to brand. You can buy a lens that has variable focal lengths or a fixed focal length lens. When you buy a digital SLR camera kit, you usually get a lens included. It is normally a variable focal length lens. Common lenses in a kit would be something that ranged from 17-100mm or 24-70 or something like that. The idea behind it is that this gives you a lot of flexibility. The biggest problem with "kit lenses" is that the widest aperture opening is usually 3.5-5.6. This is not very wide and limits you quite a bit when it comes to your depth-of-field.
If you are just now reading these lessons and you have no idea what focal length is or what apertures are, please take a second and go back to the earlier lesson and you'll be way less confused.
When I teach classes at my studio, one of the first things we learn about is how to use the f-stop / aperture setting to create shallow depth-of-field (DOF). This makes the background of your images soft and is great for portraits. If you are using one of the kit lenses, you will be very limited on how much DOF you can get because you can only go down to 3.5 or 5.6. To really blur out your background you want to be able to go below that.
Lens prices change radically as the aperture changes. Here's an example:
Canon EF 50mm F1.2L, BH photo video price $1400
Canon EF 50mm F1.4, BH photo video price $325
Canon EF 50 mm F2.5 compact macro, BH photo video price $239
Canon EF 50 mm F1.8, BH photo video price $89
I think adding a fixed 35 or 50 mm lens to your collection is a great experiment. This is especially true for those of you using the kit lens and nothing else. Most pros will have a 50 mm in their collection already. If you are a hobby shooter, you really don't need the F1.2 at $1400. You would be very pleased with the F1.8 for $89. If you want a macro so you can get close-ups of baby toes and the like, then try out the F2.5 macro for $239. I use that lens all the time and love how close I can get with it. So, in this example, you see that the lesser priced lens would do just fine and make a world of difference in your images.
If you want a variable focal length lens, you cannot get away cheap and also be happy. In this case, you want to buy something with an aperture of at least F2.8 or 2. Depending on the focal length range and your brand, this generally puts you up over $1000.
If the over $1000 price tag is too high for you (I totally get that by the way and grit my teeth whenever I have to buy a new lens), you might consider buying a Tamron or Sigma lens. These brands can be used with Nikon or Canon (make sure and check the compatibility with your specific camera). These brands are cheaper. Everyone has a different opinion about whether or not they "as good" as the Canon or the Nikon lenses. A friend of mine (a pro) uses some of these, swears by them and loves them. Check out the reviews online and decide for yourself if they will work for you. The good news is that they come at a lower price than the Canon or Nikon lenses so it may be a great choice for you.
One other thing to make sure and find out about is that certain lenses work on certain cameras! Obviously Canon works on Canon and Nikon on Nikon but within the brand there are certain lenses that only work on certain model cameras. Be sure and speak with someone who knows the specifics before buying something. This is especially true if you are buying off ebay or somewhere without a customer service support line. I buy all of my gear from BH photo video or from one of the local shops here in Houston. I like the people at Houston Camera Exchange or Camera Co-op. Chris is the manager at camera Co-op and he'll answer all of your questions. One of the other perks to buying locally is that, if you have a problem, you just go over there and they should be willing to help you out (no more frustrating support lines and long hold times!).
To answer the common question of what I use and what I like, these are the lenses that I use all the time at the studio:
Canon EF 85mm F1.8, (BH photo video price $355.00)
Canon EF 50 mm F2.5 compact macro (BH photo video price $239.00)
Canon EF 70-200 F2.8L (BH photo video price $1699.00)
This is the lens I use when shooting my kids at the park, at parties, etc. It is a fantastic all-purpose lens. If I am going to be moving around a lot and don't have time for lens changes, I use this one.
Canon EF 24-70 F2.8L (BH photo video price $1190.00)
If I were shooting sports or something far away and needed to zoom in closer, I would take my:
Canon EF 70-200 F2.8L (BH photo video price $1699.00)
The 70-200mm lens is such an amazing lens. I can't say enough about it. It is not an everyday shooting lens for most people but, in the right circumstances, it is the best thing going. The pros all love it because you get amazing soft backgrounds and the long focal length is very flattering for people's faces. I also love, love, love my 85mm. I use those two lenses in the studio all the time. When I need to be up close and personal, I use the 50mm compact macro.
Because I can't imagine posting without including a few images, I thought I would share this set from a session last week. These were shot using the 85mm at about F5.0.
These next ones were shot using the 70-200mm, at 120 and 200mm and F4.0
Buying a lens is a little scary when you aren't sure what all the numbers mean. If you still feel unsure, go to the camera store and try different lenses on your camera and ask questions.
Do you have a lens that you love? Tell us about it and leave a comment.
This past weekend I had a class here at the studio. It was a basic digital photography class. Hopefully a few of my students came online today to check out The Monday Lessons. Looking for the handouts from the class? Email me and I'll send you a link to download them.
For those of you who may be new to The Monday Lesson, I wanted to point out a few highlights. The following lessons are some of the most important ones and everyone who is learning would benefit from reviewing these a few times. To browse all of the lessons easily, go to the left column and look for the category "The Monday Lesson". Click on that it will pull up all the lessons that I have posted here.
Next week, I will be answering one of your questions as my Monday Lesson for the week. Please email me (farrah@farrahbraniff.com) with your questions and I'll get to work. This lesson is for you guys! Let me know what your struggling with and I'll do my best to help clarify things.
Thanks for all of your comments and positive feedback. It means a lot. If you would like feedback on some of your images, please post them into the Monday Lesson Flickr group and I'll take a look!
Have a great week!
It's holiday card time everyone! More than any other time of year, the fall (and the holiday season) inspires people to get family portraits done. One of the biggest questions that clients ask is about what to wear. Today I am going to show you guys some images and give examples of clothing choices that work well.
One of the big questions that you have to answer, especially if you are talking about a holiday picture, is what do you want to have on your wall? Or are these images just for a card? For example, Santa hats and reindeer antlers may look really, really cute on your card but probably not as cute as the main 2008 image in your family gallery. This can even be true with Christmas inspired dresses or sweaters. There's no right answer except what your taste dictates. If you want to have a holiday feel but don't want the image to be strictly a holiday picture, you might just do it with fall colors or holiday colors. You can also do a few shots with the cute hat or sweater vest and then take it off for something less seasonal.
If the images are destined for the front of a holiday card, keep in mind that you can have the card background reflect the holidays and keep the clothing more universal. For example, like the pictures above and below, use a holiday inspired color in your clothing choice and then finish it off with a great card design that reinforces the holiday feel. The image below would look great on a holiday card but would also look timeless in someone's family gallery.
When it comes to family shots, it gets a little more complicated because you have more people to dress. Here I think the first question is whether or not you are a formal or casual family and which of those looks you want to put forth. Here the family dressed up and gave a nod to their heritage by choosing the kilts. The other thing to note here is that, although they do not all match, they are coordinated. There is a theme and it makes it so much easier on your eye.
If you consider yourself more casual, then the next image may be more your style.
With new babies I think it helps focus the attention onto the baby if the parents wear simple and uncomplicated clothing.
When photographing a newborn, keep in mind how small they are. It's hard to find clothes that fit when they are brand new and often the clothes overwhelm the baby. Watch out for collars that will stick up and block their faces. For example, button down shirts with collars are terrible on babies who have no head control because the collar covers them up. Personally, I think brand new babies look best in solids or clothes with very little pattern. For the most part, they also look better with only a diaper cover, swaddled in fabric or with nothing at all. Hey, when else can you parade around naked and everyone just looks on thinking, "oh how cute!"?
When you do pick out outfits for your kids, always have them fit! As parents, we always buy a little big so they can wear it longer but big in a photo just looks weird. It will make them look too skinny and small if they are a newborn and just slouchy as they get older.
If fashion is part of who you are as people and as a family then you may want to go a different route. If you love bright colors and funky clothes then that is probably what you should have in your images. In this case, you still need to coordinate but you can be more bold in your choices. Always remember, this is a picture of you and your family. It should reflect who you really are.
The main thing I want to say is that you do have to think about clothing choices. It will make a huge difference in the pictures that you are taking and the ones that the pros take as well. Think about keeping the images simple, think about colors and plan what you will wear and you'll be much happier with your results.
Objective: to think about the fear involved in being or becoming creative and move past it.
Artmaking has been a part of my life since I was really young. I went to an art high school here in Houston and afterward an art college in San Francisco. I draw, paint and take photographs. I crochet and quilt too, when I can. My hands are not good being idle. At various stages of my life, I wasn't making art and it always showed in my psyche. I need to make art. For me, life and art are entwined.
Being creative is tough though. It gets real personal, real fast and that can be very difficult. I know that some people who read this blog are photographers, some are friends and clients and some of you I don't know very well at all. I do know that nurturing our creative side is something that most of us struggle with whether it is your daily bread or just something that you enjoy doing. I know a lot of people want to be more creative and just struggle with getting started. For those of you who are creative as a part of your daily life and work, you may fight to keep it fresh and to stay inspired. I have been reading a book this week that has me really thinking about all of this and I wanted to share it with you guys. I am hoping there is a little something for everyone.
Why is it hard to be creative, put pen to paper, take the picture, write the first line? I think it is because art is personal. It is about you, on the inside. So, what happens if you take what is inside your heart and you put it to paper and present it to the world and the world doesn't like it? What does that say about the inside of your heart? Consider this quote from the book that I am reading, Art & Fear.
"But if making art gives substance to your sense of self, the corresponding fear is that you're not up to the task- that you can't do it, or can't do it well, or can't do it again; or that you're not a real artist, or not a good artist, or have no talent, or have nothing to say."
When I talk about being creative and "making art", I mean all forms of creative expression. Whether you are taking a drawing class for the very first time, a photo class, creating a scrapbook, learning to cook, creating music or writing...It is all coming from the same place- you. This is what makes it important and this is also what makes it hard.
The truth is, making art and being creative (in any capacity) is dangerous and revealing. It makes you vulnerable, especially if you share the work that you are making. For many, this fact alone can stop them in their tracks. The doubt and fear can keep you from even starting, much less finishing and then sharing.
And what about the "other people" part? This struck me to my core: "In a general way, fears about yourself prevent you from doing your best work, while fears about your reception by others prevent you from doing your own work"
The book goes on to discuss other barriers to artmaking. What stops you or tries to stop you? Is it fear disguised as laziness, resistance, distraction, problems with supplies or space, lack of time? Take a serious look and the reasons that keep you from doing what you would like to do, is it really those things or is it fear?
A lot of people get stuck on the notion of "talent" and whether or not they are innately talented. Talent is the idea that something comes easily for a person. If this is true that some people have it and some don't then what happens if you are going along and the creative work that you are doing is suddenly harder? It stops coming easy? What if you hit a "dry spell"? Does that mean that it is, as you may have always suspected, no talent or not enough? Worrying about talent is a terrible waste of energy and time. Focus instead on this:
"Whatever you have is exactly what you need to create your best work"
and this:
"Were talent a prerequisite, then the better the artwork, the easier it would have been to make. But alas, the fates are rarely so generous. For every artist who has developed a mature vision with grace and speed, countless others have laboriously nurtured their art through fertile periods and dry spells, through false starts and breakaway bursts, through successive and significant changes in direction, medium, and subject matter. Talent may get someone off the starting blocks faster, but without a sense of direction or a goal to strive for, it won't count for much. The world is filled with people who were given great natural gifts, sometimes conspicuously flashy gifts, yet never produce anything. And when that heppens, the world soon ceases to care whether they are talented."
If creative pursuits came easy they might not mean as much as they do to us and to the world. I would venture to say that anyone out in the world doing something creative is, at least at times, in struggle. Artmaking is simply not easy. Your creative energy is there to help you. There are lessons there for you. To see them, you need to follow the road, setting aside (to the best of your abilities) the fear and the judgement. Try to put aside the wishing, the hoping and the expectations as well. Instead, ask your creative spirit what it needs from you and listen to the answer. My friend, Brene, and I were talking about this issue one day and she compared her creative spirit to an infant that she is trying to carry, carefully nestled in front of her, in a Baby Bjorn carrier. I think this is a perfect analogy. Approach your creative self the way you would approach your baby. Don't ask it for things. Instead, ask, is it well rested? Does it need a snack? Is it feeling safe and comfortable?
Like everyone, my life is busy. The days speed by. By the time the kids are in bed, I feel wiped out. I am trying very hard though to carve out a little time to work on my art. In addition to my work at the studio, I have my personal artwork. This work exists, at least for now, outside of the realm of commerce. I am trying to build a body of work to potentially show, somewhere and some point. For now, I am just trying to listen to my creative voice and see where it wants me to go. It feels great AND it feels uncomfortable.
This is one of my new pieces. The others are a combination of drawing, collage and photography.
So, What can you do to nurture your creative spirit? What stops you from being creative? I'd love to hear your thoughts, please comment.
The book that I quoted and talked about:
Art & Fear
Observations On The Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking
(purchase on Amazon)
By: David Bayles & Ted Orland.
Another great book that talks about these issues AND has exercises for getting creative:
Taking Flight
Inspiration and Techniques to Give Your Creative Spirit Wings
When I feel stuck in the mud, all I have to do is visit a bookstore, look at all the great photography books in print, and my creative mind is off and running... maybe it's just the nice cup of Starbucks coffee! :) There are a million reasons why I love photography, but one of them is actually quite simple. I LOVE pictures. I LOOOOOOOOVE pictures!!!!!!! I have ever since I was a little-bitty thing. If I visit someone's house, and they have photo albums displayed, I'll spend time flipping through them. I'll spend hours going through all our family albums. I find comfort in them. So, a lot of times, I find that I can get burnt out when I don't see some hold-in-my-hand, tangible pictures. If I visit a bookstore, and flip through art books, photography books, and even parenting magazines, I get that tangibleness back. I can see what things look like on paper, not just on a computer screen, and it gives me new purpose and direction. My goals become not just capturing a great moment, but once that moment is captured, doing something with it. My secret project is a photo book about hats.
(09.30.08 @ 01:39 AM)The spirit moves fast and hard like a wild horse. It has a destination and your job is to try and keep up with it. If you don't stay focused on the spirit it will run loose on you and may never come back. If you respect your own creativity it will respect you back.
When you spend your time in fear of something like creative ideas than the only thing you have done is successfully been afraid. Recognition and success is nice but it makes the spirit run faster and harder. So cinch up them reigns and hit that pony hard. If you fall off than you get right back in the saddle and dust off later.
And always keep this in mind. You will be dead a lot longer than you will be alive. So enjoy it while it lasts and don't be afraid of ANYTHING.
God Bless Texas and God Bless Artists!
(09.30.08 @ 08:09 PM)
Objective: to learn about a photography legend and use his work to inspire you and your image making.
The studio is back up and running, hurricane Ike has come and gone and we have power again finally! Sorry this lesson is late but I have to blame Ike for that.
One of my very favorite photographers is Henri Cartier-Bresson. He was a French photographer (sadly passed away in 2004). He is considered to be the father of modern photojournalism. He developed a style of photography called "street photography" and was a master of candid photography. He was also one of the first people to embrace the 35 mm film format. He has been a huge influence on photography as we know it today and inspired generations of photographers.
He was a painter before he was a photographer but the work of one particular photographer caught his eye and he has been quoted as saying, "I suddenly understood that a photograph could fix eternity in an instant." He traveled the world and photographed alongside other greats such as Robert Capa and Walker Evans.
In 1952, he published his book The Decisive Moment. It included 126 of his photographs and the book's cover was drawn by Henri Matisse. In his preface, he says, "There is a creative fraction of a second when you are taking a picture. Your eye must see a composition or an expression that life itself offers you, and you must know with intuition when to click the camera. That is the moment the photographer is creative". This idea became the term that he is famous for, The Decisive Moment.
Cartier-Bresson used a Leica 35 mm rangefinder camera equipped with a 50 mm lens for his street work. It has been said that he would wrap black tape around the camera's silver parts to make the camera less obvious to people around him. He shot in black and white and believed that you should crop in camera and not later in the darkroom. When he printed his photographs, he would include the edge of the unexposed clear negative around the image, which gives you a black border showing that the full frame has been printed. Now we can add the black border digitally but before digital, you would take a metal file and file out the opening of the negative holder to expose that edge and show that you were printing "full frame".
Cartier-Bresson has been described as one of the art world's most unassuming personalities. He did not care for publicity and even dismissed the term "art" when it was applied to his images.
If you would like to take a look at a digital version of this book, check it out here. It's not a great reproduction but it will give you an idea what his work looked like.
So, how can you apply this theory to your image making? When I am shooting in the studio, I shoot fast and watch intently waiting for that type of decisive moment. I study my subject. We all know what The Decisive Moment feels like. You've either experienced it shooting or just seen it in real life. The eye moves into just the perfect position or an amazing expression lights up onto someone's face. I love that moment and when I am shooting and feel it happen it is an awesome moment for me. It's exhilarating like a spark. Cartier-Bresson said, "I prowled the streets all day, feeling very strung-up and ready to pounce, ready to 'trap' life." I love the moment when I feel like I've trapped it.
This image (below) was one of a series of shots where it all just lined up and the expression was perfect, the feet did what I wanted them to do, the depth-of-field fall off was good and the lights in the eyes were perfect. In this situation you need to shoot fast and really watch the subject through the lens waiting for all the elements to fall into place and then, click!
This next image was taken at a park and the kids were just playing along the railing. I love how the little boy dropped his eye right into the opening of the bars (which look like an eye too).
This image is also one of my favorites. I knew it when I shot it that I had captured the moment. Mom was just smiling at her baby and, overcome with happiness and admiration, leaned forward.
I love kids expressions when they are joyful and full of energy.
I shot this next image yesterday during a session here at the studio. In the frame before this, she had her hand in her mouth but the smile hadn't yet crept onto her face. Here you can see the slight upturn of her smile and I love it. It was just a spli second later.
This is another favorite. I love how you can see a little bit of Mom in the background. He was crawling back and forth on the bench having a great time. When he would get to me he'd get all excited and smile.
What I love about the idea of The Decisive Moment is that it encourages you to really watch what you are photographing. I have heard a lot of Moms say that some of their best pictures are when the kids aren't aware they are photographing them. One way that you can do this is to get a longer lens or a zoom lens and sit away from your kids and be stealthy like Bresson. Trap the moment! (lens question? Try here.)
Have you ever had that feeling of capturing The Decisive Moment? I'd love to see it and hear about it. Please post your comments and links to your images. You can also upload images to The Monday Lesson Flickr Group.
Have a great week everyone, go trap some moments!
I added a picture! I may not be able to come back every week, but at least I made this one. :o)
(09.25.08 @ 03:34 PM)