Ok so here it is. After fiddling with my new purchase, 100mm f2.8L Macro, I took this shot. Nothing really fantastic except I shot it at 1/15s handheld. I’d say it’s pretty sharp, with the IS working just fine. Conditions were less than ideal. Muted window light only from the back, I overexposed +1EV and used f7.1. Can’t get more depth of field without getting movement blur in the image.

And yes if you’re wondering, the bigger ring is for my finger and the other one’s for Lydia.

Added this baby to my arsenal this evening. I shoot with mainly prime lenses these days and the 100mm range is ideal for portraits. Plus the macro part is actually the deal clincher. I don’t shoot a lot of macro photography but when I want to shoot details and food, not having a macro lens is a pain. I was using extension tubes for macro work all this while but outside the studio, it’s a pain to setup.

So new toy = new pictures to shoot. I fired a few test shots with this lens and I’m impressed with the speed. I’ve used the older non-L version before so this new lens is quite a jump. Focusing is very fast considering the elements having to travel from 1:1 range to infinity. Of course, selecting the range with the selector switch helps reduce the ‘hunting’ time.

I wished the aperture is bigger than the f2.8 though. The IS really helps in low light but only to reduce camera shake. Moving subjects would be a problem at shutter speeds as low as 1/15s. I’m planning to use this for portraits mostly and the occasional macro work. Looking forward to using this lens the next few days.

I had a discussion with a friend this afternoon who blogs at NikonD90Lab.blogspot.com and the issue about lenses cropped up. He wanted to know what’s the most versatile lens to get. I have 6 lenses and if I were to go shoot street photography, I’d pick the 35mm F1.4. I use a Canon 5D MkII, so on the full frame without FOV (Field of View), I get the full 35mm. For street photography, Continue reading 'The Versatile Lens'»

A few days ago I was asked to give some advice on someone else’s photography assignment relating to architectural photography. The theme was ‘Extraordinary out of the Ordinary’, using compositional techniques such as two thirds rule, diagonal approach, balance of negative and positive space, and colour. Here’s the content of the email I sent out (with more explanation here). Continue reading 'Composition'»

I’ve been asked frequently what I would pack for an overseas shoot. Of course a lot depends on the shoot itself ie, duration, location, complexity, client, etc. However, since I’m now overseas for a wedding shoot and had to go through some packing last night, I’ve listed these few items: Continue reading 'Packing for an Overseas Shoot'»