Camera Walking with Art Lenses
Now that the holidays are over, I imagine that many of you have received either a first camera, a newer one, or more lenses to help you become an engaged photographer. Once we have that first (or second) camera body, most of us become interested in adding lenses. Over time, I have become interested in "art" lenses, so a year ago I purchased a Lensbaby Velvet 56 mm lens, and this year I added a Lensbaby Twist 60 and a Daguerreotype Achromat 2.9/64 Art Lens to my gear.
I love what Lensbaby has to say about photography on their website: "Photographers spend years shooting for perfect. Flawless, precise, pristine—we’ve all chased the perfect shot. At Lensbaby, we see things differently. We think perfect is boring. We seek surprise—to have our eyes opened, to dance and play and lose ourselves in moments. To break free of routine, be uncomfortable, tinker, and open yourself up to unexpected results. When you do that, you’ll change how you see everything."
This is what drew me to Lensbaby. My Lensbaby Velvet 56 mm lens is the primary lens I use to capture flower photos. It allows me to get as close as five inches. It adds a special glow to the photos, especially when you take the shot wide open. The more you stop down, increasing the aperture, the crisper the image becomes.
Because of my success with the Velvet 56, I decided to try another Lensbaby, the Twisted 60. According to the website you can, "Free your subjects from their background on full frame with delicious twisty, swirly blur. Twist 60’s vignette calls further attention to anything you place within the large central area of focus, for a timeless, vintage look." Take a moment and watch this video to get a better sense of what it can do.
I enjoy using this lens and I am getting some interesting results on my walks. You can see the twisted blur around the edges of the photo below. The key is to keep the focus in the center of the shot to get the benefits of the swirl.
I came across the Daguerreotype Achromat 2.9/64 Art lens through social media, and was intrigued by its history and possibilities. This lens, according to their website, is: "Celebrating the great return of dreamy imagery, you can alternate between razor-sharp images, or drape your world in silky soft focus. The Daguerreotype Achromat Art Lens has a focal length of 64 mm and a classic Waterhouse Aperture system ranging from f/2.9 to f/16 and featuring specially designed plates to produce deep, textured backgrounds rarely achieved in photography. The optical construction has been redesigned from the original, so that you can enjoy ethereal soft focus from apertures below f/4, or razor-sharp definition with deep contrasts from f/5.6 onwards." Take a look at the video below that was produced for their Kickstater campaign. It is worth your time.
This is a very new lens for me, so I have just started experimenting with it. It focuses manually, like the other Lensbaby lenses, but instead of having the f stops on a ring of the lens, like most lenses, it uses the Waterhouse aperture system. Each plate has a different focal length, which means that I have to decide in advance which ones to carry with me while out walking.
I went out over the weekend to test out the lens, using the Standard and the Lumiere plates. I had fun and look forward to experimenting with the more creative plates over time. The image below was shot using the f/2.9 plate creating a blurry, dreamy shot, which I find interesting. I used the Lumiere f/4.5 plate for the second image, which made the lights look like stars. Fun!
Although I still enjoy using my fixed and zoom lenses, I like experimenting with these three art lenses. Not only do they help me create more artistic images, it changes up my walks as well! I find myself looking for subjects that can tell a different story. Whatever lens you use, grab your camera and go out for a walk, take photos, and let the artist within you emerge. We love hearing from you, so comment below, post on our Facebook page, or send us an email.
