The three-day “Shoot Extraordinary” virtual conference will be held online on December 8th, 9th and 10th.

[Related Reading: Lensbaby Announces Flare Expansion Pack for OMNI Creative Filter System]

“This conference is our way of giving back to the global Lensbaby community and offer a space for creators to come together to learn, grow, create, and be extraordinary,” says Michael Anthony, Lensbaby’s Vice-President of Sales & Marketing, conference host and MC.

See conference details and register for FREE here: https://lensbaby.com/pages/conference

Lensbaby Shoot Extraordinary Conference Schedule:

Day 1: Tuesday, December 8th 10:00am EST

• The Story Behind the Lensbaby Story – Craig Strong

Lensbaby Inventor and Co-Founder, Craig Strong, will share behind-the-scenes stories and lessons from nearly 20 years working on what started as a fun, unlikely side-project making unusual camera lenses.

Craig Strong is a photojournalist turned product designer who co-founded Lensbaby, Inc. in 2003. Craig switched from film to digital in 2000 and found the freedom his first DSLR gave him to create unlimited photographs exhilarating. A natural tinkerer who had always explored what’s possible, he started putting odd glass in front of his camera and found these lenses often conveyed what he saw better than big manufacturers’ lenses could.

• Emotive Portraiture – Dana Leigh

Join Dana Leigh as she demonstrates her process of infusing emotion and depth into her portrait photography with Lensbaby optics. In this session, she will use natural light, shadows and mood to create fine art portraits. Dana will show how she engages with her subjects in a way that tells a story while sharing techniques that help incorporate more emotion into her imagery.

Dana Leigh is an artist from Portland, Oregon that is inspired by emotion and beautiful light. She is a Click Pro Master, writer, photography educator, Lensbaby Ambassador and co-creator of Light Chasers Retreat. A wife and mother of 5 children, she specializes in portrait and fine art photography.

• Commercial Photography with Lensbaby OMNI Creative Filter System – Anabel Dflux

Join professional photographer Anabel DFlux as she divulges all of her secrets for capturing iconic musician portraits with the OMNI filter system, from how to determine which wand to use all the way to teaching you how to pitch out-of-the-box photographs to musicians, record labels, and fans alike.”

Anabel DFlux is a published photographer in the sunny states of California & Nevada, known for a vast array of photographic work. Art is her passion in life- in 2009 she made her dream a reality by opening up Deliquesce Flux Photography, a service that caters to both local and international clients to fulfill their photography needs.

• My Velvet Journey – Kathleen Clemons

Join Kathleen Clemons as she shares her journey with the Lensbaby Velvets. You will see why she adores these lenses and the part they play in her photography. Kathleen will also share tips and advice on using all three Velvet Effect lenses.

Kathleen Clemons is an award-winning photographer, teacher, speaker, author and workshop leader from the coast of Maine. Primarily a nature photographer who specializes in photographing flowers, Kathleen is known for her creative use of natural light and unique, artistic photographs.

• Let’s Get OMNI Creative – Robert Pugh

 As a wedding and portrait photographer, I’m always looking for the next creative tools. For me, the OMNI set is a tool in my camera bag to help bring my photography imagination to life. Join me as I talk about the OMNI and how I use this small kit of magical effects at weddings and ill be showcasing the OMNI I in the studio, creating some live portraits with different creativity.

Robert Pugh is an award-winning international wedding and portrait photographer. Located in Reading Berkshire but covering weddings from the UK to the golden sands of the Caribbean. With over ten years of experience being a full-time photographer running a successful business and covering over 480 weddings to date.

Day 2: Wednesday, December 9th 10:00am EST

• The Magic of Toy Photography – Shelly Corbett

Toys can be so much more than a child’s diversion. They are multi-faceted muses; they’re a link to our childhood, an opportunity to recreate a favorite movie and they can star in stories or our own making. Put a toy in front of a Lensbaby lens and it can transport you to a magical world of your own creation.

Shelly is a 30+ year working artist, photographer and creativity evangelist. Shelly has shown work in galleries, coffee shops, community centers and outdoor arts and craft festivals. Shelly is currently a LensBaby Ambassador and a LEGO Ambassador for four years. She also writes about creativity and shares her creative journey on a volunteer-run blog she founded: Toy Photographers.

• Embracing love and light in our everyday lives – Jyotsna Bhamidipati

 Join Jyo as she teaches you how to make beauty happen in the most ordinary spaces using simple observational techniques and how to photograph your subjects creatively. Join her as she takes you behind the scenes to show you how she photographs her authentic self-portraits as well as how she makes magic in different types of light photographing portraits that evoke an emotion.

Jyotsna Bhamidipati (Jyo) is an electrical engineer as well as an award-winning published fine art lifestyle photographer plus a mentor/educator based in Sacramento, California. She is a lover of light and shadows and seeks to capture the every day perfectly imperfect beauty around her. She strives to be experimental in her vision and constantly works on pushing the boundaries in her photography. Jyo has taught at numerous conferences and has been featured in numerous magazines including Click Magazine.

• Lensbaby – Layers of Love – Jackie Kramer

Join Jackie as she brings out the character in floral subjects by layering images made with various Lensbaby optics. She will be showing how she shoots her subjects, as well as textures, using the Sweet 50, the Twist 60, and the Sol 45. Follow along in post-processing to make them shine by editing and combining them as layers in Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop.

Jackie has been photographing the natural world, with an emphasis on flowers since high school. Jackie is a Lensbaby Ambassador and KelbyOne instructor who has received international acclaim for her images, quite a few of which were made with Lensbaby. Her work has been published in magazines, such as Photoshop User, Portfolio, LensWork, The Photographer Magazine, and on the cover of NANPA Expressions 2019.

• Finding Your Heart: Emotion, Impact and Joy – Anne Belmont

Join Anne Belmont as she shares her passion for using Lensbaby lenses. She will share with you her journey in photography to create images that speak to the heart. As an art therapist, Anne believes in the healing power of both art and nature and she will share how her photography and daily walks in nature have helped her stay centered and joyful even in the most adverse of times.

Anne Belmont is a nature photographer specializing in flower photography. Anne’s passion lies in capturing the beauty of flowers and other botanical subjects up-close. A life-long involvement in the arts and a career as an art therapist have shaped the way that she views art and the creative process, and have reinforced her belief in the healing power of both art and nature in our lives.

[Related Reading: Lensbaby 50mm Sweet Optic Review | Tilt-Shifting on a Budget]

• Light Inspired – A Deep Dive Into My Creative Process – Ute Reckhorn

 Ute Reckhorn gives us insight on how light determines the quality of your photos and how to best take advantage of it by walking us through her own creative process. Find the answer on how to make your photos successful and unique in this inspiring seminar!

Ute Reckhorn, a Los Angeles based photographer, started her photography journey in 2012. After picking up her first Lensbaby lens in 2015, she immediately fell in love with its playfulness and the ever-growing community of Lensbaby artists.

Originally documenting her own family of five, Ute blended her photographic skills with inspiration that comes from 20 years of moving around the globe. With roots all around the world and a deep love for the Californian lifestyle as her inspiration, she creates portraits and landscapes that evoke emotion and a sense of movement.

Day 3: Thursday, December 10th 10:00 am EST

Live Photo Critiques!

Register for the Conference to get access to the conference photo critique submission guidelines.

Live Panel Discussion: Learn how to improve your photography from Lensbaby educators!

Don’t forget you can register for FREE here: https://lensbaby.com/pages/conference and take advantage of all the awesome classes and presentations coming up soon! Be sure to let us know what you think of these classes and the Lensbaby lineup in the comments below.

Check Pricing & Availability of Lensbaby Products Here;

Adorama | B&H | Amazon | Lensbaby

The new Flare Expansion Pack includes four handcrafted glass Effect Wands that allow photographers to establish mood using distinct and unique flare effects, from subtle to intense. The pack is designed specifically for Lensbaby’s OMNI Creative Filter System which allows you to create images and video with specially designed Effect Wands in a controllable and hands-free way.

[Related Reading: Lensbaby Releases a Color Expansion Pack for the OMNI Filter System]

“This set of four new OMNI System wands, handcrafted by glass artists in Portland, Oregon, puts variable flare effects, ranging from a slight kiss of visual interest to wild explosions of points of light, at your fingertips,” says Craig Strong, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer at Lensbaby. “From stretching light sources in a single direction with straight cylindrical and flat surfaces, to moving that light in multiple axes with bent, organically formed curves and orbs of glass, this new expansion pack provides you with limitless ways to create compelling flare in your video and still images.”

The OMNI System is a simple, unique, and elegant solution to shooting through handheld objects. It offers control and repeatability when shooting through crystals and other objects engineered by Lensbaby to create distinct and compelling in-camera effects. The unique, professional-grade system is unlike anything currently on the market and geared to work on existing manual and autofocus prime and zoom lenses. This is the third expansion pack, along with the Crystal and Color packs, offered for the OMNI system.

Sample Images

Pricing & Availability

The Flare Expansion Pack and will be available for order on July 15, 2020. The OMNI Flare Expansion Pack retails for $69.95. The OMNI Creative Filter System retails for $99.95. The Color Expansion Pack retails for $69.95. The Crystal Expansion Pack retails for $69.95.

Check Pricing & Availability of the OMNI System Here;

Adorama | B&H | Amazon | Lensbaby

OMNI Flare Expansion Pack Details:

The Flare Expansion Pack includes the following Effect Wands and Filters in a custom-designed pouch:

• Anamorphic Raindrop: Handcrafted with a “Raindrop” at the end to give you selective distortion with the body of the wand making cinematic flare out of your highlights.
• Prism Flare: Apply a prism effect to your stretched points of light, splitting them into tiny bits of rainbows that come and go when rotated
• Zig-Zag: Make explosions of light while creating effects ranging from subtle to over-the-top based on the rotation and placement of its hand-crafted curves.
• Saber: Brush the highlights in impressionistic reflections while varying the length of streaky flare that shortens and lengthens when rotated.

For more information, visit www.lensbaby.com or Instagram.com/LensbabyUSA

Built with landscape, adventure, travel, street photographers & videographers in mind, the Velvet 28 offers Lensbaby’s popular variable glow effect at a wide 28mm focal length, with a design that makes flat light interesting and harsh light more pleasing.

“With this solid, beautifully crafted lens, every hour is magic hour. There’s no need to take the day off from shooting between dawn and dusk,” says Craig Strong, Lensbaby Chief Creative Officer and Co-Founder. “The amount of effect in your image is up to you. Add as much or as little variable glow as you like by changing your aperture. The Velvet 28 offers more effect at brighter apertures – then stop down for corner-to-corner sharpness.”

[Related Reading: Lensbaby Releases a Color Expansion Pack for the OMNI Filter System]

Lensbaby’s Velvet effect lenses add an ethereal mood to scenes. This unique, in-camera creative effect elevates imagery with depth, dimension and soulful expression. The Velvet 28’s close-focus capabilities, combined with effects varying from impressionistic to just a touch of velvety smoothness, provides a set of visual tools that will help creative shooters expand their vision of the world.

Velvet 28’s 1:2 macro capability makes it an ideal in-camera effects lens for photographers & videographers who like to shoot wide, while also offering the versatility to capture closer details. The lens allows image makers to move seamlessly from shooting street scenes or capturing landscape, adventure & travel images to capturing details such as a subject’s clothing or wildflower blooms and butterflies in an alpine meadow.

The Velvet 28 comes in standard lens mounts, including Canon EF, Nikon F, Canon RF, Nikon Z, Sony E, Fujifilm X and Micro Four Thirds. It will be available for order on April 21, 2020 for $549.95.

[Related Reading: Lensbaby Velvet 85mm f/1.8 Review | Harking Back to Hollywood’s Golden Era Portraits]

Velvet 28 Product Specifications

• Focal Length: 28mm
• Aperture Range: f/2.5 – 22 with bonus ⅓ stop of light (indicated by + on aperture dial) beyond 2.5
• 12 aperture blades
• Minimum Focus Distance: 2 inches
• Maximum Focus Distance: Infinity
• 67mm filter threads
• Focus type: Manual
• DSLR version Size/ Weight: 1.04 lb (471.74g)
• MIL version Size/Weight: 1.31 lb (594.2g)
• 8 multi-coated glass elements, in 7 groups
• Price: $549.95 – Adorama | B&H | Amazon

Official Product Page Online: https://lensbaby.com/products/velvet-28

Sample Image Gallery from the Velvet 28

Check Pricing & Availability of the Velvet 28 Here:

Adorama | B&H | Amazon

Lensbaby lenses & Accessories are always a fun and unique tool to use to create your images, I’ve even used them in the past (specifically with the Pinhole versions and the OMNI filters), so I’d love to know what you think of them, if you’ve used them in the past, and to see anything you’ve created with them as well! Be sure to let us know what you think and any questions you may have in the comments below.

Notable Deals from Adorama

Save $800 (19%) on Canon EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR with 24-105mm & Kit – $3,399

Save $700 (21%) on Nikon Z7 FX-Format Mirrorless Camera Body – Bundle With 32GB Premium XQD Memory Card, Camera Case – $2,696.95

Save $1,000 (15%) on Fujifilm GFX 50S 51.4MP Medium Format Mirrorless Camera – With Accessory Bundle – $5,617.00

Coupon Codes

• Use code PHOTOPLUS for discounts on select Flashpoint Gear
  • 
• Use code PHOTOWALK for 10% off select Profoto Gear

Free Overnight Shipping

• V-Flat World V-flats
• Profoto C1 Plus

Check Out All The Deals From Adorama Here

Notable Deals from B&H

Save $320 on Zhiyun-Tech CRANE 3 LAB Handheld Stabilizer – $579.00

Save $546.95 on Nikon Z 6 Mirrorless Digital Camera with 24-70mm Lens, FTZ Mount Adapter, and Bag Kit – $2,296.95

Save $500 on Canon EOS R Mirrorless Digital Camera Body with Accessories Kit – $1,799.00

Don’t forget to use the Coupon Code PPEBH19 for everything as some deals will require this to unlock them.

Check Out All The Deals From B&H Here

Other Deals and Discounts

• Nikon Fall Sales Event
• Sigma Lens & Speedlight Discounts

That’s it for now, but as we hear about more we’ll update this post, so be sure to bookmark it and check back all week!

If you notice anything big that we’ve not covered yet, be sure to share and comment below, and if you’re at the show, be sure to let us know how it is!

“Color is a key element to establishing mood. These multi-color crystals, films and gels allow you to inject a vast range of different tones to dramatically or subtly change the mood in your scene,” says Craig Strong, Lensbaby Chief Creative Officer and Co-Founder. “Color Expansion Pack tools let you paint in a wide range of colors and reflections, channeling the look of expired film, light leaks and more. The same scene and framing can have a completely new feel and mood depending on which Color Pack tools you mount to the front of your OMNI Filter.”

The OMNI System is the simple, unique and elegant solution to shooting through handheld objects. It offers control and repeatability when shooting through crystals and other objects engineered by Lensbaby to create distinct and compelling in-camera effects. The unique, professional-grade system is unlike anything currently on the market and geared to work on existing manual and autofocus prime and zoom lenses. This is the second expansion pack offered for the OMNI system with more scheduled to be offered in 2020.

The Color Expansion Pack includes a vast array of tools to organically introduce color and mood into imagery. It includes two multi-color crystals, two sets of multi-color films, one set of color gels and a diffraction film that creates crisscross rainbows.

The Color Expansion Pack will be available for pre-order today, October 24, 2019 and will be available for demonstration at PHOTOPLUS 2019 in New York City through October 26. The OMNI Color Expansion Pack retails for $59.95. The OMNI Creative Filter System retails for $99.95 and the Crystal Expansion Pack retails for $49.95

Color Expansion Pack Details:

The Color Expansion Pack includes the following Effect Wands and Filters in a custom-designed pouch:

• A Crystal Multicolor Teardrop and Crescent wand, each with a unique spectral coating resulting inconstantly changing prismatic colors on top of the crystals’ multi-faceted fractal effects
• Set of five smooth-surface Lumi Films in a range of colors and hues which add color, light leaks, expired film effects & more
• Set of four textured Lumi Films which create flare effects from the texture, also in a range of colors and hues which add color, light leaks and expired film effects
• Set of five Color Gels, each of which adds a single swath of color overlay
• Crisscross Rainbow film that creates a patterned rainbow effect
• Two Effect Wand handles to hold the gels & films

Bring color and mood into your imagery when using the Lensbaby OMNI Creative Filter System with the OMNI Color Expansion Pack. This expansion pack features an array of multi-colored films and gels, color crystals, a rainbow diffraction film, and a carrying case.

Check Pricing & Availability Of Lensbaby OMNI Products Here

Adorama | B&H | Amazon

I’ll just say this, I was hesitant to even use these filters when I first heard about them but after spending just 20 minutes with them on my camera chasing my dog around, it made me realize i absolutely LOVE these things. The simple fact that the magnetic holsters allow you to move and adjust so quick and easily made it an absolute blast to use. So even though i’ve barely figured out how to truly take advantage of this system yet, i’m already giddy to get hands on with the color expansion to really shake things up!

What do you think of this kit and expansions? Have you used the OMNI yourself? Do you have your own set of crystals and prism’s you already use? Let us know in the comments below and please share some of your creations also!

The use of prisms and other objects as an optical enhancement has really taken off over the last few years, and Lensbaby’s new OMNI system allows photographers to use the technique without sacrificing the use of one of their hands.

Here’s how it works: a wide filter ring, sold in sets with a base size of “large” (77mm) and “small” (58mm) with step-up adapters to fit other filter diameters, magnetically holds “Effect Wands” in place in front of the lens. You can attach more than one Effect Wand at a time for a variety of effects, and the wands can be moved around and placed in infinite positions.

The OMNI Creative Filter System comes with three Effect Wands; they are the scallop-edged “Crystal Seahorse,” the “Stretch Glass,” named for its stretching optical effect, and the “Rainbow Film,” which is named quite literally – it’s a film that creates rainbows. It’s available now for pre-order for $99.95

There is also a Crystal Expansion Pack available for pre-order for $49.95 which includes a “Crystal Spear,” “Triangular Prism,” and “Scalloped Window,” all pictured below. 

What do you think of the new OMNI Creative Filter System? Are you rushing to pre-order, or going to stick with the old standby of hand-holding in front of the lens (or no effects at all)?

Samples

[Related: “Interview with Kate Woodman | SLR Lounge Artist Feature (NSFW)”]

Thanks so much for taking the time for an interview, Rick. Could you start out by talking a bit about how you got into photography?

When I got out of college, I was working as a teacher and got a part time job working at a camera store in Harvard Square [mid 1970s]. Soon after, they offered me a full-time job, and I didn’t go back to teaching. A couple people that would come into that store had a big influence on me and my career. One was George Riley, who worked for UPI (United Press International). George was always willing to teach any young photographer the trade, as long as they were willing to put in the time.

The other person was Arthur Grace, who, at the time, was working for Time. But it was really George Riley who taught me how to be a photojournalist. And, more and more, I began working for UPI on a regular basis.

By a fluke, I went and took a photograph of Arthur Fiedler, long-time conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra. On a whim, I went and rang his doorbell. I asked if I could photograph him, and he said I could. It was the fist time in 50 years that he would not be conducting on July 4th. I took a roll of black and white for UPI and a roll of Ektachrome, but no one was interested in the color. Undaunted, I called Black Star, and they were interested. Now, at that time, you mailed in the film. You didn’t develop it. You overnighted it. Unfortunately, Mr. Fiedler passed away while the film was in transit. Of course, everyone called me back and wanted the film, but Black Star had it. And from there, I suddenly had a connection at Black Star.

My first real assignment for Black Star was to cover Pope John Paul II coming to the US. And that was the beginning of a twenty-eight-year relationship with Black Star. All done on a handshake. What a nice way to do work, right? Within a short time, I was also regularly doing assignments for Newsweek. And I am still an active photojournalist today, currently represented by Polaris Images.

You’ve covered several presidents and are still covering politics. How has the landscaped changed? What’s a piece of advice you’d give someone looking to cover politics as a photojournalist?

Well, from the very beginning, I loved covering early presidential campaigns. You quite simply have more access. It’s before the motorcades, the crowds, Secret Service, and all the security.

When I first started, I did a little bit with Carter and did a lot on the Reagan v. Bush campaign. My first Newsweek cover was actually when Reagan won the New Hampshire primary. I was on assignment to cover Bush. After Reagan won, I photographed Bush’s speech and then drove from Manchester to Concord, dumped my car in a snow bank and ran into the room, setting up 15 minutes before Reagan’s speech. I got a photograph of Reagan that made the cover of Newsweek.

Of course, today, you can’t do that. You can’t just walk into the room 15 minutes before a high-profile politician is about to speak. It’s unheard of. But yeah, it’s the access that you have early on that makes it fun. When they’re campaigning in a bar with twenty people, for example …

And as far as advice? Be nice. When you are covering a campaign early on, introduce yourself to everyone, especially security and police. Because when access is restricted or they’re only allowing in three photographers? They’ll remember you and let you in.

You have photographed quite a few celebrities, and also regularly photograph professors from local universities. That’s a diverse, and very interesting, clientele for head shots. How do you make that happen, i.e. get a celebrity to be comfortable with you or relate to a professor who is an expert in area with which you aren’t familiar?

When you deal with celebrities, you, of course, get a ‘Do and Do Not List’ from their people. For Anthony Hopkins, for example, the entire ‘Do Not List’ was simply that I couldn’t have anyone on set who wasn’t working. We spent an hour with him, telling jokes, etc. In preparation, I watched several of his earliest movies. And I asked him, because I was wondering about it, if he ever went, wearing a disguise, to see how people reacted to his movies when he first started out. He said he didn’t have to wear a disguise, because no one knew who he was! He couldn’t have been nicer.

Basically, my rule is to know everything I can about a subject before I photograph them. You have to be able to talk to your subjects/ask them a question about what they do. It accomplishes a couple of things. First, it breaks down any barriers. Second, it helps them relax, because it shows them that you care enough about what they do to learn something about it.

And it’s similar with professors. I photographed, as another example, a professor of physics, where I had 15 minutes to photograph her. In fact, I had been reading up on physics for three days in advance of the session: textbooks and some work on string theory, which was her area of expertise. I asked a few questions, and she asked how long I’d been studying physics. I told her three days, and our 15 minutes became an hour. And then we had lunch.

So, that’s how you get through to a subject. Realistically, anyone can buy a camera and push a button. Not everyone knows what to do with their subject to create a photograph …

You’re well-known for your lighting workshops, and your Location Lighting Workshops in particular. What are a few of your go-to lighting tips for lighting “on location”?

First, know your lighting equipment.

Second, do your best to plan everything out in advance, so you are ready for any possible situation.

Third, know how to control your light and plan what light modifiers you might need. For example, I will often mix speedlights and portable studio strobes. For speedlights I use Nissin Flashes. In the studio I use Dynalite, and on location I use Dynalite Baja portable strobes.

On major shoots, I will bing several sizes of soft boxes, strip lights, grid sets, gobos, and, of course, my Sekonic flash meter. If I am using speedlights, I’ll bring Rogue Flashbender XL2 and Rogue Grid sets. I also work a lot using Rosco gels and cinefoil. On some shoots the gels become a major part of the final photograph, and, other times, I might just use a 1/2 CTO (orange filter) to bring out warm highlights in the hair …

The photograph above is a good example of a quick lighting set up. The model in the photograph is my former assistant Hyunah Jang, who is now a successful photographer in the San Francisco area. And that’s the basis of what I teach in my Location Lighting Workshops, which I lead in the US, Canada, UK, and UAE.

Likely, most photographers reading this interview are wondering how you are still rocking it some 40 years later? It’s impressive! So, can you give us your secret?

It’s fun. I love the challenge of all the different kinds of work I get to do. I could be covering the President one day, a noted scientist or professor the next, and then be off on a travel story overseas. Truly, I have the best job in the world. I get to jump in and out of people’s lives. I describe it like this: I have gotten my college education one hour at a time, from some of the greatest minds in the world.

And one last question, Rick! Who and/or what companies are you working with that make your job that much more enjoyable?

First off, I have a wonderful photography partner (pictured above). Her name is Keiko Hiromi, and we’ve been working together for 15 years now, even though she is an award-winning photographer in her own right. As far as companies and products, I only have relationships with companies whose products I actually use and have used for years. I am very proud to represent Tamron as an official Tamron Ambassador, Dynalite as a Dynalite VIP, and Nissin as a Nissin Flash Master. With Rosco, I created the Rosco Location Lighting Kit by Rick Friedman. I also work with the following companies that I didn’t mention in the interview already: Click Props Backdrop, ExpoImaging, Hoodman, LensBaby, Mindshift, PocketWizard,  and ThinkTank Photo.

You can check out more of Rick Friedman’s work on his website. Also, be sure to connect with him over on Facebook and Instagram as well. Finally, you can learn more about his upcoming education events and lighting workshops here, including the Can Am Photo Expo (Buffalo, NY, from April 26-28, 2019), a Tamron Benefit Seminar for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life  (Commack, NY, May 2, 2019), and his next Location Lighting Workshop at Cardinal Camera in (Lansdale, PA, May 4, 2019).

Thanks for checking out our latest artist feature! Quick reminder before you go! Don’t forget to submit by the April 30 deadline to be considered for SLR Lounge’s April 2019 awards competition. Remember that anyone can sign up for an SLR Lounge account for free and submit. However, Premium Members are able to submit up to three photographs each month!

The following collection of images could really have only been created using a tilt-shift lens. These lenses manipulate the focal plane in an unusual way to draw focus to the subject. Several apps offer filters that attempt to recreate the look of tilt-shift lenses, but it’s not quite the same. With an app filter, you can’t actually tilt or shift the focal plane to the same extent as capturing an image with an actual tilt-shift lens.

You can find the prices and specs for various tilt-shift makes and models below:

24mm Tilt-Shift Lens

• Canon TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II (B&H | Amazon | Adorama)
• Nikon PC-E Nikkor 24mm f/3.5D ED (B&H | Amazon | Adorama)
• Rokinon T-S 24mm f/3.5 ED AS UMC for Sony (B&H | Amazon | Adorama)

45mm Tilt-Shift Lens

• Canon TS-E 45mm f/2.8 (B&H | Amazon | Adorama)
• Nikon PC-E Micro-Nikkor 45mm f/2.8D ED (B&H | Amazon | Adorama)
• Lensbaby Sol 45, 45mm f/3.5 for Sony (B&H | Amazon | Adorama)

85mm Or 90mm Tilt-Shift Lens

• Canon TS-E 90mm f/2.8L Macro (B&H | Amazon | Adorama)
• Nikon PC-E Micro-Nikkor 85mm f/2.8D (B&H | Amazon | Adorama)

Tilt-shift lenses are notoriously tricky to use, in part because they’re fully manual lenses. When perfected, however, they’re capable of producing unparalleled results. Like the lens, each photographer brings a unique perspective when it comes to using tilt-shift lenses to capture artistic portraits. We found a collection of artists whose use of the tilt-shift lens puts a creative twist on portrait photography.

See their work below:

Jay Cassario: Instagram | Website

Eric Talerico: Instagram | Website

Hansandroxes: Instagram | Website

Pye Jirsa: Instagram | Website

Trevor Dayley: Instagram | Website

Jason Mark Harris: Instagram | Website

All of the images in this article were used with direct permission from the artists.  Do NOT use or distribute the images without direct consent from the photographers.

If you enjoyed this article, you might also like a similar article we wrote: The 200mm F/2.0 Lens | 15 Photos That Will Make You Need One.