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Wednesday, August 29, 2012I bought a new camera lens recently and I've been having so much fun with it in recent outfit posts. It's my first prime lens, so there's a bit of a learning curve. I still find myself wanting to set the tripod down anywhere before zooming in to frame the shot. Instead, now I have to place the tripod farther away to capture a full body shot. It's a longer walk back and forth with a self-timer, but the prettier bokeh background is worth the effort. Any tips for newbies on using a prime lens would be much appreciated!
blouse: Gap raw edge henley (similar)
necklace as belt: Forever 21 curb chain (similar)
ring: Forever 21 faux stone (similar)
skirt: Forever 21 striped bodycon (this season's sold here)
A comparison shot with my kit lens. Perhaps a bit unfair because the background and weather was completely different.
cardigan: Talbots epaulette boyfriend (similar)
top: Modcloth Brandi's Something in the Era (sold here)
ring: Forever 21 faceted faux gemstone (similar)
skirt: Gap knit tulip (similar)
shoes: Miu Miu leather pointed toe pumps (similar)
25 comments
Love your outfits. Good luck with your new lens.
ReplyDeleteAgi:)
vodkainfusedlemonade.wordpress.com
Love the new lens shot! And great outfits!
ReplyDeletexo - Sheila
http://sheislovely1.blogspot.com
Congrats on your new lens! I am "just" starting to use my new Lumix - it'll be a while before I wander into your territory. But your pics are great!
ReplyDeleteIf it's the 50mm immovable lens, its really hard to take self-pics with a tripod since you can't zoom in and out. I use a remote (some DSLRs have that feature) and it snaps pics right away. However, 50mm lenses are a fashion blogger favorite, and they do take spectacular pics once you know how to adjust everything correctly!
ReplyDeleteIt takes some trial and error, but you'll get the hang of it! :)
Yup, my new lens is the 50mm immovable one. Unfortunately my camera isn't compatible with a remote, so it's a lot of manual focusing and positioning with a tripod to frame photos. It usually takes me 2-3 iterations before I get the focus, lighting and framing to be decent. It sounds like a lot of work, but it's forcing me to learn more about the camera, so it's hasn't been horrible :)
DeleteWhat kind of camera do you have. I have the canon sx40 but I am seriously wanting to trade it for a Nikon DSLR 3100. I still have yet to learn the Canon sx40. How do you make the background blurry like that? I love this blouse.
ReplyDeletethanks
Sam
http://fabulouspetite.blogspot.com
Hey Sam! I have the Sony NEX-3, a cross between a point-and-shoot and DSLR. Are either the SX40 or Nikon 3100 point-and-shoots? Because I don't think you can achieve the bokeh effect with that. When I use my camera with either lens, I usually shoot in aperture priority mode and change the f-stop to the lowest number which I believe has the biggest impact on the background's blurriness (ie: on my new lens, that would be 1.8), then alter ISO (higher for indoor, lower for outdoors/sunny), then play around with exposure settings until I'm happy with the brightness/contrast of the colors in the photo. It sounds like a lot of work, but with time, it'll become more second nature. Hope that helps!
Deletelove the new lens!! i have the hardest time getting in focus.. what do you do to figure out where to stand to be in focus?
ReplyDeleteManually focusing is the trickiest part! If you have a remote, that'd be the easiest solution. What I do is find a nearby object, manually focus, and then run over to stand next to the object in focus while the self-timer's counting down. I've also tried focusing on an object and then counting the # of steps I'd take to reach it. Then I position my tripod anywhere and just walk the required # of steps away from the camera. Depending on the lens/camera, some might be so sensitive to the focused point that a few inches off makes for blurrier photos, so I try to use the first method when I can. Hope that helps!
Deletelmao I just commented giving you the same advice that you gave here! i should have read the comments first :)
DeleteWhat a difference the lens makes!! I recently bought a 50mm 1.4 for my Canon and I LOVE it, but you're right - it does take some getting used to. We took it on a recent trip to NY and it was even harder to get OTHER people to take simple tourist photos of us (since the framing is more work). Lesson learned there! :)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful results though.
xo,
Morgan
seemomogo.blogspot.com
Haha I'm always nervous when I take photos for strangers, especially with DSLR cameras. Does your Canon auto zoom with the new lens? Mine is able to find faces of people through the camera, so hopefully that'll ease some of the burden when I ask strangers to take photos :)
Deleteoooh which lens?
ReplyDeletei'm in the market for a new point and shoot (don't want to carry my bulky dslr all over europe on our honeymoon) and i'm so excited to get a new camera!
adore the striped skirt, too!
Sony 50mm f/1.8 for NEX cameras is my new lens! I've been seriously loving it so far.
DeleteDo you think you and your husband can swap carrying the DSLR? I'd hate for you to miss out on great honeymoon photos because the camera's too heavy. As for point-and-shoot recs... my old one is a Canon PowerShot and I think it's a great gadget for the price. I'm not sure what series they're up to now, but I can imagine there's been many improvements over the years. I have a couple friends who love their Sony Cybershot. Definitely google those two for reviews.
Definitely so fun playing with new lens. I love your striped skirt!
ReplyDeletexoxo,
Suzie Q
www.StyleCueBySuzieQ.com
i think its a constant battle trying to figure out the best ways to take pics in certain lights with different backgrounds! i watched so many youtube videos, lol
ReplyDeletebeautiful picture with the new lens! my recent trick is to focus on an object which is the same distance away as I'll be standing, and then go stand in that place before I take the picture. The farther away you stand the more in-focus space there will be (did that make sense? i dont know camera terms) so there is more room for error - basically there will be more in-focus space in front of you and behind you the farther away you stand so less chance that your body will be blurry
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing, Elissa! I'm glad to hear someone else use the same "trick" I do :) Good point on the farther camera distance giving more room for error. I think I knew that but never really pieced all the technical knowledge together. It makes complete sense though.
DeleteSounds like a lot of walking back and forth for you :(. Maybe you can find a remote! Nevertheless, great choice on a prime lens. I love my 50 mm.
ReplyDeleteNope, a remote won't work unless I upgrade the camera's body. I'm thinking one day perhaps? But for right now, it's a good thing I'm learning more about the camera's various controls :)
DeleteI would love to give you advice but being that I take my own photos, I am lucky if I get a few decent ones..LOL
ReplyDeleteI do use the 50mm (got for my bday last year) and it's def a trial and error. It must be super hard if you don't have a remote...your pics are looking great Cee!
cee, i love your blog and your style! i tried lookbook photos last night with my 50mm lens and tripod. it is indeed very.difficult to get the right distance between me and the camera to get that perfect focus. what i did then was using a reference object (a flower stand from the house) and set the distance and focus. then quickly run to the spot remove the stand and pose. it's silly but quite fun. but i guess it won't work if u are not around home:(
ReplyDeleteHi Daniela! Your method is exactly the same as mine, except I don't bother removing the reference object, haha. I just stand next to it. It gets a little trickier outside the home, but I just try to find locations where it's not a wide open field. I do agree that it's like a fun game. If it wasn't, I'd seriously consider buying another tripod and using that as my focus point... which would look even weirder outdoors ;)
DeleteI've been struggling to work with the 50mm lens and tripod combo. I find it takes me several iterations before i get a full length focused photograph. Any tips?
ReplyDeletewww.dpinstyle.com
Hey Donna, I usually find an object around waist-to-chest high, then I distance the tripod until I can see the ground (to make sure my feet will be in the shot). Then I'll manually focus on the object, set the self-timer, then run to stand right next to the object.
DeleteSince there's no zoom on the 50mm lens, after awhile, you get a sense of how far away to position the tripod.
Hope that helps!
I'd love to hear from you. Constructive criticisms welcome!