So what is the Lensbaby ?. Well, its a rather odd looking lens, (approx 50mm & f2-f8 for the boffins) that focuses in one point of the frame only. The front glass is held in place with a bellow that you squeeze to focus, and this means you can move the focal point, or the 'sweet spot' as its called, around the image. To change the size and gravity of the sweet spot you can change the aperture (basic depth of field stuff), and you do this by ... wait for it ... dropping a wee aperture ring into the lens - Fiddly .... very, crude ... maybe, simple and effective .... definitely.
Have not really played much with it yet but have a had a few sessions. First time out around the garden just to get the feel of it - oooh so wierd.
Then a few shots of the poor unsuspecting hound, well, our nutty neighbour was round and the wine was flowing... took some of each other but these are far too embarassing, lucky for us Sassy cannot use blogger very well !!!
Then one eve just hanging out the decking doors, our wee studio in the snow and then one taken by 'er indoors of the xmas tree that is currently a feature on the decking. For those that know her work no surprises that its of a closeup of a wet plant - nice thou, really do love her work.. This lens is great for floral work and hear you can get a macro attachment so think I will loose it into her camera bag if I am not carefull.
Am very keen to use it for portraits and had a very quick play whilst doing a shoot for a young couple staying at our cottage, more of this on my other blog.So, its tricky to use, fiddly to change aperture, almost impossible to focus, and zoom is done by legwork, so why bother ??
Well in this modern word of repeatable perfection where so many images have become sterile by losing the spirit created by the early photography equipment isn't it a refreshing change to create images that are more organic, more emotive without being abstract, and just a little different without resorting to Photoshop. Sure, all these effects could be produced on a pc but then that can become too clinical and styled. The next time someone tells me that they have just got a plugin to do some effect I will tell them which hole it should go in...
I just love this new toy as it takes you into a world of uncertainty and surprises, think I will go out to the studio and make a pinhole camera later, something that's been on my wish list for more years than I can remember.
Would I recommend that you buy one, well definitely not, cos if everyone did then it would no longer be individual, but I suspect the purist brigade will pass it by so its fairly safe !
1 comment:
Interesting . . . I like the lensbaby, but found if hard to operate as I have small hands and the focus and finding the sweet spot is all done by manipulating the ring which I found a bit stiff and sore on my fingers. HS has much longer fingers and possibky stronger so not such a stretch for him.
I am keen to try out the macro version as for me the lensbaby has a better effect currently on a wide angle lens.
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