[VikingPhotography]

So, my last day shooting was on 18th December and I've barely clicked the shutter since then - though I can lay blame for that squarely on the flu-related bronchitis that I came down with starting 23td December

Anyways, now that I'm 95% back to normal, I had my first photo op of the year: shooting the band Cooper Temple Clause at their HMV Glasgow in-store appearance. After the obligatory live shots, I got about a thirty seconds with the band to grab some quick headshots for the agency. Here's the band members as shot:











All shots D2X, 85mm f/1.4 lens @ f/1.4, ISO 400, 1/125 sec, fluorescent WB with some bounced fill flash from an SB-800 using fluorescent compensation gel seated in the diffusion dome.

The great thing about shooting using the 85 f/1.4 is that, even in a cluttered environment like a record store, you can get wonderful subject isolation and a very useable image not unlike a dedicated portrait session... all in a few seconds!

Anyways, hope you likey

[Dave]

30 secs Well under the circumstances you must be well chuffed with the outome !!

[VikingPhotography]

Yeah, the band had been held up doing an interview with the BBC which ended up running way over schedule, so that cut into the time I normally would have used for the shoot. They had a crowd waiting impatiently for the signing session upstairs and there was a clock as to how long the store was going to remain open for.

Lucky for me that I'd had plenty time in advance to check out the lighting and decide on the right settings for the shoot - that made the results predictable and consistent.

[Rob Barron]

That f 1.4 lens sure does cut down the DoF big time! The first photo is sharp around the bridge of the nose and his right eye, the rest goes off into blur land very quickly. It's the same with them all to a greater or lesser degree but you have clearly aimed for that or at least worked with it because you have ensured the eyes are sharpest in the shots and let the rest blur off as they wish. Very interesting to see.

Cheers Viking.
Rob

[VikingPhotography]

Yep Rob - focusing is critical when shooting wide open at f/1.4 and this lens caused me a whole lot of grief when I initially bought it, since my keeper rate hit the floor... you need to be really careful using the D2X with this lens since the AF sensors are so bloody large and can be tricked into locking on to areas with more contrast or detail than your intended target.

The rule of thumb for portraits - 'focus on the eyes' - is the key and what makes the f/1.4 lens so great to use for such subjects; you can get the eyes razor sharp and, because everything else is creamed-out bokeh, you're just continually drawn back to the eyes. None of the other press or agency photographers that I know own or use this lens and, in my opinion, it helps give my images a signature look which hopefully translates into more sales.

If you read around the web there's a wealth of opinion citing the Nikon 85 f/1.4 lens as one of their best ever... equalled and surpassed only by the likes of the 200 f/2, the new 300 f/2.8 and the 400 f/2.8. Considering all of those lenses cost north of £2.5K each (£5K for the 400!!) then thats really saying something.

If you have the means, I'd strongly recommend that you pick up the Canon 85mm f/1.2 lens for your 20D since the results are comparable and worth every penny

[Rob Barron]

I would love the 85mm f1.2 but I think that will have to wait a while as it is pretty expensive. At £1350 it is a major investment as I would only use it for a small section of my photography. I don't really do enough portraiture to warrant it, certainly at this stage. I am saving my pennies at the moment as I want to buy the 40D when that comes out and I am expecting it to be about a grand. I won't be upgrading as such as I intend to keep my 20D as a second body so it will be a lot to lay out.

But I shall enjoy seeing more of your shots with it that's for sure!

Cheers,
Rob

[VikingPhotography]

Originally Posted by Rob Barron

I would love the 85mm f1.2 but I think that will have to wait a while as it is pretty expensive. At £1350 it is a major investment <snip>

Bloody hell; I didn't realise it was that expensive! I seem to recall that the older 85mm f/1.2 retailed for a lot less than that...

For what it's worth, the Nikon 85mm f/1.4 retails for around half that price - but you've got to put up with older screw-driven focusing and no VR/IS on the lens; I live in hope that Nikon will bring this lens up-to-date soon... I'd even be willing to overlook a lack of VR in an update, so long as they use AF-S focusing AND the optical quality is equal to or better than the existing lens.

Not that I'm being picky or anything :P

[mouldy101]

Whilst in a different league, I bought the Canon 50mm 1.8 and have been blown away by the quality from a 60£ piece of glass. It has transformed portraits of my daughter, I can now use relatively low light and snap away with no flash, without her realising it. I have to say, getting used to how critical the focusing is can be difficult, just as you say Viking.

Great photos by the way, you can't help but be pulled in to their eyes!!!!

Matt