Introducing the newest lenses from SIGMA!

Sigma unveiled two exciting new additions to their Art series and a new flagship lens for their Sports line. Let's take a look at the goods! 

First up is the Sigma 12-24mm f4 Art lens! Ultra wide angle with crisp, zero distortion from center to edge in a completely new optical design with premium components.  The f4 is one stop brighter, allowing for the higher shutter speed needed to capture fast moving subjects. Dust and splash proof construction for when shooting near the water or in inclement weather. A 9 blade rounded diaphragm creates beautiful background bokeh to isolate and emphasize the subject. 

Sigma 12-24mm Art Lens

The new Sigma 12-24mm f4 is a must-have lens for any portrait photographer, whether you specialize in studio or on-location work.

Introducing the Sigma 85mm 1.4 Art lens! The 85mm 1.4 delivers beautiful bokeh that is so exact you can focus on the pupil of the eye while blurring the lashes! Sigma has also leveraged its latest innovations in design and materials to make this The ultimate lens for portraits.  Special features deliver a clear image across the plane as well as exceptional resolution making this a perfect lens for full-frame DSLRs offering 50-megapixel or higher resolution.

The new Sigma 85mm 1.4 Art Lens

All Sigma’s art lenses are made for the inner artist in every photographer and deliver the highest standard of rendering performance anywhere. 

Introducing the  Sigma 500mm F4 DG HSM OS Sports lens! This is the new flagship lens of the Sports line and a masterpiece of a hyper telephoto lens! Great features for challenging shoots include enhanced dust- and splash-proof construction, Optical Stabilizer (OS) system, SIGMA Tele Converter compatibility, AF function switch, SIGMA’s latest-generation Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM), and more. A magnesium alloy barrel and carbon fiber hood keep the 500mm lightweight for easy portability as well as sturdy enough for the toughest shooting conditions. 

Our favorite feature of the new Sigma 500mm f4 Sports Lens? The manual override incorporated to make two full-time manual modes switchable. Genius!

A Day at the Museum

You’ve probably heard that some museums have banned the selfie stick, and while this means you'll have to forego a selfie with your favorite Rembrandt or Picasso, there are still a lot of photo ops to be had in a museum.

What to carry: Many museums will not allow large bags, backpacks or tripods. Make sure you check the museum's website or call ahead and find out what is ok to take in and what's better left at home. Some museums may also refuse to check valuable equipment in their cloak rooms so don't get stuck lugging around a lot of extra stuff that you won't even be able to use.  If you have your heart set on using a tripod, some museums will allow it with a permit, so allow enough time to apply for and have the permit issued. Also, most museums do not allow flash photography so disable your on-camera flash and don’t bother to pack the attachment.

Choose one lens and stick with it. We like a nice prime, as it allows for shallow DOF enabling you to highlight small details or artifacts. Or go with an all purpose lens like this one from Sigma (save $200 through the end of June 2015!). Remember that with a prime you will, in some instances, have to move physically away from your subject, something that can prove tricky in a small or crowded gallery.

Keep your camera out and around your neck to avoid having to reach into your bag when you see a shot. It also saves room in any bag you do decide to carry for your phone, a notebook, a map, guidebook or snacks. If you do decide to take a bag, we like the Billingham compact, small and, like the name says, compact (also really stylish too!).

What to shoot: As anywhere lots of different types of people are thrown together, you can find lots of interesting people in any museum. From full on portraits to surreptitious candid shots, images of people looking at art can be art.

Images of other people taking pictures can make for interesting shots.

Art students concentrating on their sketches. 

A little girl on her first museum trip!

The museum gift shop will carry tons of postcards or books with fantastic images of the artworks themselves, and if you’re at a very crowded museum or visiting on a crowded day, chances are you may not be able to replicate those pristine views, so instead why not focus on the details? If you’re shooting paintings, you can focus on the faces or other element, get up close (not too close, remember to always respect the artworks and the museum's policies!) and shoot the painting's texture or home in on another detail.

If you can't fit the entire piece in the frame, choose one
area to highlight.

Lovely detail on a light fixture with shallow DOF. 

There may be times when you’ll want to focus on something that’s behind glass, and this brings a special set of considerations. Look to see where the light is coming from and position yourself appropriately, either straight on or at an angle. There’s no one hard and fast answer, experiment and see which option gives you less or no glare. A polarizing filter as well as a lens hood can help! In some cases you may be able to position your lens directly up to or on the glass, but this will be the exception and not the rule.

 If the museum or gallery you are visiting has an atrium area or any other area where you can shoot with natural light, take advantage. Natural light is great for shooting people and sculpture.

The ladies in this shot add scale to the huge Egyptian temple.

We hope you're inspired to take a trip to a museum soon, and that you'll not only look at the art, but maybe make some of your own while you're there! 

Flower Power

Well the April showers did not disappoint, and whether it’s blooming trees or beautiful gardens, the May flowers are here. Stop and smell the roses, and then take a couple shots for good measure! Here are some ideas and tips to imbue your photography with flower power!

Get higher
The most common angle for shooting flowers seems to be straight on, and while this angle does provide the most classic flower profile, consider a different angle and see where it takes you. Get down really low and shoot UP, capturing sun and blue sky (or taller flowers and green trees) in the background. 

Shooting up yields a striking blue background, the sky!

Or get up high, stand on a chair, a ladder, climb a tree,  (carefully!), or just stand up and see what the different perspective yields.

Stand out in a crowd
Shallow depth of field is probably the most satisfying way to photograph a single flower or small group. By isolating your subject against delightful bokeh you highlight the beauty of that single bloom. To do this you’ll need a lens that can achieve this effect, like a Sigma 50mm 1.4 or the Sigma 18-250 f3.5/6.3. Or try isolating for color, for example look for the one renegade yellow blossom among all the red ones, or the single flower blooming in an unlikely place.

All together now
We've all seen the images of the Dutch tulip fields, where large blocks of color are made up by millions of individual blossoms. If you can’t travel to the Netherlands for a shot like that, try to imitate it where you are. Here’s where a higher angle can make it look like the expanse of flowers is larger than it really is, and maybe a little reminiscent of that color block appearance.

Flowers +
Despite the whole April showers bringing flowers thing, when it comes to photographs, sunshine and flowers just seem like the perfect couple. But as we mentioned in our post about Macro photography, sometimes after a rain is better time to shoot, as if you’re shooting close up you can have the added interest of tiny water droplets on the flower petals. But if the day is sunny, don’t fret, there are still ways to add some interest to your flower image. If you shoot at a low angle, you can capture some sun flare, and let’s face it is there anything that says summer better than a shot of a field of flowers and some sun flare?

Shallow DOF and sun flare can add dramatic flair to a simple image of a flower.

You can also ask a friend to pose at the edge of the frame, adding scale and interest to an otherwise static image. Or if you’re shooting from your full height, how about an image that includes your feet? The tips of your shoes are always a fun, personal way to add yourself to an image without crossing into “selfie” territory.

Up close
Last month we discussed some great tips for macro photography, including flowers, so if you missed it, *shameless plug* here’s the link. If your bag contains a macro lens, you're in business, if you don't have one and are looking to start out on a budget, check out the Sigma 18-250mm f3.5/6.3

Lighting
Sometimes Mother Nature doesn't cooperate when it comes to lighting, so reflectors are a good way to add a little bit of control to natural light. Use flash carefully, as it can wash out the colors, but if you need the extra boost, pair it with a diffuser like this LumiQuest UltraSoft to soften up the light.

With a dose of creativity, minimal gear and maybe some sunscreen, you can make evocative images that might inspire you to stop and smell (and shoot) the flowers more often!

Ready for Your Close Up? Macro Photography Tips!

April showers may bring May flowers, but if you're like us, you're noticing buds and shoots coming out all over the place already. If you've been thinking about getting into macro photography, there’s no better time than spring to do it. We hope these tips and gear suggestions get you out of the house and shooting all the buds and bugs!

Macro Lenses
The obvious first step is the right lens. If you're on a budget, you can start out with a multi-purpose lens like this one from Sigma .The Sigma 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 lets you get close, while still keeping some distance between you and your subject (helpful if you don’t want to anger bees or wasps or spiders!). With the flip of a switch you can change to macro, so without changing the distance between camera and subject, you can change the shooting magnification. Cool!

Lighting
We love this ring light from Sigma. The Modeling Flash function on this makes it possible to check for reflections and shadows before actually taking the flash picture. You can also use your usual off camera flash with a strobe to really freeze the little critters OR mount your Ice Light for additional natural light.

Tripods
When using a longer focal length to get back a bit from your subject, you'll need a tripod to keep it steady. If you're using a flash, you can get away with hand held but if you don't want to risk frightening an insect with a sudden flash then a tripod is for you. We'll have these models at a whopping 25% off with a coupon code in our newsletter. Sign up and don't miss the savings! 

Aside from the gear, please pack a good supply of patience when first attempting macro photography. Insects may not perch exactly where you want them and you may want to wait for a dragonfly or butterfly to have their wings flat or all the way up before snapping them. Also:

• Don't curse the April showers as right after a rain can be a great time to head out and shoot; flowers and leaves covered with delicate, magnifying and reflecting raindrops bring additional interest to your macro shot.


• Don't fret if you don't have a wildflower meadow in your backyard, your macro photography doesn't have to be exotic flowers or elusive insects, a simple blade of grass with a few drops of dew or rain is simply beautiful! 

Simple subject + April Shower = well executed macro!

• Do check your screen for a preview of what you're about to shoot (I call this “pre-chimping”); your eye might miss something that your camera is picking up, so make sure that there are no leaves or twigs or other distracting elements sticking into the corner of your frame.


• Check your angle! Could you move slightly below your subject and maybe change the background from something drab to something green or the blue sky? Will moving higher provide an even more interesting perspective? Don't get stuck just shooting straight on at the same distance all the time.


• Finally, get some inspiration by checking out some online galleries of macro photography. This is what comes up when you do a search for “macro” on Flickr. 

Experiment and with these tips you’ll have BIG fun shooting tiny subjects!