I got some Amazon gift cards for my birthday and I used them to help pay for a lensbaby. It’s a lens for a DSLR camera that allows you to tilt it at different angles. What it does is creates a small area of the image that is in focus, the rest is distorted/blurred. You can move the area that is in focus around. It’s called “selective focus.”
I’ve been wanting one for years.
There’s a bit of a learning curve with this lens so I’m still experimenting to see what’s possible. Here are some cool shots I’ve taken so far. I also got a Macro attachment but I can’t remember exactly which pics were taken with the macro–if I know for sure it was, I’ll mention it.
This is a clown figurine in a shop window:
This is a bunch of cherries at the swap meet:
This is a flower bud, taken with the macro filter:
This was a weird doll/mannequin at the swap meet:
And this is a statue of baby Jesus at the Crystal Cathedral:
This is a macro of a flower:
It’s tricky to do macros because the depth of field is so razor thin, just the movement of my breathing can throw it out of focus. Makes for a fun challenge. Flowers are especially hard because they blow around in the wind.
This is a little figurine at the swap meet:
And this is me in the reflection of a door at the Crystal Cathedral (the door is covered in shiny chrome, it’s not glass):
I need to do a whole post on just the Crystal Cathedral but I don’t have time right now. Still working this big deadline…Someday soon I hope to come up for air.
June 15th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
How cool, those are awesome shots.
June 15th, 2009 at 8:21 pm
Totally jealous here! I want one so bad. It’s at the top of my wish list. Your pics are great!
June 15th, 2009 at 8:41 pm
Those are really amazing shots! Pioneer Woman (or Miz Booshay, who often posts on her photo blog) talks about a technique like this. It’s called bokeh or something like that.
Anyway, I LOVE that style of photography and looking at your photos makes me wish I had a little gumption and would learn how to take great pictures!
Finally, I love those cathedral shots. Especially your reflection in the door — it’s crazy that that is chrome! Beautiful!
June 15th, 2009 at 9:22 pm
Thanks.
Julie: You don’t need a lens like this to get bokeh. Bokeh refers to the blur in the background. You can achieve it with many cameras, just need to know the right settings and how to do it.
June 15th, 2009 at 10:49 pm
Looks like gift cards well spent.
June 16th, 2009 at 10:47 am
Ah! So this gives you more control over what is/isn’t in focus? Anyway, I LOVE these shots.
June 17th, 2009 at 10:53 pm
I’m happy that you got the lens for you B-day, but you COULD have warned me about the clown picture! You know how I feel about clowns? E.V.I.L.
June 24th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
These are my fav shots you’ve done in a while. Spectacular!
So are we going to get on a three-way call with Audra again soon? When you come up for air.
June 25th, 2009 at 8:52 am
Very cool!
I’m actually not sure if the clown picture freaks me out more than the baby Jesus picture.
June 25th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
I heard the workers at the Crystal Cathedral call that Jesus sculpture the Terminator Jesus.
Amber: we should set up a monthly call. Second or third Sunday of every month or something.