Nikon D200, Lensbaby Composer, Double Glass Optic, 1/80th sec at f/4, ISO 200
Photographed on September 28, 2009
I used my Lensbaby a lot this year. I even took at least one photo-per-day with it for an entire month to try to improve my skills (mostly speed in focusing). Today’s photo is one of the images I created during that time … this was taken while driving through Las Vegas on the way to Photoshopworld. I can’t really put my finger on why I like it so much. It’s probably a combination of the light (the “golden hour”), the bokeh from the lights in the background and the trail of cars in the mirror. Really, when you think about it, the subject is not too interesting but the combination of lots of other factors made it look really cool.:)
If you use a Lensbaby and have the “Creative Aperture” set then you might find this technique fun, especially during the holidays when there is a plethora of lights all around. The photo above was not manipulated in Photoshop (other than basic color/tone adjustments) – it’s a long exposure photographed with a Lensbaby. Heres’s how to achieve a similar effect:
- You will need an SLR camera, Lensbaby*, and the Creative Aperture Kit
- Find a scene that has a lot of lights and requires a long-exposure (several seconds)
- With your Lensbaby, use a creative aperture, such as the heart or star (or make your own!)
- Once you have your focusing and proper exposure time set on your image, start your exposure and about half-way to two-thirds through the exposure defocus your lens. You might need to try defocusing at different times to get a good overall look to the image (it does require some trial-and-error).
The end result should give you a normal scene with large bokeh shapes where the lights are from whatever shaped aperture you had in your lens.
*It might be possible to create the same effect by using a non-Lensbaby lens and a DIY bokeh shape. I’ve never tried it before, but theoretically it should work the same way. (If you want to give it a shot with a DIY, please let me know how it turns out!)
Canon 7D, Lensbaby Composer, Star Aperture. 1/30th sec at ISO 3200
Last night there were more than 130 people at the Photowalking Utah “Holiday Light Clinic and Photowalk” – I’m pretty sure that’s a record for the Photowalking Utah group … wow! We started out at the library, where Rich Legg gave a wonderful presentation on photographing in low-light situations. Then we headed out (all 130 of us) on the TRAX train to photograph the beautiful Christmas lights of Temple Square, downtown Salt Lake City Utah.
This was my second time in Temple Square and my first time seeing it all decked-out with Christmas lights. It was really crowded, and I was so busy talking and meeting new people that I barely took any photos. ;) The display was absolutely beautiful, and I do plan on heading down there before the end of the year on my own to get some more shots.
To view more of the photos from the walk, please visit the Photowalking Utah Flickr group. To watch for upcoming Photowalking Utah events please check out the blog.
Here is the final video from the Lensbaby Photowalk in Salt Lake City, Utah on November 7, 2009. Thanks to everyone who attended, and special thanks to both Pictureline and Lensbaby for making this event possible!
Video footage by Nicole Young, Jeremy Hall and Scott Jarvie. Music by Josh Woodward – “Memorized” from the album “The Simple Life”
The first-ever (that I am aware of, at least) Lensbaby photowalk was a success! Over 60 photographers met up at Pictureline in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah, each with a Lensbaby to use for the photowalk (courtesy of both Lensbaby and Pictureline) and roamed around the block snapping photos. From what I could tell everyone was having a great time. I’m a big fan of the Lensbaby product and was really happy that others had a good chance to try one out for themselves.
A huge thanks go to both Jens and Nick at Pictureline for making all of the arrangements, and also to Lensbaby for supplying the demo lenses for all of the participants who needed to borrow one.
You can view photos from the event on the Photowalking Utah Flickr group (click here).
A friend of mine was in a scooter accident recently, so Rich and I got a few photos of her beautifully colored black eye (I even got an über close-up with the macro attachement here). Thanks, Kati, for modeling for us. :)
Canon 7D, Lensbaby Composer, 1/60th at f/4, ISO 100, +4 Macro accessory
I recently bought a new camera … a Canon 7D. No big deal, right? Well, maybe not, unless you consider the fact that for the last 13 years I have been using all Nikon gear. Why did I make this choice? I have been in need of an upgrade to my Nikon D200 for quite some time, but I haven’t been able to find a camera that fits all of my needs. The majority of my photography is commercial stock imagery for iStockphoto. While I personally could care less how many megapixels I shoot, with microstock it’s a good thing to have a lot of them. Nikon does not currently have a high-megapixel camera (other than the über-expensive D3x) … so that was one thing pushing me towards Canon.
To make it simple, here is a list from my own personal experience, comparing some of the aspects that are important to me between Nikon & Canon:
Nikon D700/D3
Canon 7D/5DMkII
Only 12.1 mp
Higher Megapixels (18 and 21)
Low noise at high-ISO w/ D700 and D3
Still has low noise with some models, but not as
good as the D700/D3
Clunkier controls – zooming, scrolling through
images, etc.
Controls are much more intuitive; I especially
like the “wheel” on the back of the body.
Menu goes on and on … it’s easy to get lost.
Menu shows only as much as will fit on the screen
(I just like how it looks)
Great focusing system for fast performance
Focusing not as good as the Nikon, but I don’t
typically shoot fast-moving subjects
In-camera interval modes
Needs a separate cable-release for intervals
No HD video in the D700 or D3 (yet)
HD video capability in the 7D and 5DMkII
Please note that this is a very small list compared to all of the differences between the two systems; I mentioned only the few that are important to me.
So … am I switching to Canon? The answer is …maybe, probably … I don’t know. Economically it seems like the right thing to do, since I have perfectly good re-sell-able lenses sitting in a camera bag (including the “hard-to-find” 24-70 f/2.8) and a Nikon camera body that probably won’t see the light of day again for quite some time.
If I could do both systems, I probably would. It’s not easy to get rid of my Nikon gear, since I feel strangely connected to it. At first I was very much intent on sticking with both systems, possibly upgrading to a Nikon D700 (or whatever comes out next) and maybe I still will. If I had all the money in the world then this would be an easy decision … but glass aint cheap.
I’m making no promises to myself … I’d like to give it some time, live with my Canon for a while, and then decide if I want to take the full plunge.
Canon 7D, Lensbaby Composer, ISO 1600, 1/80th at f/4, +10 and +4 Macro accessories.
Edited in Adobe Lightroom and Nik Silver Efex Pro.
Can you guess what this is? I photographed it in my home with my Lensbaby Composer, stacking up the +4 and +10 macro adapters. Let me know what you think it is in the comments … I’ll post the answer tomorrow!
Nicole is a food & lifestyle photographer living in Seattle. She is an author with Peachpit Press and Craft & Vision, and is a Help-Desk Specialist with the National Association of Photoshop Professionals. Click here to read more about Nicole.
Nikon D200, Lensbaby Composer, Double Glass Optic, 1/80th sec at f/4, ISO 200
