Hi all,
Finally got out and took some shots with my new toy! My Lensbaby composer. This was shot with the plastic optic. I admit the whole idea of putting a plastic lens in front of a full frame 12mp camera is somewhat daft, but I love the effect. Lensbaby photography seems to create much debate - what do you guys feel about it?
Cheers,
Neil.
2 comments:
Hi Neil
Interesting shot. I wonder whether part of the 'interest' is not simply the technique rather than the strength of the image as it stands on its own. My personal feeling on this particular image is that the softness is perhaps a little overdone (the statue face could be a little crisper). After looking at the image for a while I also came to the (personal) conclusion that I would have preferred this image without the use of the lens baby (i.e. good hyperfocal focusing technique instead to keep everything sharp).
So does this mean there's a place in everyone's kitbag for a lensbaby or similar device? I can see this technique working for wedding photographers looking for what is currently a contemporary look. If overdone though it could become passe. I await Paul's response on that ;) I also see some of your 'concept' closeup photography working with this. How about a with and without image to see the effect?
E
I must admit I have been looking at lensbaby stuff on the web for the last year, perhaps two, and have been waiting for it to go away! Yes, I suspected that it was just a phase and would blow over without so much as a nostalgic nanosecond. Perhaps I was wrong. Of all of us I certainly agree with Emil that this... lensbaby 'technique' is best suited to Neil's style. Without a doubt and I look forward to the stunners that Neil will no doubt produce with his baby. Whilst it seems that Neil has indeed managed to get his head around putting cheap plastic in front of a full frame, I suspect I will struggle. A lot! ("I think I am going to invest in bigger plastic" just doesn't have the same ring to it!)
Ahhhhhnd while I'm about it I must say that I agree with Emil that if lensbaby stuff is overdone it will become passe. I think of it along the same lines as donutted mirror lens stuff. Great to have the odd shot amongst the portfolio but too much becomes annoying. Which again is why I think the lensbaby is well suited to Neils style. He will be able to get away with it for far longer than many of us would. And another thing... I suspect that with a little practice the lensbaby effect would be easy enough to mimic in P/shop or other image editing software (apart from at the shooting stage - hyperfocal focussing as Emil mentioned) perhaps combined with a lens burst etc. So why not shoot for that or shoot 'normally' and digitally create later. In my mind this gives you choice. If you like the effect, keep it. If you like the traditional, focussed image keep that instead. Hell keep both!
(Just realised that this post sounds a lot like an anti lensbaby tirade, but it is not. Jeeps! I havent even held a 'baby' in my own hands! - Neil.... could you help with that? ;)
Paul.
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