Fifer Photography Blog

The image above was not taken through some massive telescope, nor is it an image of some tiny world that only exists on a microscopic slide. It is an every day occurrence. It stares many Americans right in the face each day and we do not see it.

Blinders
Most people are more than happy to go through each day, only looking at the big picture. Not taking time to relish the small things, the whole picture. We as photographers, if we already don’t posses it, must cultivate our way of thinking and to see detail where there seems to be none. To make a photograph out of nothing. More often than not, we try and cram in as much information as we can onto that little sensor, or piece of celluloid. We have the room, why not use it? Hell yeah! Unfortunately, this is the attitude many amateur (and pros) adopt. Their images tend to look like what Mary Beth took at the beach last weekend. No inspiration, emotion.

Small or Large?
Try and embrace the simple. Focus on one aspect of a subject, instead of the whole. Does this mean you should throw away all of your lenses, but the macros (if you do, throw them my way)? No. Inspiration and emotion are not things that are exclusively found in close ups. Try and isolate larger objects, so they are not crowded by other elements.

Another Perspective
A piece of advice that has always stuck with me goes something like this… “People see a rose looking down on it every day. Show the viewer a different perspective of the flower, so it will look fresh to them. Like they are looking at the flower for the first time.” Shoot it at ground level, shoot it from underneath. The key is to look (and photograph) at things in a different way than most. Start doing this one simple thing and your photos will stand out from the rest.

Become Inspired
Look at different things for inspiration. Read a book. Take a walk through the park and take in how kids abandon themselves in the moment. Listen to a speaker, other than a photographer and embrace their passion for the craft they choose. Inspiration can come in many forms and places.

Oh, yeah. The photo above? It is a shot of mist/water droplets on my windsheild as the car was going through the wash. Happy shooting!

When it comes to paradoxes, the Nikon 50mm f1.8 D AF fits the bill very well.

Usually, when a person spends less than $400 for a lens, it shows up somewhere in the quality of the resulting photo. This is not the case with the 1.8. Retail price is just over $100 (I got mine from B&H Photo for $109). Now at that price, bells and alarms should be going off in your head and generally, I would tell you to listen to them for a lens this inexpensive. For this lens however, push those thoughts back in the closet, where they belong.

Being a prime (fixed) lens, there is no zoom. The photographer must move to get in closer, or move further away. Image quality is outstanding and sharp as a tack. I have only used this lens a short time so far, but I can say this much…. No matter what camera you shoot, you owe it to yourself to get a fast prime like this.

The low light capability of this lens alone is worth the price. I have shot early in the morning in light that would have the shutter dragging, if I had used one of my other lenses. Instead, I was able to shoot at shutter speeds of 1/100+, because of the wider aperture available. Some of my other initial thoughts…

Pros:

• Very sharp images. Much sharper than you’d think for a lens of this price.
• Lightweight. Less glass means less weight.
• Low light shooting.
• Creamy bokeh.
• Compact size. Ahh… isn’t it cute?
• Forces you to move (and think) to compose your shot.

Cons:

• Built with plastic.
• Tight fitting. I wondered if I was attaching the lens correctly, it was so tight fitting.
• No clear mounting marks.
• Forces you to move (and think) to compose your shot.

Bottom line. If you don’t have this lens (or its bigger brother f1.4). Get it. You won’t regret it. If you don’t have the $100 right now, break into your piggy bank, take your daddy’s beer money (he may be grummpy, but he can buy more next week). I can almost promise you that this lens will spend more time on your camera than many others you may have.