Rick sent me this photo to comment on and as usual, I like to copy and paste the actual words. I do this because there’s a lot of my fellow photographers out there that might have a similar question, or have had a similar situation come up in their photography. Here’s what he had to say:
“Hi Joe,
What do you think of the composition and mood in this photograph?
It’s a shot of a friend at a Nighthawk’s concert in Williamsport, PA, pre-concert in a rather dark setting, as you can see. I took my Canon 5D Mark II with a Sigma 85mm 1.4 lens, no flash, to go after some natural-light stuff. Only auto contrast in Elements.
Much appreciated.”
Rick
Rick, one of the areas I cover a lot in both my online class with the PPSOP, and in my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshop I conduct around the planet is the ways to create Visual Tension. Mood will certainly be one of the ways, but there are others ways that will also generate Tension.
The areas I concentrate on are what we work on in my online class with the PPSOP, and in my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshops I conduct around the planet.
Visit my website at: www.joebaraban.com and check out my 2014 workshop schedule at the top of this blog.
Don’t forget to send me a photo and question to: AskJoeB@gmail.com. You’ll receive my new video critique.
Henning from Germany, sent me this question that I thought I would share:
“Joe,
I know you shoot with Canon. So I would like your advice on the following question of mine: I am thinking of purchasing a few additional lenses for my Canon camera. At the moment, I own a Canon model with APS-C sensor (30D), but I would like to buy my lenses with a future upgrade to a full-format sensor camera in mind.
I have always loved shooting with a fast fixed-focus small tele lens for portraits, and I am starting to really enjoy shooting with a wide angle lens, as well, thanks to your online course “Stretching your Frame of Mind” (a great course, by the way). Fixed focus lenses would be okay for me – I actually like shooting with them. I am looking to upgrade in terms of picture quality (in particular, my Canon kit zoom 4.0 – 5.6 / 17 – 85 mm is not the greatest, I find)
My current favo rite combination would be a Canon 4.0 / 17mm – 40 mm and either a Canon 1.8 / 85 mm or a 2.8 / 100 mm Macro lens (not so much looking for a Macro lens in particular, but rather for a high-quality portrait / multi-purpose small tele lens). I would keep my 1.4 / 50 mm to cover the “middle” range and to have at least one faster lens available. As an alternative to this combination, Canon’s 2.8 / 24 – 70 mm lens sounds like an interesting option.
I am not a professional photographer, so I am on a budget. However, I would be willing to spend some money on good quality lenses that I can continue to use after my next camera upgrade and that give me a range of options from wide angle to small tele.Which lenses would you recommend in my case?Your feedback would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
Henning”
Here’s my response to him:
Henning, your choices are right on! I actually have both of these lens and I’ve always been very happy with them. When buying these lens, remember that it would be a lifetime investment, and providing that you take care of them you probably would never have to replace them.
FYI, when I was buying my first digital wide angle lens, I inadvertently bought the 17-40mm F/4 when I meant to buy the 16-35mm F’2.8. I didn’t realize it until i got my lens and was shooting with it for a while. I guess some might suggest a “senior moment’!!! I was going to send it back but after using it for a while I decided to keep it because I was really liking it.
The stop I lost going from a F/2.8 to a F/4 was negligible since I virtually always use a tripod, and I’m very fast with it!!! If you’re the type that doesn’t want complete control of your photographs and you hand hold your camera, then that one stop would/could make the difference in being able to shoot in a low light situation (without having to crank up your ISO, and then forgetting that you did later on). Of course, that one stop makes a huge difference in price. The 17-40mm lens sells for $US840.00, while the 16-35mm goes for $US1700.00. You’re paying a lot for that stop but to me it’s worth it when you think of it as a one-time investment and amortize it over the course of your photographic lifetime.
I really love my F/2.8 100mm Macro, and like you I use it for portraiture as well as other situations besides Macro work. A fantastic lens!!! As far as the F/2.8 24-70mm lens, I also have it and let me tell you that it’s an incredible piece of glass!!! Down the road, it’s a ‘must have’ lens for you.
There’s always going to be a lot more you can do with zooms over fixed lens. At one time, i traveled with fifteen lens, now, I carry four and I have everything from 17-200mm and my life is soooooooo much easier.
Since light is so fleeting, and can vanish in a blink of an eye I don’t want to miss it by changing lens. even as fast as I am, I’m not as fast as Mother Nature.
One last note Henning: When it’s time for you to upgrade your camera body, I would absolutely go with the Canon 5D Mark II. To me, it’s unbeatable. I’ve been shooting with them for a long time and I have no desire to change. As they say, “if it ain’t broke, why fix it”? One thing I will tell you and hope you’ll remember is that buying your first 5D Mark II won’t make you a better photographer, but what it will do is to make you the very proud owner of a Canon 5D Mark II. It’s not the camera, it’s the ten inches behind it that’s important!!!
