Wedding season 2016 is just around the corner for us, and we are so excited! April puts things into overdrive with 9 – count ’em – 9 weddings! So, March means we are getting everything charged, cleaned, and ready to rock n roll for this jam packed season to make sure we give our couples our very best.
While we had everything out, we figured we’d take a moment and highlight some of our favorite lenses and what they do for brides and new photographers alike. This is Ashley’s camera bag all laid out – impressive, no? Multiple camera bodies, a wide variety of lenses, on and off camera flashes to help us cope with any lighting situation, plenty of memory cards and more that isn’t in this photograph. We come prepared for anything.
One of our work horse lenses is this bad boy. The 70-200mm 2.8. For those who may not know, the 2.8 refers to the widest open aperture a lens has. Aperture controls how much light is let into a lens and how shallow or deep depth of field is. This lens is fabulous because it allows us to be unobtrusive while still getting close ups of significant moments. We love using it for ceremonies or for giving the couple a little privacy (by being far away) while still capturing those moments forever.
Another lens we absolutely adore, is the 135mm 2.0. Oh man, the compression (a phenomenon where the background can appear larger than it actually is) on this lens is great. We use it for a lot of portraits, especially if there are string lights around. The compression makes those lights appear larger than real life and because the depth of field is shallow, they appear as these dancing orbs of light, giving a really dreamy look to the photo.
Rachel has two lenses that are her babies. One is the 90mm tilt shift lens seen below. No, it’s not broken! It’s a tilt shift, which means that the lens literally tilts or shifts. By tilting the lens, the focal plane is moved, so people or things that are on the same focal plane appear blurry in some places, and in focus in others. This lens is wonderful for creating high drama or drawing the eye to highlight a specific and significant point. It also can create a unique feeling of seeing a scene in miniature form, something that Rachel intends to experiment with this year.
Ahh, what would wedding photography be without a great macro lens? Macro photography is what every bride hopes for when she wants a picture of her beautiful engagement ring up close and personal. The 100mm 2.8 macro lens is our go to for photos like that. A shallow depth of field brings into sharp relief all the cuts and slices of the diamond to make it sparkle and glitter. It’s also perfect for capturing the tiniest details of your wedding day, like Kathy’s dandelion seed for good luck.
Here is Rachel’s other baby, the 50mm 1.2. This portrait lens has a wide capability and can be used for taking exquisite bridal portraits. With it’s low light capacity and it’s sharp focus, this lens is fantastic in just about any setting. The 50mm fixed focal length can give a wide option for getting in close or capturing the bigger picture. It’s a truly versatile lens.
Last, but not least by any means, is the 85mm 1.8. This is another fabulous portrait lens. Tack sharp, great low light capability and giving portraits a beautiful creamy feel, this lens is one that we love to use for bridal portraits as well as reception coverage. It’s great for being unobtrusive on the dance floor – especially for slow dances – and allows the background to gently fade away. This lens is always in our repertoire.
What kind of photographs do you look for from your wedding photographer? Ask them if they have the equipment that corresponds to the look you desire! Or, even easier, drop us a line and we’ll make sure you get the images you want!
