Threw down a few rolls of film with my beautiful friend Mei Melancon this week in LA. She was Psylocke, in X-Men: The Last Stand. Really starting to enjoy shooting the new Hassy 503CW. The square format is so nice to frame up. The color is the new Portra 400. Also shot a couple rolls with the Contax G2.
I’ve recently had a few inquiries about lenses that I use, and I figured I’d throw a few thoughts down. First and foremost, I’ve never been one that is all about gear. Don’t get me wrong, having good gear is important to our job and livelihood, but cameras/lenses are just tools to get us where we want creatively. I like to use the right lens or camera for the right job.
So many people put so much emphasis on what gear you are using, but most importantly is what you are putting in front of your camera. I have shots in my portfolio from a point and shoot.
That said, in the realm of digital, I use Canon gear because A: it’s great and B: I got into the photography game when they were a leg up ahead of Nikon. Started investing into the lenses/bodies and have had no need to switch. Since then, Nikon has definitely caught up so either are great. I wouldn’t buy anything else in the dSLR world besides either of those. (Leica is definitely awesome, but I don’t feel like they play in the same realm.)
On to lenses, I’ve posted a little before, but a few years ago. I’ve even simplified my shooting, and use less lenses in the lifestyle arena. I prefer the fixed focal length lenses for the most part. Since I’ve been shooting more film, I only have 2 lenses for my Contax G2’s, the 28mm and the 45mm, but I primarily only use the 45mm. Below are a couple samples(click here to see the whole shoot: http://nonk.it/dYyrrF):
In the Canon Digital world, Here’s an overview:
Canon 20mm f2.8
I love this lens for close dynamic type of shots or landscapes. It has a great dynamic to it that you can pull a lot of story into. It also has a natural vignette that I like. It does distort a bit, but if used in the right context it works to your advantage. Here are a couple of examples:
Canon 35mm f1.4L
This lens is great for shooting group lifestyle. You can fit a lot more into the frame, while still being in a close proximity to the subjects. The downside is it does distort when you get closer, and at certain angles. Something to be aware of. Samples below:
Canon 50mm f1.2L
I bought this lens a while back, used it for a bit, then shelved it for a while. I’ve recently started to shoot it a lot more because it has less distortion for shooting one person closer up. Great lens all around though. Samples below:
Canon 70-2oomm f2.8L ISII
I use this lens if I want to get a really compressed look. This leans more into the fashion lifestyle side. Samples below:
I’ve been looking forward to finally collaborating with my good friend Maor, the designer of this sick rock & roll jewelry line, mcohendesigns.com. My good friend Melinda Tarbell rocked out the styling and did an amazing job. We shot out in LA a few weeks ago.
