Andrew Kelly Photography

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Mark Lanegan Watercolor and Inks

2012-01-14T00:19:00.002Z

Mark Lanegan watercolour and ink in progress. It is a larger piece but cropped because of instagram. This is from a photograph that I took of Mark in London a few years back. It's cool that it's not from someone else's photo, makes it more exciting to do.

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Fuji X - Pro 1 announcement and thoughts.

2012-01-09T17:07:00.008Z

So I see that Fuji are doing an announcement today. Now I am not one to get excited about flashy new camera gear unless it really is something different or especially cool. I'll admit I got a little excited about the Fuji X100 but never actually bought one as I was really waiting for an interchangeable lens version with half decent auto focus speeds, the X100 is notoriously slow and If I'm paying that much money I want something that works real good. I personally have had a Canon 5D MK 2 for a few years and have slowly gathered all my ideal lenses for that system so I am not in a hurry to start a new one or anything but there is something about Fuji right now that is pretty damn exciting. They brought out the X100 when nobody was really expecting such a camera, it was innovative and exactly what a lot of manufacturers were saying was near impossible (or would come far in the future) at the time. That hybrid viewfinder took a shit on the traditionalists approach to a rangefinder styled camera and I think we will all agree it was a brilliant step in the right direction. I am a fan of the rangefinder system and purchased a Leica M8 for a while just to get that exact experience of simplicity and discreetness (that's probably not a word) but in the end went back to the Canon SLR system for overall functionality (I am not filthy rich, other wise I would have both obviously) but I loved the small camera and the great array of lenses. There is something amazing about having a small camera and lens combo in your hand or bag compared to a big clunky SLR with big 85mm or zoom lens mounted.

When the Fuji X100 came out I was so happy that a company finally had the balls to do something creative with the small camera concept. The Panasonic and Olympus 4/3 cameras were alright but I just felt they were a bit half assed and wasn't really aimed at people who wanted great image quality, functionality and style but with a place to put your eye and look through in order to frame the picture, to be honest I didn't think it was that much to ask, basically a modernised Leica M9 that wasn't so ridiculously overpriced, doesn't have to be built to the standards of the M9, just give us a camera around the same price as a pro spec camera like the 5D MK 2/Nikon D700 with around equal image quality in a small body, surely with technology these days it's possible and Fuji really blew away the competition by coming out with the X100 and although plagued by odd flaws that really shouldn't have been there it was an amazing step in the right direction. I was always calling for a digital Zeiss Ikon. Zeiss a great company that came out with the Zeiss ikon film camera to challenge the Leica M camera's, although it came out a bit too late in my opinion it gave people a great alternative that was also affordable. I know there are probably problems with Zeiss doing this as a lot of Leica owners buy Zeiss lenses as a more affordable option after shelling out massive amounts of cash for their Leica body and Leica probably have some agreement for Zeiss not to bring about a camera to challenge the M (maybe not but it seems so, as otherwise I believe Zeiss would be making moves to take over the market).

Now with the announcement of this new Fuji X-Pro1 it could really be the camera myself and a lot of other people have been waiting for. Almost like the digital Zeiss ikon that I have wanted for ages. It has not officially been announced yet (later today at 9pm) but I hear it will have a Leica M-mount adaptor so all them lovely Leica and Zeiss lenses will fit nicely on there, mmmmmm sounds like a nice prospect (I really like them Zeiss ZM lenses). People are also speculating whether this will be a full frame or APS-C sensor camera and whether there will be a higher spec camera released which will be the full frame pro camera and the X-pro1 will be the high end enthusiast camera. I know Leica are going to be releasing some new cameras later this year, one which will probably be a direct competitor to the Fuji X-Pro 1 with a similar hybrid viewfinder also but we will have to wait and see for that. The one thing you know about Leica is that it will be a lot more expensive which isn't really a negative thing as they know there target market and that most regular folks can't really afford there stuff. I am unfortunately or fortunately which ever way you look at it am a regular guy so naturally I want more for my money and cheer for the company who takes a creative chance to get these really cool innovative products out at a semi-affordable price.

So I for one am looking forward to this Fuji announcement today, I am rooting for them to blow away the competition again, shock the other companies into reality and to get there shit together. Instead of churning out these same camera body's one after another with very minimal differences (megapixelLeica who seemed to have slowed down and got into a back and forth rut. Although Fuji X-Pro1 isn't the same camera as a Canon 5D MK 2 or Nikon D700 but if this system works I think it will take a lot of sales away from these cameras I personally would maybe consider switching. If we can get that high image quality, great functionality and all in a much smaller package it would be really interesting. As we all know, everyone likes an underdog and that's what I think Fuji have become, the underdog that can't compete toe to toe with the big boys but instead utilises creativity and technique to pose an interesting challenge that the opponents weren't really expecting.

This could also be good for Zeiss and Leica with the M-mount adaptor announcement. I'm sure Fuji will bring out more great lenses but a lot of people will love to put the Zeiss ZM and Leica M lenses onto this camera and I'm sure sales will go up, in Zeiss especially as they are affordable but with that amazing image quality.

When I started writing this it was originally going to be a few lines of text saying how I was looking forward to this announcement and how much I hoped for something really special from Fuji but It looks like I had some more views on this products and the current state of digital cameras in general, oh well it was nice to put these thoughts into text. I really like that Fuji are doing something different and at least attempting to shake up the status quo for the better which is always a good thing. It's great for us photographers and keeps things interesting, I like to have options and it looks like we will have some interesting decisions to make in the near future about our main camera systems.

Basically someone in Fuji is pushing boundaries and being creative as possible, I for one love it, even if I don't end up buying the camera. Keep it coming.

Feel free to leave any comments, opinions or emails on your Fuji X-Pro 1 thoughts or if you agree or disagree with anything I have said.

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Hunter S. Thompson Illustration

2011-12-29T13:47:00.001Z

An Illustration I started that took a twist towards Hunter S. Thompson along the way.

Watercolour and ink on paper.

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Painting Experiments Video

2011-12-21T15:54:00.001Z

This was originally a quick exercise for me to get back into painting after an arm injury but I ended up getting into it and really liking it. I’m not sure why I decided to film it, more just for my own reference I suppose. Was good fun to create any way.

I did do a full length (3 hour) video where I actually talked all the way through the process of painting and talked about other random crap which I may put out there at some point if anyone is interested, it’s much more in depth about what I was doing.

The sound recording is not great, I had a cold and just did it in one take without too much thought so I apologise if it’s not that interesting to listen to.

Also this is by no means a tutorial in anything as I don’t consider myself a teacher or good at painting/illustration but if it helps anyone then thats great.

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Beginnings of an oil painting

2011-12-20T01:24:00.002Z

Just started a new oil panting, just bare bones so far, This is my first time messing around with oils in a while, we will see how it turns out. I will post its progress if it ends up half decent.

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New Mark Lanegan Painting

2011-12-16T17:12:00.005Z

Mark Lanegan Painting. This is a new black and white painting I did of Lanegan. It's loosely based on a photo that Steve Gullick took of Lanegan a few years ago but with my usual expressive stamp on it. I did a small sketch of Lanegan a few years back that ended up oin his Myspace page where I didn't give him any eye's so I thought I would carry on that tradition in this piece.

The Original framed piece will be available for sale soon with a limited print run to follow. So if your a Lanegan fan or know someone who is, this could be an awesome gift or wall filler.

Cheers folks.

Oh also available for artwork commissions if you would like something similar to this.

20" X 16" on Canvas Paper. Watercolors, inks.

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email: andrew@drewportfolio.com

Red Fred Original Painting (Framed) For Sale

2011-12-14T20:49:00.001Z

New framed ink and water colour painting up for sale in my online store, have a look folks. This was a fun painting to do, I actually filmed it’s process so may post that online very soon, not an instructional video by any means, just me getting back into painting after a lengthy arm injury.

See the painting in my online store here.

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Please Vote For My Friend Sam In The Shure Drum Mastery Competition

2011-12-10T12:54:00.000Z

Keep voting for my friend Sam in the Shure drum mastery competition, up to number 2 now, lets get him number 1. Only takes 30 seconds, no registering or anything simply type in the two words and click vote. You can vote once a day. So please give a vote if you have a few seconds free to help someone out. Thanks!

I appreciate everyone who is voting. Cheers!

Vote here

Red Fred (New Painting)

2011-12-07T22:10:00.002Z

His name is Red Fred and he is a stand up comedian, a very funny guy. Just a regular dude from a different dimension.

Print will be available soon if you are interested.

I also shot a video on how I created this that I may put online at some point. This was originally a quick exercise for me to get back into painting after injury but I ended up getting into it and really liking it. Was good fun to create.

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Vote for my friend Sam

2011-12-06T15:29:00.005Z

Would greatly appreciate it if you could vote for my friend Sam in this drum competition, take him to the top spot. He is a great drummer and would love to finish first, he is in 5th place just now.

Vote here only takes a minute, no need to register for anything, just click vote.

Thanks.

Oh and you can vote once a day if your really feeling keen to help out.

New Mark Lanegan Track 'The Gravedigger's Song'

2011-12-05T18:52:00.000Z

New Mark Lanegan song ‘The Gravedigger’s Song’. Check it out, so looking forward to this album in February.

www.drewportfolio.com
andrew@drewportfolio.com

Instrumental and video 'Monster Shark'

2011-12-05T09:58:00.001Z

Think of this as a audio and visual version of an abstract painting.

A quick weird instrumental I recorded on the spot and a quick video I made to accompany it. This was my first attempt at a video and it's all from my archive footage I had on my hard drive.

No it is not in time, no the guitar and everything else isn't played well but thats the fun of it, I tried to create a mood.

I really want to get more into shooting video and films in the future, really find it fun and I love the process. I hope to do some collaborations with other artists and film makers also, I love collaborating with people and creating something that you ever could on your own.

www.drewportfolio.com
andrew@drewportfolio.com

Josh T. Pearson Illustration For Sale

2011-11-30T15:51:00.004Z

Josh T Pearson Illustration now available in my online store,

A3 = £30, A2 = £38.

If you are a fan or know someone who is a fan this could be a cool gift.

I did this using paint and inks from a photograph I took of Josh in London.

Check it out in my store here

I have seen Josh T Pearson three times now, once in London and twice in Glasgow. He always puts on such a great show, atmospheric and heart felt music and he is also a very funny guy. If you get a chance to see i'm live I highly recommend it. Also check out his album 'Last Of The Country Gentlemen' it is amazing.

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Illustration In Progress

2011-11-26T21:25:00.002Z

A new illustration I just started, first big one I have tried in months due to an arm injury, lets see how it turns out. It should be fun either way.

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Getting Healthy

2011-11-23T20:25:00.002Z

Wanted to do an experiment, I blended some celery, cucumber, spinach, lettuce, ginger, pear and a bit of lime. I managed to drink half, it didn't taste brilliant (obviously) but after squeezing in some extra lime it tasted alright (this thing is inspired by a kale shake that Joe Rogan made on his video blog).

Why am I doing this?

Well because i'm trying to get healthy in order to keep my injuries away and to repay my body for all the drinking and lack of exercise over the past 10 years, I'm taking vitamins, working out and stretching out everyday. Got sick of feeling like crap so I'm experimenting with getting my body running good to see if it helps with creativity, energy and over all outlook. Lets see how it goes. I'm still gonna drink a bit though but just not as much.

I'm going to up my creative output a lot over the next few weeks. I have a few personal projects that I'm dying to get going. So keep an eye out, come back and check out what I get up to, it might be interesting.

www.drewportfolio.com
andrew@drewportfolio.com

Joe Rogan Podcast Illustration

2011-11-23T17:14:00.003Z

Was listening to the Joe Rogan Podcast the other day and did this illustration at the same time, didn't even realise I was doing it. Love listening to his podcasts, they always make me laugh and they talk about great subjects. It can be funny and serious and always insightful.

www.joerogan.net

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andrew@drewportfolio.com

'Crazy Larry' Illustration updated.

2011-11-17T17:23:00.002Z

I have added some shadow to his face to give it a little more dimension. It looked a little flat with no shadows on his face.

Looking forward to creating more of these weird little illustrations. Anyone looking for some illustration for any reason, a poster design,flyer design or whatever then get in touch as I'm in an illustrating kinda mood right now.

You can buy a A3 print of this at my online store.

www.drewportfolio.com
andrew@drewportfolio.com

New A3 Prints In Online Store

2011-11-10T21:50:00.001Z

I have some new Illustration prints up in my online store for purchase. They are all A3 (other sizes may be available soon).

I will have a lot more up very soon (including Photography) so if you are looking for a different Christmas present or just something cool to hang in your home then check it out and see if you like anything.

All priced at £30.00 + £3.00 P+P

http://andrewkellyart.bigcartel.com/

Getting back to Illustration

2011-11-10T11:58:00.013Z

Nothing too interesting here just a little illustration thing I did. Getting back to illustration after a long lay off due to an injury. Just looking at what I have produced and how I made it to sharpen up a bit.

I am really looking forward to getting back into creating art. I have had an arm injury for nearly a year that has limited use of my right arm. I have been rehabilitating using weights and stretches and it's getting back to 100% finally. I have so many ideas that I want to get out onto paper and look to do so in the very near future. Doing photography and illustration together is when I'm always at my most creative, doing two or more artistic mediums in my opinion really pushes your abilities in each. You get ideas from one medium that you can use in the other and it just continues. Anyway I can't wait to get back to creating these weird illustrations and paintings, I also hope to do some collaborative projects with other artists in the future. Why don't you try and take up a second creative outlet and see if it helps you in your main medium. The way it works I think is that you are still doing something creative so your brain is still thinking in the same way but just not about your normal activity which allows ideas to just pop into your head that you could never think of from trying to force it.

DIY altered 50mm lens

2011-11-08T15:10:00.001Z

Some people have asked me about this altered 50mm lens that I have been using so thought I would quickly write a little abut it, here it goes.

It's basically a cheap 50mm lens that broke. After initially being annoyed that it broke I decided to play around with it, taking it apart, putting it back together, moving things and so on. I can now use it in such a way that I can control (well semi control) the surreal nature of the results and to be honest it's the most fun I have had with photography in ages. It's amazing how the most fun things in this world come out of nothing. In my life all the best things have happened like this, either coming out of nothing or stumbling onto it by complete accident. That 50mm lens that cost me £100 about three years ago and you know it was alright for the price, it did the job but after breaking it is now a lens that gives me something special that I never would have bought.

I have yet to use it regularly as I have other new lenses that I have been testing out but I plan on taking it everywhere with me from now on. It just makes everything look interesting, lets be honest a lot of stuff in the world is just plain boring to look at but this lens can capture the scene for what it is but also gives a surreal view on it, kind of like how I see the world I suppose, I love it.

Here are some images I have taken with it so far.

Halloween

2011-10-28T16:22:00.000+01:00

Hey! So it's halloween weekend. I love halloween, it's my favourite part of the year. It's one of the only times of the year that you can just have fun for the sake of it and not take anything seriously. Don't know what i'm doing yet, could be going out, could be just sitting having a few beers watching horror movies, I have no idea.

So have a good halloween folks. I hope you enjoy my lovely sketch, it is me in my costume.

www.drewportfolio.com
andrew@drewportfolio.com

Canon 1D X

2011-10-19T00:23:00.001+01:00

Oh my that Canon 1D X looks quite nice. Going to be very expensive and to be honest I don't think I will need a camera like that but I wouldn't say no. I'll probably go for the 5d MK3 if its significantly better than the MK2 I already have which is ample just now.

Anyway looking forward to seeing what this 1DX can do.

www.drewportfolio.com
andrew@drewportfolio.com

Stake Land

2011-10-17T23:40:00.006+01:00

Just watched the movie 'Stake Land' and was much better than expected so felt compelled to write a little about it. It's like 'The Road' but with vampires, simple as that. Its got some cheesy moments but it makes up for it in another aspects, It's a very well executed super low budget horror film. Blows the crap out of most horror films with bigger budgets in my opinion. Well worth a watch if your looking for a decent horror movie, in fact its a shame to only class it as a horror movie as it is so much more.

For such a low budget I can't imagine they could have done any better really, restored my faith in the genre and shows that there are in fact still people out there trying to make decent films.

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andrew@drewportfolio.com

New Carl Zeiss 25mm f2 Coming Soon.

2011-10-13T12:07:00.001+01:00

I just heard that there will be a new Carl Zeiss 25mm f2 released soon. This is a lens that does interest me even though I own the Zeiss 35mm f2 and 28mm f2. 25mm sounds like a great compromise between 28mm and 24mm for a standard wide lens. Originally when I bought the 28mm I was deciding between it and the Canon 24mm f1.4 and found that the 24mm was maybe a little too wide for my liking. I know that 24 and 25mm are almost the same but I have been so impressed with my Zeiss glass that It is tempting. The only problem is that I would have to get rid of my 28mm to justify it and I love my little 28. I will wait and see what the 25 is like when released and compare the two to see which one I prefer. Thanks Zeiss you have given me another lens headache dilemma to ponder, just when I thought I was finished for a while.

You can read my Carl Zeiss distagon 35mm f2 and 28mm f2 review here if your interested.

www.drewportfolio.com
andrew@drewportfolio.com

Catriona In The Studio

2011-10-11T17:37:00.001+01:00

A recent shot of Catriona in the studio. Her hair and look is awesome in this one.

www.drewportfolio.com

Keep It Positive

2011-10-11T14:19:00.001+01:00

Cheered me up when I saw this outside a pub in Glasgow. A message we need to keep in our heads much more with the way the worlds going at the moment.

Carl Zeiss Distagon 35mm f2 & 28mm f2 ZE Review (with pro wedding testing)

2011-10-06T15:20:00.009+01:00

Just over a month ago I was looking to purchase some wider lenses for my Canon 5D MK 2, I looked into all the options, Canon, Carl Zeiss, Sigma and Tokina. I previously owned the Canon EF 16-35 f2.8 II lens which although proving very good I never used it wider than 24mm so there was a lot of wasted focal length and I wanted a faster aperture than 2.8 (f2 would be even much better for that extra stop of light), So I decided to sell it and invest in a faster prime wide angle as I knew the prime would give me better overall image quality and a wider aperture.

After doing plenty of research into all the different options I quickly ruled out brands like Tokina who don't have any full frame fast prime lenses in the 24-35mm range. Sigma have a 24mm f1.8 and a 28mm f1.8 which are quite dated now and from what I found weren't all that great when used wide open. I did look into older manual focus lenses being used via an adapter but the stop down metering (darkening of the focus screen when closing down the aperture) was a deal breaker as it made it nearly impossible to focus in lower light. So that left Canon and Carl Zeiss in the running.

Canon have the L primes that everyone rates very highly, the 24mm f1.4 ( a nice fast aperture but at £1429) and the 35mm f1.4 (again very fast aperture at £1220). These lenses would obviously be a great choice, they have really fast apertures which is brilliant in low light and for isolating subjects from backgrounds, they are Canons luxury line so they are very pricey which I would pay if they produce the stunning image quality I was after.

Canon also have a cheaper range of lenses in this focal lengths, the Canon EF 28mm f1.8 (small, lightweight and is fast but not brilliant when used wide open) and the Canon EF 35 f2 (fast but an older design that is very noisy when auto focussing and has a horribly small manual focus ring). To be honest these two were never really an option as I know that they are not built great and I wanted lenses that would withstand a good few years of professional (ab)use.

I tried the Canon L lenses mentioned above and really liked them, the image quality was great and they felt good on the camera. I wasn't sure abut the 24mm though as I don't tend to shoot quite that wide as it distorts people a little too much for my liking. Then I got the chance to purchase a Leica M8 for a great price along with a Carl Zeiss 28mm f2.8 ZM lens. Although I didn't like the camera that much (very bad ISO performance and sensor problems) I loved the Carl Zeiss lens, it was built better than any lens I had used to that point, it felt great, rugged and best of all the image quality was amazing. This got me thinking about the Carl Zeiss lenses that fit on to Canon bodies.

I returned the Leica M8 and the Zeiss lens and decided to try the Zeiss ZE line that fits on to Canon bodies. I decided to try out the 35mm f2 Distagon to see how it performed. It was built just as good as the ZM Zeiss lens I tried on the M8 (all metal and glass construction), it felt like it would last forever and felt great in the hands. I took a couple of shots at various apertures and was knocked out by the files straight out of camera, they were really sharp and wide open at f2 the images had such a dreamy but sharp quality (a significant but not ugly vignetting and that can be removed in post anyway if you don't like it). The lens is all manual focus but there is a focus conformation light/beep when your focus point is bang on. The manual focus ring is a dream to use, it is very big and very smooth. Needless to say I was amazed at the images from the camera, the colours were natural, the sharpness was great from f2 all the way through the range (I don't shot more than f8/11 so didn't test higher than that) so I decided to just go for it. The price was £819 which was significantly less than the Canon 35 f1.4 at £1220, I know its a stop difference in light and there is no autofocus on the Zeiss but for me the image that came from the Zeiss had so much more character and quality so it was a no brainer.

After purchasing the Zarl Zeiss 35mm f2 ZE I tested it out for a few days and loved the results so much that I quickly looked into another Zeiss lens in the 28mm f2. The 35mm is a great focal length for me but I also wanted something a little wider to compliment it. I know that 28mm isn't that much wider than 35mm but for me it is all I need as I stated before I don't like the edge distortion of a 24mm and f2 instead of 1.4 is fine for the way I shoot with wider lenses. I didn't even test this one I just ordered it after how impressed I was with the 35, it cost £1049 which again is less than the Canon at £1429.

I was really excited to receive the 28mm in the post and instantly started shooting with it, its was built to the same high standards (obviously) infact it nearly looks identical to the 35 with only a slight size difference and the 28mm marking on the lens hood to tell the difference. The manual focus ring again was fantastic and the image quality was pretty much the same. There is some visible chromatic aberration in high contrast scenes at f2 (which is normal for a lens like this) but in real life use it is not noticeable. At f2 I don't think it is quite as sharp as the 35mm but all the rest of the range it is very sharp with great colour reproduction and contrast. Like the 35 it has significant vignetting at f2 which can be easily removed but is also quite artistic and natural, gives an extra piece of creative ammo into your arsenal.

The one thing that is evident about the Zeiss lens when compared to other brands is the 3D rendering. Before I used a Zeiss lens I was skeptical of this legendary "3D Rendering" but having used them for a while now I can tell you that it is true, there is some sort of special rendering these lenses produce that no other I have used can match especially at wider apertures, maybe it has something to do with the coatings on the glass, the glass its self, I don't know and to be honest I don't care as I'm not into the technicalities of photography I just love the results.

Some examples just having fun with the lenses then a wedding test review after that.

World War Z film set at night, Zeiss 35mm f2

Zeiss 28mm f2.

In a pub in very very lowlight, Zeiss 35mm f2.

This one is just for fun, me and Cat being stupid before

heading out. I love

this Zeiss 28mm.

Me at the pub, taken by Cat, look at that lovely colours in the background.

35mm f2

Zeiss 35mm f2

A street shot in Glasgow

Zeiss 35mm f2

Street shot at the World war Z film set in Glasgow.

Zeiss 35mm f2

World War Z film set night.

Professional Wedding Test

So I had used the lenses for a few weeks and got used to the manual focus, I use manual focus most of the time anyway so wasn't much of a hassle but some other people not used to it may need a bit of practice to get it down before attempting to use it on Pro jobs. I had an upcoming wedding to photograph and was the main reason I wanted these wider angle lenses as up until then I had been using the EF 16-35mm and wanted better quality and a faster f-stop for low light use. So I am going to let you know how these lenses handled at a big professional wedding job and whether they I like them as much in actual practice as I do when just playing around with them for fun.

Kayleigh & Kenneth got married on the 26th August at Haddo House in scotlan and I was there photographer. Haddo House was an amzing place, you could have chosen anywhere in or around the venue to photograph and it would have been great with huge gardens, surrounding trees and the stone building. It would be a great test for the Zeiss lenses to prove their worth.

During the wedding I didn't actually shoot with a wide angle too much with the majority of images shot with the 50mm and 85mm. When I did need to go wide though the se lenses did not disappoint in image quality and infact produced the best out of camera results, the sharpness, rendering and colours made my work much easier in post production. In image quality I was extremely happy with the results. Now for how they actually handled.

In use they were pretty much as I expected, manual focus only is quite labour intensive for a whole wedding and with my other lenses I was using a combination of auto and manual focus. Auto when I needed speed or when I knew it would hit it's mark and manual when it wouldn't catch its focus or I wanted to compose quickly and freely and it worked really well (know your camera and lenses to know when the mechanics will work and when they wont). With the autofocus confirmation light/beep with the Zeiss lenses worked well when I used it and just using my eye to judge focus worked well in good light. Going into low light and using the EG-S precision focus screen in my camera wasn't as easy as I first expected with the Zeiss lenses due to them being f2 and made my viewfinder a little dark but for the most part I nailed focus and only missed a few. Again the auto focus confirmation worked great when I knew the camera would get it's focus (The 5D MK 2 has not got the best autofocus in the world in low light).

Here are some examples from the day with the Zeiss lenses:

Zeiss 35mm f2.

Zeiss 28mm f2.

Above shot is probably my favourite, taken with the Zeiss 28mm f2.

Zeiss 28mm f2

Zeiss 28mm f2.

Conclusion.

Overall I was very happy with the lenses in a Pro wedding environment and was extremely happy with the images they produced. The images taken with the Zeiss lenses were great out of camera and made my life a lot easier in post production. The manual focus only for a wedding took a little to get used to but after a few shots I got into it and with the auto conformation light/beep it was a good backup. I loved having some wide lenses I could go to and knew that the quality would be awesome, some of my favourite shots from the day were taken with the Zeiss's. I would say anyone who is considering these Carl Zeiss ZE lenses and you know the shortcomings (no autofocus) then you won't be disappointed, I certainly wasn't and can't wait to get out and use them more.

Check out more wedding photo's from the whole day here

If you have any questions about the Zeiss lenses or anything else you can send me an email here

www.drewportfolio.com

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Kayleigh & Kenny's Wedding

2011-09-22T14:04:00.009+01:00

Kayleigh and Kenny got married on the 26th of August in the beautiful surroundings of Haddo House and whoever picked that date deserves a pat on the back as they couldn't have asked for better weather. The venue was an amazing place, you could have chosen anywhere in or around the venue to photograph and it would have looked great with the huge gardens, surrounding trees and the stone building, it was a perfect setting.

It was a truly great day filled with great moments and great people. Congratulations again to the newly weds. I wish you all the best and I hope you like the photos.

Above is the slideshow that tells the story of the day and turn your speakers on and volume up as there is music. Below are some of my personal favourites from the day.

The gardens at Haddo House were stunning. I could have spent hours photographing Kayleigh and Kenny in all the different locations.

We did some more shots out the front of the building which had a lovely big stone staircase that made for a really nice backdrop. The rough concrete textures of the building contrasted with the beautiful long white dress to make for some great almost fairytale like images.

There were some treats in store as the evening kicked off with Kayleigh and her brother performing one of the coolest and funniest dance routines I have ever witnessed, I could hardly photograph it from laughing. It was a work of genius. I hope someone filmed it?

All the best to you both!

I am now taking wedding bookings for late 2011 and 2012 so if you are interested head over to my price page or send me an email.

Thanks!

Andrew.

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Richard Warren 'Johnny Johnny' and other videos

2011-09-14T18:51:00.000+01:00

Check out Richard Warren's new song and video for 'Johnny Johnny'. A really cool song and a simple yet very effective video. There is something just really cool about it.

These videos he's releasing in the lead up to the release of his new album 'The Wayfarer' are great and is especially appealing to me as a visual creative who loves music, I love when the new one is posted online each week. Think this is video number 5. Check out the first two in a blog post I did a few weeks back. I will post the other new videos in this post too for you to check out. This album is going to be good and is really up my street in musical style from what I have heard so far. Can't wait to get my hand on a copy.

Johnny Johnny

Backslider

The Wayfarer

Catriona

2011-09-09T21:09:00.000+01:00

This is a shot of my girlfriend Catriona who I photograph a lot. It took me a while to get around to posting this shot, for personal work I am usually about 5 months behind on editing, unless I feel its really urgent to get a photo done. I like it this way though as it gives you something to do when you have some spare time and its always refreshing viewing images from a shoot a few months back, seeing them with fresh eye's and letting the actual capture process not be too much a factor when processing/editing.

Anyway I really like this image of Cat and actually have a few decent shots from this shoot that I might post in the future.

New Mogwai EP

2011-09-08T11:00:00.000+01:00

I see Mogwai have a new EP up and streaming on the Guardian website. I'm off to give it a listen, Love this band. I listen to their music a lot when working on photo's, has a great atmosphere when creating things.

Anyway you can listen to it here, I'm off to edit some more wedding photos and give it a listen. Also check out their other releases if you haven't already, Really into "The Hawk Is Howling" at the moment.

Cheers!

Kenny & Kayleigh's Wedding

2011-09-02T09:08:00.004+01:00

Getting through these wedding photos. Can't believe it was such good weather, been raining almost every day since. Remember the sun getting really bright as Kayleigh arrived at Hoddo House, Couldn't have chose a better day, who ever picked that date deserves a pat on the back. Lovely light to photograph in (slightly diffused sun),worked like a giant softbox, couldn't hope for better. I really enjoyed the day and was a great bunch of people. Kayleigh looked beautiful in her dress, that dress was amazing.

Photo's and full blog post to come at the end of next week.

www.drewportfolio.com
andrew@drewportfolio.com

Richard Warren 'The Wayfarer' and Music Videos

2011-08-24T13:43:00.003+01:00

Richard Warren is to release a new solo album 'The Wayfarer' in October and every week until its release he is posting a video for each song on the album on to his site and YouTube. These are the first two and I love their simplicity in visuals but also love the music, very very cool. I am especially fond of the Instrumental 'Revington Street' ( i'm really into instrumentals right now) and what about a cool name for a song, well 'The lonesome Singer in the Apocalypse Band' covers that if you ask me.

Here they are and buy his album when it comes out if you like what you here, I certainly will be parting with my cash when it hits the stores.

Check out his site here: www.richardwarren.info

My website: www.drewportfolio.com

Shooting A Wedding This Week (Friday the 26th to be exact)

2011-08-24T11:02:00.001+01:00

My good friend Kenny Richardson and his fiance Kayleigh Samantha Betts are getting married this Friday. They asked me and my friend Craig to be the photographers for the wedding. It will be taking place at Haddo House in Scotland which is an absolutely amazing location.

I am really looking forward to it and I really wish them all the best. This will be my first full coverage of a wedding as a main photographer and I really can't wait. This is something I have wanted to get into for a while and now I have a great opportunity to showcase what I can do. I love the journalistic approach to a wedding and I believe my style will fit the occasion nicely. I really will put everything I can into it in order to give them great images to remember their day.

My girlfriend Catriona and I have been planning to venture into the wedding photography business for a while now and we are currently collecting all the needed equipment to have two full camera kits. I have a fully rounded off kit now that I have spent years perfecting and experimenting with many different cameras and lens combinations and doing many photo shoots to arrive at my final choices, we just need to get Catriona sorted out with her choice of kit (which will be happening very very soon) and we will begin to take wedding bookings. So if you or anyone you know are getting married then you should really consider us, I guarantee we will capture the day in a way that will make you want to look at the images time and time again. I personally have been teaching Catriona for the past few years and I couldn't wish for a better partner to be by my side.

An added bonus to Kenny's and Kayleigh's Wedding is that I get to see many of my old friends that I haven't seen in years. I know I will be working but It will be great to catch up, especially after the first few dances and the photographic duties are drawing to a close, I'll be able to catch up with everyone at the bar for a while.

I also can't wait t use my new Carl Zeiss lenses which are absolutely superb. I recently purchase the Zeiss 35mm f2 (for a journalistic approach) and the Zeiss 28mm f2 for when I need a wider angle (I never go wider than 28 as I hate seeing people distorted in my photos and the 28mm keeps that to a minimum while giving me that wider angle of view when needed). Carl Zeiss have just released the new 35mm f1.4 which has caught my eye and may also purchase, I will see how the 35 f2 fairs first as I love it. The Zeiss just gives images that I have not seen from anything Canon has out there and I am amazed at the quality and rendition of every photo I take with them.

Friday will be a great day all round, seeing my friend kenny getting married, seeing all my old friends and documenting the whole event. Good times will be had and I really look forward to it.

See my wedding package prices here if you are interested in getting Catriona and I to document your special day.

We also offer engagement session packages which are on the price page too.

Send me an email if your interested in our services, have any questions or just want to chat.

Thanks,

Andrew Kelly.

andrew@drewportfolio.com

Agent Provocateur and How I Love The Surreal Nature of Reality.

2011-08-23T09:37:00.001+01:00

I thought this street scene was pretty funny. First I saw the girl photographing the window display who very obviously was or is about to be modelling underwear in the shop (she walked back in after taking the photo, or maybe she works there but thats not as fun). I then saw the guy walking with his girlfriend who seemed quite interested in the scene himself. I love it when these funny street scenes unfold, you really couldn't make them up, thats why to me street shooting never ever gets boring, reality is so damn surreal.

When I was younger I used to escape reality in movies and stories but now all I have to do is walk about the streets with my camera. When your just out to look you can see some very bizarre, surreal and funny scenes unfold that could never be repeated, recreated or made up. It's just amazing some of the things that occur so next time your out keep an eye out.

Below are a few other street scenes I caught recently that fall into the realm of this post. So click read more to give them a look.

Blues Brothers are definitely jumping this guy, might have to view it larger to see the blues brother dude a bit better, he looks creepy.

Multiplicity

A day for hats.

Yep, Keep it positive.

One large snout.

2 men, 2 very different days.

Band rehearsing outside the venue. I like the contrast of the young guys and the old man.

Balloon head.

World War Z Set At Night

2011-08-21T13:12:00.002+01:00

I took a wander through the World War Z film set on Friday night on my way to the pub, It looks really cool at night time with all the lights. Here are a couple of shots I took on our way through.

andrew@drewportfolio.com

Both shots taken with the Carl Zeiss Distagon T* 35mm f2

I Like To Meet Nice People

2011-08-19T19:50:00.007+01:00

I spoke to this guy for about an hour and a half today in George Square. He was really nice and we had a good conversation, I can't remember his name (i'm horrible at remembering names, if your reading this then let me know your name again).

He is from South Korea and has travelled a lot, we talked about movies, we were watching the filming of World War Z starring Brad Pitt at the time so it was a good topic, we talked about travelling and other random stuff. I took this photo not long before I left to go meet Cat and get some food. It was nice to meet you.

Oh and this is taken with the great Sigma 85mm f1.4, really love this lens.

http://www.drewportfolio.com/
andrew@drewportfolio.com

New Lenses and The Full Line Up.

2011-08-19T13:38:00.005+01:00

I just took delivery of the some new lenses that have rounded off my lens line up for everything I will be shooting from now on. I may add a longer focal length at some point , maybe a 135mm or something but I never shoot far away and prefer to be closer to my subject so these lenses are exactly what I need. After years of using different focal length lenses and in different situations I found that I am not a long telephoto shooter and I also don't like going too wide either. All of my subjects are people and I prefer the focal lengths from 28mm, perfect for when you need a wider view without distorting anybody in the frame too much , I find a 24mm to distort a bit too much and my longest focal length is a 100mm macro. The macro is great for small fine detail shots and for tight portraits (head and shoulders).

My line up now consists of a Carl Zeiss 28mm f2 (brilliant lens), a Carl Zess 35 f2 (absolute gem of a lens), a Canon 50mm f1.4 (a good workhorse that covers most situations, good bokeh too), a Sigma 85mm f1.4 (brilliant portrait lens and i personally prefer it to the expensive Canon 85 f1.2, brilliant bokeh and sharpness), a Canon 100mm f2.8 Macro (for them detailed shots and head and shoulder portraits). I also have some other lenses that I use just for fun, a canon 50mm f1.8 that I took apart and messed around with, put it back together and it now acts as a very weird, painterly, bizarre lens, an Olympus Zuiko 100mm f2.8 (very small and light with great image quality), a haminex 28mm (just fun to use) and a 24mm miranda macro that is also fun to use and creates some very interesting images. All of these sit on my Canon 5D Mark 2 and give me all I need, for now:)

After years of shooting I now have my ideal line up for the type of imagery I like to produce. What lenses you have isn't the most important part of photography as you can get great images from almost any lens and camera (some of my favourite images I have taken are with a lens I got on ebay for £8 and a £3 compact film camera) but knowing what images you want to make and knowing what equipment will get you the results needed is important, there is no point in buying the most expensive if you don't really need them, just try out as much as you can and see how they compliment your vision. I have tried a hell of a lot of lenses now and have arrived at this selection. Would I like the whole set of Zeiss primes and a Leica M9 thrown in with a few fast Leica primes? sure I would but I don't need them, doesn't mean to say I wouldn't buy them if I was rich and money was burning a hole in my pocket though.

Here are the images I took today of my new lenses arrival and the whole assembled line up.

Todays Arrivals. 28mm f2 Carl Zeiss and Canon EF 100mm f2.8 Macro

Posers.

Final Lens line up from now on for Portraits, Music photography, Weddings and anything else that comes my way.

28mm Zeiss f2 ZE, 35mm f2 Zeiss ZE, Canon 50mm f1.4, Sigma 85mm f1.4, Canon 100mm f2.8 Macro.

andrew@drewportfolio.com

World War Z Movie Set

2011-08-18T10:16:00.003+01:00

Just took a wander round the World War Z film set which right now is filming with Brad Pitt in Glasgow. Loads of yellow taxis, Philadelphia police cars, road signs and props like newspaper stands and stuff. I took a few photos. Cool to see how they transformed the area and it's good to have a bit of buzz about the area. Hope things like this happen more often.

15th Street

15th Street through the crowds.

Arch Street and workers setting up more lights on the other side of the road.

Where the filming at this point was going on.

Hot Dog stand props.

J F Kennedy Bl

I love the look of these yellow lights and signs.

Market Street

Philadelphia Police car

News stand props.

Working away at the lights.

andrew@drewportfolio.com

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Carl Zeiss Distagon 35 f2 ZE (Initial Thoughts)

2011-08-16T14:27:00.013+01:00

My new lens purchase. I have been looking to add to my lens line up for mt Canon 5d mk 2 for a while now. To be honest I had been feeling a little unimpressed with the range of Canon lenses on offer, not that they to don't perform well and create great images as they do. I have used mainly Canon lenses for a while and have beeen the staple for all the images I have shot but alongside them I have been shooting old manual focus lenses such as my Olympus zuiko 100mm f2.8, Olympus 24mm and Haminex 28mm f2.8 (shooting for fun, not on jobs) and to be honest I enjoyed the process much more with them, I can't explain why, although i think that it could be that I feel more involved with the image (manual focus etc).

Since I have went pro recently I have been looking at the Canon L series and the cheaper yet good prime EF lens range. I thought these were my only options. But I recently tried and bought a Sigma 85 f1.4 as after extensive testing I liked it more in a practical sense than any of the canon 85's and it got me starting to think about 3rd party lenses as an alternative to the canons (if they perform well that is, not just for the sake of it, I have nothing against Canon).

This is when I actually thought about selling all my Canon kit and getting a Leica m9 as after trying a Leica m8 with a Zeiss 28mm f2.8 lens I fell in love with how the lenses functioned(such smooth manual focus and operation) and the high build quality and sharpness straight out of camera. Then on second thoughts I actually really did like the 5D MK2 for its great high ISO performance (Leica is not there yet in ISO abilities) I shoot in lowlight a lot and don't use flash all that much so decided to stick with the Canon.

I loved that the Zeiss lens I used on the M8 was made of metal and felt so sturdy, I wouldn't ever worry about in a field situation, felt like it was built to last forever, I hate the plastic construction of the canon lenses and I have went through a few.

So I started to look into the Carl Zeiss lens range for the Canon mount (the ZE line) as I had heard great things in the past about their wide angle 21mm f2.8 but never really looked too much into it at the time. After a quick search online a lot of great praise was found for nearly all the Zeiss line with the exception of the Zeiss 50 f1.4 and 85 f1.4 when used wide open (or so I have been told, I'm sure their fine though if you know how to use them).

I saw that a lot of pros said that they loved them but wouldn't use the on assignment due to them being manual focus only, but I thought screw that, I have been manually focusing since getting into cameras as I find that when working quick and close autofocus can be quite unreliable (atleast in my experiences). The Zeiss lenses do have the autofocus confirmation when it hits the focus so really you have the best of both worlds but within a much better built body and in some cases superior image quality.

I have heard a lot about the Zeiss 3d rendering quality, people saying that is just amazing and can't be reached by any Canon L lens. The Zeiss in a lot of cases are cheaper than the Canons or around the same price. All this sounds great but I thought it must be too good to be true.

So I thought F**k it and just ordered the Zeiss Distagon 35 f2 which is a focal length I have wanted for a long time (and was about the same focal length equivalent as the 28mm i used on the Leica m8) and the Canon ef 35 f2 is plastic with a pretty crap manual focus ring (but is nice and light) and the Canon 35 f1.4 L costs over £400 more than the zeiss but does have that nice 1.4 though. I really wanted to try the zeiss though.

It arrived today and I really wasn't expecting too much to be honest but when I opened the box I was immediately impressed with the look and build and it was actually a lot lighter than I thought which was a nice surprise. After mounting it on the camera it felt really nice, well balanced on the 5D MK2 and with the EG-S precision matte focus screen manual focus is very easy and everything snaps into focus no problem and the focus conformation works really well too for when you don't want to rely solely on your eye to do the work.

After taking a few shots with it (nothing to interesting yet as it's raining outside and nothing worth posting) I now understand what people say about the Zeiss rendering. It just looks amazing. The colours straight out of camera are really nice, better than any canon lens I have used (in my opinion) and I have used a good amount of L's in the past. The images from at least this lens do have that 3d rendering quality and it is sharp from f2, there is some vignetting at f2 but is to be expected and is no problem when in actual use and actually gives the images a great look. It makes Jpegs out of camera look really good which is a feat.

I have only shot a couple of images so far but I wanted to write this as I was so impressed and it actually has already surpassed my expectations which is something I have yet to experience with any other lens. I am now already considering another purchase maybe the 28 f2 for that slightly wider field of view in tight situations. My only regret in buying this lens is that I didn't get the new 35 f1.4 version but that is bigger, heavier and more expensive at around £1500.

I think if you can do without autofocus (you do get autofocus confirmation though) then the Zeiss line is a great investment, well I can at least confirm that the 35 f2 is a stunning lens and I will be purchasing more (probably the wider lenses though, the 28 , 25 or 21). I still have my Canon 50 f1.4, Sigma 85 f1.4 and I am still very happy with their results (well maybe not the 50 too much wide open) but for moments when I want autofocus and for traditional portraits these will still be my go to lenses I haven't given up the Canon's yet but the Zeiss image quality makes me want to. Certain situations call for certain lenses and as long as you use the right one for you to get the best image, thats all that matters. I love though that for that photojournalistic, street and environmental portraits I will have my Zeiss 35 to go to from now on.

I am not a fan of reviews that photograph test charts to judge lenses and much prefer to read what people think after taking some real world shots and experiences. While looking at this lens I didn't find too much info on it in this manner so thought I would do a quick write up (which has turned into a long write up) and I will do a follow up once I have shot with it a bit more. I just hope this might help someone who was in the same position as me looking at the Zeiss line (or at least this 35 f2).

Cheers!

www.drewportfolio.com

UPDATE!! SOME QUICK TEST IMAGES!

These files really have barely been touched in post. I put on my usual sharpening that I do on all my images (just a small amount) and boosted the contrast a little on a few but for most part this is all the lens.
Some are straight out of camera JPEG which is something I have never been impressed with before.
The images aren't good but I just wanted to do a quick test.

Shot at f2 and focused on the silver barrier in the middle of the image.

Pretty damn good for f2, I love the contrast and clarity.

This is just a black and white version of the above image for reference.

I love the straight out of camera B&W's, This lens makes me

want to shoot JPeg it is so good in clarity, colour and contrast.

Hello! Me in my bathroom mirror (the top of the mirror is steamed up as I wasn't

long out the shower. Very nice feeling to this image. Shot at f2 and focused on my hair.

Me taken by Cat in Bar Bloc. I wanted to test my new Zeiss lens in a lowlight environment but the light on Cat at this part of the bar was pretty crap and all the cool bar lights were behind me so she took a couple shots to get that lovely out of focus goodness. Look how nice that lens renders the colours, beautiful! Zeiss lenses from now on I thinks. Hardly anything to do in post and sharp wide open, love it. Getting the 28 now too, I've got the bug.

On the set of new film World War Z, starring Brad Pitt.

The guy with the umbrella was the main focus, I like the girl talking to the worker with the ladder too. A lot going on here, I like it.

Straight out of camera JPEG with the smallest amount of contrast added (pretty much nothing +1 i think). It was about to rain bad and I saw this homeless guy that hangs around this area leaning against the rail (just to the right of the centre of the frame) so put the lens to f2 and focused on him. Again great image quality and this is a jpeg straight out of camera, crazy good. Cuts my post processing

time down to pretty much nothing, amazing and thats with Raw files too.

Another straight out of camera JPEG with a very small amount of contrast added (+1 I think, very small amount). Again it was a very dull and rainy day and thats why the image is so dark. I love how

the Zeiss rendered the shot. F2 focused on the water droplets.

Thats it for now. I am very impressed with this lens. Very sharp, great colour and great contrast and it makes JPEG's straight out of camera look great which is unreal and after processing Raw files the images are even more stunning and thats without doing to much to the file atall, less than I normally do with my other leneses. Love this 35 and will be checking out either the 28 or 21 Zeiss in the very near future.

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Holly came for a visit.

2011-08-16T10:06:00.004+01:00

Our friend Holly came back to Glasgow for a few days and she paid us a visit. Was great to see her. Cat and myself spent many a night with Holly and her boyfriend Martin in the pubs when we all lived in Aberdeen, we had some really good nights. I miss having them around but we do see them every once in a while. We are in Glasgow and they are in Bournemouth so its a fair distance, can't just nip down the road and meet up anymore.

Anyway like I was saying, Holly came into Glasgow City Centre last week and we went to the pub, of course. Cat was working the next day and I had been out photographing all day so was pretty shattered, so we didn't stay out late but was good fun all the same.

These are a few shots I took on the night, they are mostly out of focus as the corner we were sitting in was almost pitch black, The Canon 5D MK2 did a good job, I think I was at very high ISO's 4000 and above (think some were at 12800 or something like that, whatever the extra high settings are). I didn't take much but I thought they were pretty cool and will help us remember the night.

Wish I took a photo of Holly's new tattoo on her right arm, it is pretty damn cool.

Really like this profile shot of Holly.

Holly giving Cat a new and rather ridiculous hairstyle.

Cat just chillin.

Not sure whats going on here.

Two thumbs up man.

I love this one, my favourite of the bunch.

My Modified Lens Experiment.

2011-08-12T15:10:00.004+01:00

My 50mm lens broke. It was my back up 50 and didn't cost too much so I had an idea to take it apart and see how I could modify it to get some interesting images. I had it in half and put it back together with some tape and other random things and now it takes some very interesting images. I went out today and took some images on the streets, it has a mind of its own but is controllable (kind of).

I can't wait to shoot more with it, experiment and try some portraits. It is so much fun, much more fun than it was as a cheap 50. I have a Canon 50mm f1.4 which I use as my main 50 now anyways. Now I have a very artistic lens that can get very bizarre yet effective results to experiment with, Awesome!

Check out the images below, very dream like quality. The first one is my favourite out of the bunch.

Some New Street Shots

2011-08-11T09:27:00.002+01:00

I have really been enjoying getting out into the streets with my 5D Mark 2 recently. I have been primarily using a canon 50mm f1.4, an old haminex 28mm f2.8 via an adapter and an olympus zuiko 100mm f2.8 via an adapter. Using the 28mm more often. I think I will look into a new 28mm or 35mm for future street work.

I am really interested in the Zeiss ZE primes for the Canon. The Zeiss 35 f2 seems like a nice well made lens which is important to me as I put my gear through a little abuse (not on purpose, just a lot of use). Will be a hard decision as I'm really liking the 28mm focal length for reportage style work at the moment, I'll have to give them both a try. The manual focus doesn't bother me as I only use manual focus for street work anyway as its much faster for my style, in fact autofocus makes me miss more shots, just not quick enough for that split second moment.

It is actually the most fun I have had with photography in a good while and it's really teaching me to work quicker and to be more precise. It's always fun to get back to the flat and see what images I have captured, I try not to look at the lcd screen on the camera while shooting as it really does cause you to miss shots on the street.

I have also been using an Olympus OM2n for film, which I haven't developed yet as I am planning on self developing and need to buy the equipment. I am also really considering a leica M6 for that rangefinder focusing which I love and it's small discreet body, I will keep you updated with my future street work and camera equipment.

Here are some very recent shots.

Hope Street (The street name and a very fitting title for this image)

Father and Son.

Poor guy has a rather large snout.

This band on Buchanan Street, Glasgow were great fun to watch,

I liked all the instruments and they were having a good laugh.

I like how the guy on the right glanced at me in this one.

The same band. Interacting with a passer by, I really liked this moment.

The girl was having a great time.

Band warming up outside the venue (Ivory Blacks) before they hit the stage.

Not something you see everyday. I like the contrast between them and the old man

on the right.

I really liked the movement in her dress.

She was in a hurry somewhere.

George Square, Glasgow. During a piping band event.

Brad Pitt is filming scenes from new film World War Z here this month.

I got caught.

Everyone chilling out in Glasgow city centre on a nice sunny day.

Rush hour bus stop.

Man having a cigarette on his lunch break

The picture of health.
A very common sight in Glasgow.

Smoke break for the drummers in kilts.

Trying to find a quiet spot in a packed city centre.

I tried to capture the man smoking his pipe at the bottom left, he wouldn't stop staring at me,

maybe he liked my camera.

Plenty of legs.

Buchanan Street Dancers, always fun to watch these guys at the weekend.
They draw a pretty huge crowd.

I thought this photo kind of summed up the feeling of the London Riots. Hell On Earth.
I feel so sorry for the communities that have been shattered by the events. I lived in
South London until very recently and my flat was far too close for comfort to some
of the rioting, glad I moved away.

Multiplicity.

Something strange is going on.

Certainly a day for hats, even the statue needed one.

The woman looks freezing, it wasn't that bad to be honest.

Balloon hair accessory.

She struck a pose for me.

Hell On Earth (London Riots)

2011-08-09T13:32:00.002+01:00

This pic could actually sum up the recent events in London, There is definitely pure evil on the streets of London at the moment and fire seems to be the face of most of the damage. Hell on earth, or as close as it gets. Lets hope it doesn't get worse. Just can't understand this mindless violence and vandalism.

Originally I saw this as a funny picture but then I saw all the London riots on the news while I was posting this picture to my flickr site and it took on a whole new meaning.

I lived in South London until very recently and my flat was really close to the some of the riots, so I really feel for the innocent people of the communities who are being affected.

www.drewportfolio.com

Some Recent Photography.

2011-08-04T19:20:00.000+01:00

Been quite busy of late so thought I wold do a post with some new images I have taken over the past month or so. It will also be interesting for me to see what kind of images I have taken, everything is a bit of a blur to be honest. Think I will now do something like this every month or couple of weeks just to keep myself and everyone else updated on my goings on.

2 men, 2 very different days.

One man on his way to work, the other cruising in his shiny new classic car.

Waiting Patiently.

Lonely tree on my travels.

Parked up hog

More Leica M8 Tests

2011-07-20T11:52:00.002+01:00

This is some more images I shot with the Leica M8 I traded some old equipment for at the weekend. I still think I have to return it for some other equipment for my Canon 5D Mark 2 (maybe a couple of zeiss lenses) as the M8 a good a camera as it is just doesn't perform well enough in low light for my needs.

It does create some really nice images though when you keep it in the cameras lower ISO's, here are some recent shots.

The Paper Boy.

The M8 Raw files out of the camera are great, very sharp, detailed and great contrast (could have something to do with the great 28mm zeiss lens too.

Spiced.

Some dodgy goings on.

The M8 excels in shots like this, very small, light and quite quiet.

Late Night Cyclist.

ISO 2500 which in colour looks horrible but in Black and White and reduced in size it looks quite good.

Our friends from Malta came to Scotland for a Holiday.

Lovely detail captured by the M8 here.

Tonina Portrait.

She is full of life.

Cat after a long hard day at work.

She still has a cool look even when she's not looking or feeling her best.

Postman Pat at Tesco's.

Lidl Trolleys.

Leica M8 Test

2011-07-18T21:47:00.004+01:00

At the weekend I purchased a camera that I have always wanted to get my hands on, a Leica M8, well i wanted an M9 but thats not in the bank balances reach at the moment. I got it with a new Zeiss 28mm f2.8 (a great relatively inexpensive lens).

I love the feel of the camera, I love how it functions and I love how small it is. The high ISO range is fairly crap really but I was expecting this. The one problem I found though was that there is a vertical line on all high ISO images which is pretty unacceptable considering I wanted to use this as part of my professional kit as a small accompaniment to my 5d mark 2. There is also a red and a green pixel which appears in all images regardless of ISO which is a pain. Needless to say I will be returning the camera as I can't use it and I'm not sure whether to get it fixed and returned to me or to just get some nice lenses for my 5d (a 35 f1.4 or 24 f1.4 and 135 f2).

It's a shame about the ISO performance of this camera but it is 6 years old digital technology and I can't afford an m9 which should have at least a stop better performance I would think. The files have much less room for play than any digital SLR camera I have owned but isn't too big a deal as if you get the exposure correct its fine. When you get the exposure correct on an ISO of 640 or below it produces some of the best RAW files I have seen, very very sharp (no need for any extra sharpening which all my canon files need). The above shot is a nice example, it's not a good photo on my part but this is pretty much a straight Raw file that all i did was convert to black and white, my canon would need a good bit of normal processing to get this.

All in all I really liked the M8 but i believe it is certainly showing its age when it comes to technology. It is pretty slow which is no problem for me as i don't shoot that quick anyway, the ISO performance leaves a lot to be desired but it is 6 years old and when used correctly can produce amazing files.

This was my first rangefinder experience, I have always wanted to get into this style of shooting as I knew I would love it, and love it I did. Using a rangefinder for focusing was amazing, much better than any autofocus or manual focus in an SLR for my style of shooting. I also loved that is is small and very discreet, nobody cared about me photographing them on the street for the day I had to test out the camera and I got so much shots that I just wouldn't have with my 5D. It was great to see outside the framelines and waiting for the scene to happen rather than looking through an SLR finder and not knowing whats going on outside of that little rectangle. Using the rangefinder also made lowlight focusing a pleasure, if you can see you can focus (shame the m8 can't do that great in lowlight high ISO grain performance, it's not as bad as some people say though, in black and white that is, colour is horrible, this is why you buy fast lenses). I think the M9 would do much better (well I would hope so at that price). If the M9 could give me a nice 1600 file in colour I would be a very happy camper (when I can afford one).

All in all I hate to part with the M8 but with so many little niggles after having it for a few days (it is old and is used so this is always a possibility) and ISO performance that really isn't great for the environments I shoot in (and I can't afford a noctilux) I think I will have to return it and get something else no matter how much I want to keep it, I can't justify the price tag for a camera that I can't really get what I need out of it (really wish I could get my hands on an m9). I may either get a fuji x100 and a canon lens or two canon lenses, I'll decide over the next day or two.

There really is nothing like using a leica (even though the M8 is apparently not the best leica camera according to regular leica users) and I will buy a leica again in the future but what model i'm not sure. Maybe a nice M6 or MP and shoot some good old film.

www.drewportfolio.com

Catriona Portrait (Testing Zuiko 100mm f2.8 on 5D mk 2)

2011-07-08T12:24:00.000+01:00

Catriona shot in my small home studio using a Canon 5d mark 2 and a 100mm f2.8 Olympus Zuiko lens.

I have this olympus lens that I use on my old film camera the Olympus OM2n which gives some great quality and I have shot a lot of portraits with it on film in the past. I recently started to look into some portrait lenses for my digital set up (5D mark 2). I looked into the Canon ef 100mm f2.8 macro and the Canon ef 100mm f2. They are relatively inexpensive when it comes to good quality portrait primes and I would use either of them no problem and know that they would give great quality. Then I remembered I had this 100mm Zuiko lens so I bought a cheap adapter to get this on the 5D, I bought it from ebay for about £10. This is the first real test shots from it in a portraiture setting and from this image it looks like it works really well. This image is shot at 2.8 so the depth of field is pretty shallow and focused on her right eye (our left) and I really like how it rendered the image and I would be happy to use this in a professional setting. The only problem is though that it isn't that easy to hit focus spot on but I am going to buy an adapter with an autofocus conformation so that will resolve that problem.

After this surprising experience I think I will look into trying out a zuiko 24mm f2.8 to see what the results from that are like as I would love an extremely compact wide angle that could fit in my pocket while out on a shoot rather than the very large 16-35 f2.8L which can get annoying having to carry around all day and I prefer primes anyway. I may possibly sell my 16-35 f2.8 II L as I do really prefer primes for size and i've never really been a zoom guy but the 16-35mm image quality is great so I am caught in two minds.

I'll keep updating the 100mm f2.8's images as I get through them, I want to really give it a good test before using it on a pro job. And possibly a zuiko 24mm f2.8 on a 5d mk 2 review soon.

www.drewportfolio.com

Strathpeffer Weekend Slideshow

2011-07-02T20:18:00.002+01:00

I went to Strathpeffer in Scotland for the weekend recently with my parents and Catriona's family. We climbed Ben Wyvis (well i did half) and we had a nice evening meal followed by a few drinks in the pub. It was good to see everyone again and it was good fun, really good to get out of the city and see some country side. I got to test out my new 16-35mm lens which was great for landscape shots and also got to use my 85mm f1.4 which is amazing for low light stuff in the pub.

I didn't do too much to the photo's, I just converted some to black and white. Catriona has added 2 Iphone shots she took from the top, surprised the iphone can create such atmospheric images, think I need to get one.

The music is just a random guitar part I recorded ages ago. I just found it on a hard drive so used it. It doesn't sound too good but I wanted some kind of music and why not use my own as its free (unless I sue myself). I couldn't find any free music that wasn't complete crap.

So for you who were there, enjoy the images and for those who weren't then this may not be too interesting

www.drewportfolio.com

Back To My Old Compact

2011-07-01T12:48:00.002+01:00

I decided to leave my 5d mark 2 in the house for the day and only take my little compact fuji camera. The Fuji Finepix F11. Yes you probably haven't even heard of it.

This was my very first camera and I remember loving it, I got some really good shots with it but felt I needed something with a little more manul control, so I entered into the DSLR world with a Canon 400d, I pretty much haven't used this small Fuji since. I saw it sitting in the bottom of a drawer the other day and vowed to take it out for a day to see what we could create. So this morning I put it in my pocket as I walked my girlfriend to her work and snapped a few shots (luckily it was a great morning). I got home and took the shots into photoshop and quickly realised that the quality is not as bad as I first feared (not great but pretty decent for an old 6 megapixel digital compact). This camera could still get a shot if I needed and it is so small. It can't hold up to the compacts nowadays or the new hybrid cameras (it doesn't shoot raw) but I think I will start to use it again. I am currently looking into getting one of the hybrid cameras, either a GH2 or a Fuji X100 (that viewfinder is amazing) as I want a small camera that can deliver results that are useable on a pro assignment.

I wish I had never stopped taking this camera around with me, I might have got some shots that I wasn't have comfortable taking with a big SLR. Just goes to show how we all get caught up in technology, I know that digital compacts especially back in the day have their limitations but I am now going to try and use them to their strengths. Oh and it has a pretty decent macro too which will be nice to play with again.

Below are the shots that I snapped this morning. I will post more shots as I go through them and I will take this around with me for a few days to see how it fairs.

Unplugged

2011-06-29T13:26:00.001+01:00

Glasgow, Scotland. Sigma 85 f1.4.

I have been struck down by a bug since Sunday so have not been doing anything photography related for a little while. Feeling a bit better today so thought I would attempt to sort out some images from over the past few weeks.

Above is a shot I took on one of the first days i had my Sigma 85 f1.4. I love the focal length, it's perfect for just walking around picking out random details as well as great for portraits.

I will be getting through all the images I took from hill walking recently, I finally got a chance to fully test out my Canon 16-35 f2.8 II L which was a great experience (I have never shot that wide before in a landscape environment). There was also plenty of alcohol consumed (not while walking) so I'm sure there are some fun shots to look through. It was great to meet up with my mum and dad and my girlfriends family, I had an awesome time except for the hangover/illness I woke up to on Sunday.

Stay tuned for a lot of images that I will be posting up over the next few days and I think a review of the 16-35 may be in order too.

Triangles (I need to look up more often)

2011-06-23T19:48:00.001+01:00

It's gonna rain!!

The sky started to get pretty stormy looking, something that happens a lot in Glasgow. I looked up and saw these nice reflections in the building so snapped a frame. I don't normally take much shots like this but the reflections just look so moody and atmospheric, I'll have to look up more often from now on.

www.drewportfolio.com
andrew@drewportfolio.com

Bizarro Portrait Series 4

2011-06-23T13:28:00.000+01:00

The fourth part of my Bizarro portrait series.

One of mt favourite things to do is just experiment with images. I like to experiment but also not go too over the top, try to keep it weird but rooted in reality. I really liked the weirdness of this shot yet it kind of looks normal. It plays with my head when I look at it, so it is now number 4 in my Bizarro Portrait Series.

View the rest of the series son far here

Making The Most Of One Location & LumoPro 160 Speedlight Review

2011-06-20T12:47:00.016+01:00

Studio portraits of Cat.

Cat and I love to just play around and experiment with lights in our small home studio when we're bored. Above is two shots from one of our recent sessions.

Looking at these shots you can instantly see that they are very different, one is quite natural with my LumoPro 160 speedlight used to softly light the face combined with a shallow depth of field (50mm at f1.4 if I remember correctly) focussed on the eye's to give a really nice, soft, beautiful portrait (headshot kind of vibe) and the other is very harsh with the LumoPro used to blow almost everything out, resulting in a raw, hard and edgy outcome with a nice bit of attitude thrown in. These images were taken within seconds of each other, I just changed the aperture, flash power and my viewpoint while staying in the same spot to create a completely different picture with a completely different feel. In the first image I am standing more above her looking down to get the wood floor texture in the background giving a innocent and soft quality to the overall image, on the second I just bent down to her eye level, asked her to pull her hair back while staring down the camera (she is sitting on the floor for both images). I am a big advocate for being able to get the most out of one spot rather than having to change location constantly and I feel that practicing this can help you become a much better photographer, it keeps you on your toes. Sometimes on shoots you don't get the luxury of great locations and have to work with what you've got so being able to make the most of your surroundings is a very valuable skill.

I have wanted to do a short review of the Lumopro 160 for a while. So here it is.
To be honest there isn't really that much to say. It simply is a great flash. If you want to get into off camera lighting and are not worried about TTL controls then this in my opinion is the best option out there. It gives the same power as Nikon or Canon's highest models at much less of a price. I payed £130 for mine and could not be happier, I like to work manually with my flash settings to maintain full control of the situation and this unit is perfect for this. I have had no problems with it and can't think of a bad thing to say.

So if you are looking into off camera lighting and don't need the power of a strobe or TTL controls then I would highly recommend taking a look at this LumoPro 160. Also if you haven't already then check out http://www.strobist.blogspot.com/ this site will help get you well on your way in the world of flash, this is where I first heard about the LumoPro 160 and off camera abilities.

http://www.drewportfolio.com/
andrew@drewportfolio.com

Update on testing the Sigma 85 f1.4 and Canon 85 f1.2

2011-06-16T08:56:00.007+01:00

Since doing the last tests and review I decided to give the Sigma another chance and tried a second copy. True it is not quite as sharp as the Canon 1.2, nearly but not quite, the Sigma does not have 1.2 which would be nice but 1.4 would be fine for most low light situations and for this price you cannot complain.

The thing I loved this time round is the focus speed which is very fast, I would say about twice as fast as the Canon 1.2. the focus on this copy is very accurate even in low light. The lens is nice and weighty and looks good on the camera, it looks like a nice Nikon lens to be honest. The manual focus ring is still too stiff for my liking and can be a pain to use but with auto focus this decent I might not need to revert to it nearly as often. Most importantly images that it produces are really really nice. I am very impressed with this lens after spending a bit more time with it.

I did a test by putting a few images taken with the Canon 85 1.2 and the Sigma 85 1.4, I processed them as I usually process my images (white balance and contrast adjustments) and put them into a slideshow, I got a few people (including myself) just to watch these images loop around in the slideshow and the results were very interesting. They could not tell any difference in the images, this is after about ten minutes staring at them. When I looked at them closely I also could not see any difference, now that is amazing considering the Sigma is £1000 cheaper. Now I really was going to go for the Canon 85 1.2 but after spending more time with the Sigma I have changed my mind. I would like the Canon purely because of its image quality, good looks and the 1.2 but if I (and a good few others, who are also quality freaks) cannot tell the difference in the images between the Canon and the Sigma, the Sigma has much better autofocus, it is a bit lighter and costs around £1000 less then Its a no brainer in my opinion. I actually now think that overall the Sigma is the better lens (for me anyway), that was not easy to say. I actually liked the Sigma so much that today I purchased one and have been shooting with it all day. and with £1000 extra still in the bank to spend on another lens, maybe the Canon 135 f2. In the end the quality of the images I deliver to clients is the most important thing and you can't go wrong with either the Sigma or the Canon.

Here are some images with the Sigma:

Sigma 85mm f1.4 @1.4, Window light portrait.

As you can see from this portrait it handles quite well at 1.4, much sharper than my canon 50 f1.4.

I like the look of the eye and softness of the skin, perfect for my style of portraiture.

Sigma 85 f1.4 @1.4, focused on the orange rail thing.

It caught this scene very well at 1.4. The image looks nice to me and thats what counts.

Sigma Un-boxing images

Nice case you get, better than the soft Canon L lens cases, not that I will use it but it's great for storage.

Nice bit of glass there.

Overall the presentation of the lens is much nicer than any Canon L, not that this is too important, just a nice addition.

Read the original review here

andrew@drewportfolio.com

Testing My New White Seamless Backdrop

2011-06-08T14:22:00.004+01:00

Testing out my new white seamless paper. I love this thing. Never thought I would like to work on seamless (or white seamless at least) but It is so liberating and challenging to omit all backgrounds and props. It really makes you work hard to get a great image. I am using this with my Lumopro 160 speedlight and the lastolite ezybox softbox. I am looking into getting either a bowens or elinchrom strobe kit soon for the extra power and ability to use them with much larger light modifiers like an octabox in order to create a much larger and softer light.

I had a problem with the paper though. When it arrived I set it up only to realise that there was a continuous weird indent pattern all the way down the middle of the roll which pretty much renders it useless for anything other than blasting light and rendering it pure white (which washes out the indent). This is annoying as I wanted to shoot a lot as a grey background by not letting so much light fall on to the paper but when doing this the indent ruins the picture and is so large and weirdly shaped that it would take too much photoshop work to erase. I got in touch with the company I bought it from and they quickly said they would send me a replacement (which should arrive today) so soon I can start using the paper the way I initially intended. I’ll post the results as they come.

Anyway this is a quick image of Cat, you can’t really see much of the paper here (it could easily just have been a white wall) but I will post some wider shots later.

I used the Lumopro 160 shot through a Lastolite Ezybox softbox from above my head, pretty much straight down at her and quite close. I really liked the result. I thought her expression was pretty funny.

For anyone who’s interested I will post a review of the Lumopro 160 and the Lastolite Ezybox kit within the week. I am going to write a lot more reviews of equipment I use in the future, focussing on how the items work in practical use, as when I was looking to buy some items there wasn’t much great info out there online (except strobist.com of course). If your getting into lighting and have not checked out this site then you need to get over there now, NOW!. www.strobist.blogspot.com

http://www.drewportfolio.com/
andrew@drewportfolio.com

Testing Canon EF 85mm f1.2 II, 50mm f1.2 and the Sigma 85 f1.4

2011-06-07T14:04:00.012+01:00

I just got the chance to test out the Canon 85mm f1.2 II and 50mm f1.2. I also tested out the new Sigma 85mm f1.4 which is another lens I have been very interested in and that has been getting a lot of great praise. You can see some sample images at the bottom of the page after the review.

These are two Canon lenses that I have always wanted to add to my kit (not just because of the red ring). The price though is the reason I have not yet decided to jump at them. I have read a lot of different reviews online saying that the 85’s focus is slow, the 50 has some focussing issues and that the sigma gives the same image quality of the canon at £1000 less. The following is just a short review and my thoughts on these lenses. I am not going to focus on the technical specifications or any of that as I really couldn’t care less about charts and numbers, I want to look at the practical uses and if the lenses will work for me and in the situations that I personally shoot. Oh and the camera used was my Canon 5D mark 2.

Canon EF 85mm f1.2 II
When I tested the Canon 85 I was surprised to find the focus was actually pretty fast, considering the size of glass it has to move, I have used much slower autofocus lenses in the past. I also read that the manual focus is quite annoying to use but I personally really liked it. The manual focus ring is quite loose feeling but I prefer this to a stiff focus ring. I have previously owned the Canon 50mm f1.8, most people hate the manual focus ring on that but I loved it, it was loose and I could move it with one finger, I could always focus much more accurately and quickly, this goes against most people’s views but hey different strokes. I tend to trust my eye more than the autofocus on a machine so being comfortable with the focus ring is very important to me. I took a couple of portraits of my girlfriend at 1.2 and was blown away by the images, the sharpness, the DOF and overall feel was outstanding. The weight actually wasn’t too bad, don’t get me wrong it is pretty heavy but its a nice solid heavy. I think that if you shoot any kind of portraits and can reach the price of the 85 f1.2 then it is simply the best thing out there. It is not an all purpose lens but for portraits it is simply amazing! I still cant get over the sharpness at f1.2. I think I would use this lens for portraits and gigs, I have heard that the focus hunts too much in low light but I am very comfortable with manual focus and actually get more keeper shots using my own eye and hand rather than relying on the camera and mechanisms.

Now the price of this lens is insane at around £1700 but after using it I now know why. I truly believe that this lens is a great investment for your business, providing you shoot at this focal length a lot and are very serious about your images. I’m not just saying this for the amazing creamy background that it produces as I have seen many boring images made with this lens where the photographer has simply relied on the blurred background (Bokeh) to make the image interesting. I think that in the hands of a photographer who can make great images regardless of lens and then incorporate the power and beauty of this 85 into their images it will be a revelation.

Canon EF 50mm f1.2
Through my time with photography I have used the Canon 50mm f1.8 and now for the past year the Canon 50mm f1.4. The 1.8 for the money (I got mine at around £90) is a great lens and an amazing introduction for people wanting to get into prime lenses or low light photography. I used this to shoot a lot of bands and most of my early portraits as I loved the shallow depth of field created at 1.8. The problem with this lens is the construction, when I was a kid I had toys that were made better than this. It really does feel like crap and if you drop it, it will probably break, but then it is only around £100 so you can’t expect the best. The image quality was really nice so I couldn’t really complain. The autofocus was virtually unusable, I shot mostly in low light and it could never find focus so I was on Manual 100% of the time. After a year the autofocus just stopped responding all together and I decided to upgrade to the Canon 50mm f1.4.

The 50 f1.4 was a great upgrade, the ability to shoot at 1.4, the reliable and fast autofocus and the colour was just superior in my experience to the 1.8. It helped so much with shooting bands and shooting in low light in general. My images started to get better and the lens would just respond and render images the way I needed. The build was far superior and I didn’t feel like I had to baby it as much, it just worked and worked very well. The 1.4 is still my workhorse lens and I use it about 70% of the time but I have recently been thinking about upgrading to the 50 f1.2. My reason is that there are a few times I have found the f1.4 not fast enough(aperture) for some lowlight situations in pubs, venues and other places where I had no artificial lighting available. I know that the difference between 1.4 and 1.2 is not much but if you have been in the situation where you could use that little bit of extra light then you know that it would be invaluable. Also for portraits that background at f1.2 would be nice.

When I put the 50mm f1.2 on my camera it felt awesome. It was light, not as light as the other 50’s though, it felt solid and to be honest just looked damn good. The autofocus was quick and accurate, the manual focus ring was nice to use and the construction is really nice. I tested this after the 85 1.2 and I instantly liked the wider view (I am used to the 50 view so thats probably why). Again I shot my girlfriend and the images were incredible. The sharpness on the eye, the background blur (Bokeh), the focus accuracy and the colour. I was amazed at the colour straight out of the camera. This was by far superior to my 50 f1.4 in all aspects. It wasn’t as sharp as the 85 f1.2 but this isn’t a problem for me as they have very different uses. This 50 in my opinion would be a great documentary, wide/group portrait and band/gig lens.

I really wasn’t expectimg this lens to perform as well as it did, so many people online were bashing it but I can say that for me anyway this is the best Canon 50 out there. This lens does cost a lot at around £1250 compared to the £299 of the 50 f1.4 so I think you really have to know you need it before purchasing. Like I said about the 85 I really think that investing in this lens will give you a return as the images will stand out so much more if used correctly and to its full potential.

Sigma 85 f1.4
The last lens I tested was the Sigma 85 f1.4 which is a lens I have seriously been looking at as it is about £1000 less than the Canon 85 f1.2 and people have been saying that it rivals the quality of Canon. I thought I would test it for myself.

The lens felt nice and was quite heavy, It has some big glass in it, I liked the shape and it looked good when mounted to the camera. One thing I instantly noticed is that the AF/Manual switch sticks out quite a lot and could easily be knocked accidentally and looks…..well….quite crap, but I’m looking for image quality and can deal with these niggles if it delivers in the final images. The focus was very fast, I would say faster than the Canon 85 and it was also very accurate. I have heard a lot of focusing problems with the sigma lens line but this one was dead on. The sharpness was good, not as good as the Canon but pretty good and the colours were good. The background blur at 1.4 was also very nice. One big problem for me was the manual focus ring which was very stiff and just didn’t feel good when moved which is kind of a deal breaker for me as I manual focus a lot. I only tested one lens so i’m not sure if this is the same on all or just this one but something did not feel right with the manual focus ring.

The thing I found with this lens is that it was good, not great but good. Well apart from that damn manual focus ring, really disappointed with this but other people may like it. The images came out nice but not as good as the Canon 85, the bokeh was good but again not as nice as the Canon’s and also the colour straight out of camera wasn’t quite as nice as the Canon’s. I have to take into account that there is a £1000 price difference here too which is massive. If there is no way you can afford the Canon then the Sigma would be a great alternative but Canon also do a 85 f1.8 which is highly regarded by many pro’s and is around £320 which is a lot less than the Sigma. You could save the money and buy the Canon 85 f1.8 then save up for the Canon 85 f1.2. I think If I couldn’t get the Canon 85 f1.2 I would go that route as the Sigma is a little pricey for a stop gap lens, I would have to want the Sigma and want to use it for a good few years instead of the Canon 85 f1.2 which just isn’t the case.

I would like to test another copy of the Sigma as I have heard that qaulity can vary from lens to lens and I would like to try the manual focussing ring again to see if it was just that copy that was really stiff. So Sigma if your reading, feel free to send me a copy of the 85 f1.4 and I’ll do another review.

Conclusion
I really enjoyed testing out these three lenses which I have been very interested in buying. I feel it is much better to get your hands on the items and test them for yourself, you might find that one just feels right.

I was secretly hoping that the Sigma was going to blow me away and match the Canon’s quality and at £1000 less but i’m afraid it didn’t. The extra money on the Canon 85 f1.2 in my eye’s at least does give you that something more, that something special in the images. £1000 is a lot of money but sometimes the difference between good and great is very small and the Canon just has that little something extra that I feel is very important, It will last you a long time and it’s resale value will stay high if you ever decided to get rid of it for whatever reason.

A surprise though was that the lens I liked best out of all three was the 50mm f1.2. I originally wasn’t going to test this one as I was looking for a 85mm focal length, I just decided on a whim to give it a go. It’s not as sharp as the 85 f1.2, it’s probably on par if not better than the Sigma. I really liked the colours it rendered and the ability to shoot at f1.2 for low light and would be great for 3/4 portraits on location.

I am not stinking rich and can only choose one lens out of the three, I think I will try and get the Canon 85 f1.2 as I need a portrait focal length more than any other at the moment for my business. I already have the Canon 50mm f1.4 which is a great lens and I am happy with its results so buying the 50 1.2 would be more of a luxury than a needed purchase. Although if you are looking for a 50 and are considering the canon 1.2 I say go for it and never look back.

UPDATE!
Since doing these tests and this review I decided to give the Sigma another chance and tried a second copy. True it is not quite as sharp as the Canon 1.2, nearly but not quite, the Sigma does not have 1.2 which would be nice but 1.4 would be fine for most low light situations and for this price you cannot complain. The thing i loved this time round is the focus speed which is very fast, I would say about twice as fast as the Canon 1.2. the focus on this copy is very accurate even in low light. The lens is nice and weighty and looks good on the camera, it looks like a nice Nikon lens to be honest. The manual focus ring is still too stiff for my liking and can be a pain to use but with auto focus this decent I might not need to revert to it nearly as often. Most importantly images that it produces are really really nice. I am very impressed with this lens after spending a bit more time with it. I did a test by putting a few images taken with the Canon 85 1.2 and the Sigma 85 1.4, I processed them as I usually process my images (white balance and contrast adjustments) and put them into a slideshow, I got a few people (including myself) just to watch these images loop around in the slideshow and the results were very interesting. They could not tell any difference in the images, this is after about ten minutes staring at them. When I looked at them closely I also could not see any difference, now that is amazing considering the Sigma is £1000 cheaper. Now I really was going to go for the Canon 85 1.2 but after spending more time with the Sigma I have changed my mind. I would like the Canon purely because of its image quality, good looks and the 1.2 but if I (and a good few others, who are also quality freaks) cannot tell the difference in the images between the Canon and the Sigma, the Sigma has much better autofocus, it is a bit lighter and costs around £1000 less then Its a no brainer in my opinion. I actually now think that overall the Sigma is the better lens, that was not easy to say. I actually liked the Sigma so much that today I purchased one and have been shooting with it all day. and with £1000 extra still in the bank to spend on another lens, maybe the Canon 135 f2. In the end the quality of the images I deliver to clients is the most important thing and you can't go wrong with either the Sigma or the Canon.

I hope this helps anyone that is in the same position as I am at the moment.

Canon EF 85 f1.2 II

Not the best image to show the bokeh as the background was so sunny I had to blow it out. I love the sharpness on the left eye.

Sigma 85 f1.4

Colour not as nice, focus not as sharp. The background looks better here as I was further away from Cat and got more of it in. In direct comparison images the Canon has the better bokeh.

Canon EF 50mm f1.2

I really like both these shots. The sharpness on the left eye on the second one is great and I love the colour rendition of both. My favourite lens out the three.

andrew@drewportfolio.com

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