35mm f1.4g

/ Photo

So I pulled the trigger on another lens for my kit—a 35mm 1.4g, preowned on craigslist. I’m having a little regret because the lens is: a) Freaking expensive, and b) it’s really close to the field of view to my 24mm 1.4g. My goal was to add another lens to my kit every year… so here we are!

The good news is that I picked up the lens for such a good deal that I could probably use it for a year or two and sell it for the same price.

DSC_5718

(24mm f1.4 pictured above) After looking at all the photos I shot over the last year with my 24mm 1.4, I realized that I hardly shot photos of people. I realize now that the 24mm is great for shooting landscapes, astrophotography, semi macro photography (like food), architecture, indoor spaces, animals and children. Unfortunately, when you take pictures of an adult with a 24mm, it adds too much distortion and makes the photo look tense and surreal. Photos almost feel like they’re stills pulled out of a Stanley Kubrick movie.

DSC_5716

(35mm f1.4 pictured above) I felt like I wanted a lens that could really capture my day to day life. And to be honest, I want more photos of the people around me. I had the choice of a 35mm or 50mm… and I went with the 35mm because it just has such a cinematic feel. I think it’s great for capturing candids of people. There’s still a little distortion when you get up close… but for the ultra close ups, thats where you use a 85mm.

Anyway, you’ll be seeing more photos from the 35mm f1.4. Stay tuned!

Photos of the Bay Bridge

/ Cali, Photo

DSC_5699

I shot this one last night using the 24mm. I guess they’re testing out the lights again on the bridge. It made for a nice low light photo.

DSC_5704

And this morning, there was an incredible sunrise. I actually was too tired to get up and set up my camera properly. I shot this at f1.4, so the contrast was total crap. The actual sunset was much more vivid.

I’ll try to get a better one next time. I have to remember to try shooting at f8, and snap the photo from a different angle to create more depth.

Photos from my Flight back to San Francisco

/ Cali, Photo

DSC_5685

On my way back to Cali, I snapped a couple of photos from my flight.

DSC_5657

It’s pretty impressive what a 24mm 1.4 can do at night. I’m going to have to take this lens out for some night time street photograph sometime soon.

DSC_5676

It’s interesting… as I use more ephemeral photo apps on my phone, I’m starting to find myself using my DSLR more. While it takes a little more time to compose, edit and share, there’s something much more rewarding.

DSC_5662

PS. I just picked up a 35mm 1.4… so I’m hoping to test that out soon. I know it’s similar to the 24mm, but I think it has a slightly different purpose. More on this later.

Portraits of Ellie

/ Photo, Too Cute

DSC_5494_color

So, while I was back on the east coast, I took a bunch of photos with Ellie. This one was shot using my dad’s vintage Nikon Micro 50mm f3.5 and was lit using my iPhone. I mean, this lens sells for $50 on ebay… and it does a pretty damn good job.

DSC_5491

I’m just blown away by what kind of photos you can get from such an old lens that doesn’t have a f1.4 aperture. This one was shot using an extension tube… I mean, it was probably shooting at f5.6 or higher.

DSC_5615

I’m not sure what it was, but I felt like I needed to get back to photography. It’s been a while, and there’s something nice about having some nice photos of memories. By the way, I shot this photo with her full face… but there’s something nice about cropping it in half.

DSC_5598

It takes a little time to go through all the photos and clean things up in Lightroom, but I kind of enjoy it.

DSC_5406

It’s ironic how I used to take more photos when it was harder, back in the day. Now that photography is so accessible, I find myself actually taking less photos.

DSC_5639

I definitely share stuff, but it’s different. There’s something special about creating a photo, versus snapping a shitty camera pic. Don’t get me wrong, a craftsman doesn’t blame his/her tools… but there is something nice about playing with taking photos with some old school manual lenses.

Photos from Thanksgiving

/ Me, Photo

DSC_5476

It was great seeing Annie’s family and my family on the east coast.

DSC_5471

As always, my mom cooked a sweet meal. She’s perfected all her thanksgiving dishes. What can I say, I’m super lucky!

DSC_5460

One evening, we saw a sunset that was just absolutely breath taking. A boat passed by and created some waves. This photo was cropped a little, but it captures the moment and the depth of the sunset.

I wish I took some more photos. I think I need to get another lens. I’ve been really thinking about getting a 35mm or 50mm. It’s hard to get a good picture of people without too much distortion on my 24mm. More on that later.

I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving.

More Photos of Ellie

/ Photo, Too Cute

DSC_5335

She’s pretty adorbzzz. I shot these at 24mm f2 to get a little more sharpness.

DSC_5330

I think I’m going to try getting a close up of her with an 85mm.

On a side note, I’ve been debating whether I should get a 35mm or a 50mm to add to my collection. While I love my 24mm and 85mm, it’d be nice to have a lens that can capture something closer to what the human eye sees. What do you guys think?