Tag Archives: Nifty Fifty

Not too shallow

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Michael Willems

I hear people say sometimes that “you cannot shoot portraits at wide open apertures”. So then how this available light portrait, shot on a full frame camera with a 50mm lens at f/1.2 (yes, f/1.2!)? Well yes, it is shallow, … Continue reading →

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Nifty.

Posted on September 17, 2011 by Michael Willems

The 50mm lens continues to be a favourite, but not always for the same reason. There are in fact four reasons people often say they like a 50mm lens: On a full frame camera, it has the width of view … Continue reading →

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Yesterday

Posted on August 10, 2011 by Michael Willems

A student took this snap of me yesterday: He did this as follows: He used his Canon 60D with my 50mm f/1.2 lens. He used his new 580 EX II speedlight, bounced off the ceiling behind him. The camera was set to manual … Continue reading →

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Nifty Fifty

Posted on July 5, 2010 by Michael Willems

Everyone should own a fast 50mm lens, I keep saying. “Fast” meaning a prime, large aperture lens (like a 50mm f/1.8, or even a 50mm f/1.4, like this one:) One student asks a good question about this: “I recently attended … Continue reading →

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A rose by any other name

Posted on March 4, 2010 by Michael Willems

I took this “grab-shot” at the Kodiak Gallery the other day with a Canon 7D and 50mm f/1.4 lens: This shows that with the right lens, you do not need flash. You also do not need a macro lens every … Continue reading →

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Posted in Composition, Learning, Picture of the day, Technique | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Again, why "fast" lenses?

Posted on February 9, 2010 by Michael Willems

A tip for newcomers to SLR photography. I often hear: “Why do I need so-called “fast” lenses – like the 50mm f/1.8 lens Michael keeps talking about? Surely my 18-55 lens also covers 50mm?” Well yes it does. But: Less … Continue reading →

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Snap

Posted on January 7, 2010 by Michael Willems

Photography is about composition/subject + moment + light. I reckon I got several of these right here: From earlier this year. Using a 35mm lens on a 1.3 crop camera (meaning it’s 50mm), set to f/2.8 at 1/160th second. Moral … Continue reading →

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That dreamy look

Posted on November 3, 2009 by Michael Willems

If you want portraits to have that dreamy look, use a lens with a wide aperture (a small F-number, like 2.8). I took this picture yesterday, using a prime 35mm lens (the Canon 35mm f/1.4L) on a Canon 7D, at … Continue reading →

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"What lens should I get?"

Posted on October 30, 2009 by Michael Willems

“What lens should I get?” I hear that question a lot from students, and I am always delighted to help answer it. Of course “help” is all I can do. And I will, over time, in this blog. I can … Continue reading →

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Do I need a fast lens?

Posted on October 4, 2009 by Michael Willems

When students ask me “should I really buy a fast lens?” (For beginners, that’s a lens with a low “F-number”, like f/2.8), my answer is “it depends.” What are you shooting? Landscapes (no need for a fast lens, since you … Continue reading →

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