When it comes to creating my art, I don’t feel like I often find myself doing the same thing over and over again. If I do, I quickly lose interest and I wonder if it is the same for anyone who experiences my work. I get boring, you get bored! Right?! That’s how I imagine it must be anyhow! The same can be said for my tool kit and what I choose to use to capture my images.

I have changed camera bodies and invested in various lenses over the years. It is easy to get comfortable using what you know and what is familiar. When you get a new piece of equipment, there is the excitement of the possibilities and what it can do but also a little bit of nerves because there is always a learning curve anytime you try something new. I am ecstatic over the tool kit I have been able to invest in. At any given time, I always have new favorites that are my go-tos whenever I shoot! Favorites change and I think that’s a GREAT thing!

I’ve seen my work grow over the years when I push myself out of my comfort zone. It isn’t always the easiest to do but seeing the progress is so motivating! I want to take a minute and share with you what my current favorite lenses are in my bag at every single session and wedding!

Meet My Baby

Introducing my boo, my baby, my 35mm lens! TA-DA!!! I bought this lens used, believe it or not! My work completely evolved when I began to use it and honestly it isn’t even a top of the line lens! Suddenly, I was capturing moments and spaces in a whole new way! After discovering the fresh perspective this lens gave me, I have been just so obsessed! I learned very quickly that it doesn’t take the fanciest equipment to make magic! More often than not, this amazing and inspiring lens is my first choice for details, portraits, medium sized group portraits, you name it. Basically, my 35mm stole my heart away from my 50mm (which is in fact a top of the line lens) and has become the lens I use most!

Come Here Lover Boy

If you know what movie “come here lover boy” is from, then I’m pretty sure we just became best friends! My other go-to lens has been a fav for a while! Soon after I upgraded my nifty 50, this lens was my next investment. I give you the 85mm! With this lens, I love to create a feeling of intimacy that is unmatched. It allows your eye to lean into your focus a bit more and gives you so much detail and emotion, no matter the subject. Basically, it gives me all the feels, every time! When I use this lens, it is most often for portraits but I will occasionally use it to catch a beautiful detail like the lace trim on a veil or the florals in a bride’s bouquet.

Guess what I did?! Oh just a little fun shoot around my office and porch to give you some eye candy! A little side-by-side of the perspectives that these two lenses offer! Is one lens really better than the other? Not in my opinion but it really just comes down to preference! I shot these images with the same camera body and in the exact same spot with manual setting adjustments made for proper exposure. In an effort to let you experience these lenses through my eyes, I’ve edited them almost identically to highlight the gifts they offer! Have fun exploring these images for their uniqueness and differences!

Do you see the beauty!? Both lenses can be used to capture images that may seem similar but are actually quite different. These are not the only ways to shoot with them! There are endless possibilities and that’s what makes what I do so fun and exciting!

I wanted this information to be simple and not to dive too much into anything technical involving depth of field, focal length, or manual settings and so on. Seeing these images is hopefully enough to inspire you that you too can learn with practice and time! Figure out which lenses fit best with your art and style! If you want to grow, you’ve got to put in the work. Reading a blog or watching a YouTube video won’t teach you like hands on learning. Take your tools, whether old or new or used or whatever, and spend some time capturing a variety of subjects and in different lighting. It is at great starting point and if I can do it, so can you!

Til next time, cheers!