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Using a perspective control lens for wedding photography

Mar 15, 2013 at 21:26:03 GMT
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Arizona-based wedding photographer, Trevor Dayley, is taking a unique approach to his portraiture by using a perspective control lens, the Canon TS-E 90mm F2.8. In an article he wrote for FStoppers, he explains why it has become his favorite lens and discusses the challenges and rewards of adding a tilt-shift lens to his arsenal. (via FStoppers)  

'The reason the T/S-E 90mm f/2.8 is now my favorite lens is because it causes me to slow down to really focus on what I am shooting, selectively focus areas of my photo and create images unlike everyone else while still providing me amazingly sharp images.' - Trevor Dayley

Comments

Total comments: 124
12
skysi
By skysi (2 weeks ago)

I can do this with some plug-ins

0 upvotes
Anthony Terrot
By Anthony Terrot (1 month ago)

In a small way, just getting into hi end wedding photography (most work is industrial/corporate). And I love it when I see someone with the nowse to try new things out for himself and then share it. Great Treavor - wish more of us were like you.
I don't have a 90 - just the 17 (recommended where appropriate). However, Trevor, if you don't mind I will buy a 90 and try it out on industrial shoots where I like to occationally push the customer's brief and do something a little more interesting than just the usual generics.
Refering to Cy Cheze remarks, which some some extent I have sympathy, often I am initially down when confronted by someone who doesn't appear photogenic. But that is the challenge because, anyone who is in front of the camera wants themselves to look great. So Treavor, I bet you have some great pictures of people as a result of both technical and subjective creativity which haven't relied on Photoshop's liquifying filter.

0 upvotes
Steve oliphant
By Steve oliphant (2 months ago)

Wow i'm sorry if you read any of these winey comment !!!Great job, looks awesome so smart to do that .........

2 upvotes
Sad Joe
By Sad Joe (2 months ago)

Wonderful - but has nothing to do with a typical or even upper market wedding... sorry. As an ex pro I've shot 100's of weddings and now more than ever clients aren't waiting around or allowing you to set up anything remotely beyond 'snaps', which despite my skills and being really good at delivering such images is one of the reasons I'm keen to have left the industry behind. I've seen some cracking wedding albums recently but frankly most are a CON. Good looking models that know how to stand/pose, use of multi light set ups, extensive use of fast lenses and then masses of photoshop thrown in for good measure. I often wonder what would happen if these so called pro's ever book a REAL wedding what their images would look like. Willing to bet they would be NOTHING like their sample albums.....

Comment edited 2 minutes after posting
1 upvote
TrevorDayley
By TrevorDayley (2 months ago)

Sad Joe - my portfolio can be viewed at www.trevordayley.com. I plan on using this lens at every wedding this year on the books. It won't be my go to lens nor will it be on my camera the majority of the time. But it will continue being my favorite because it is a lot of fun to use. Stay tuned to my site or Facebook page and you'll see a lot more T/S images from real weddings. This shoot here was a benefit shoot for Thirst Relief International.

0 upvotes
Cy Cheze
By Cy Cheze (2 months ago)

Wonderful gear to have for a $10k job for those clients with $100k to spend for the finest.

Meanwhile, a must-have for the $500 / wedding photogs: a lens that optically reduces the subjects' girth, clothing size, dental or dermatological problems, and bad hair. Why can't that old goat (the guy footing the bill?) smile? Well, he probably thinks $500 is way to much.

Sometimes an over-bright flash, complete defocus, and general blow-out is the best "fix."

8 upvotes
Tee1up
By Tee1up (2 months ago)

LOL. Awesome.

0 upvotes
pfzt
By pfzt (2 months ago)

and true ;)

0 upvotes
yabokkie
By yabokkie (2 months ago)

photography is a fine art at desk (instead of on the scene).

0 upvotes
Scott Greiff
By Scott Greiff (2 months ago)

It helps to have Death Valley in your backyard. ;-)

0 upvotes
SayCheesePlease
By SayCheesePlease (2 months ago)

I want to be positive, these are beautiful images but... this is a fashion shoot not a wedding.

I have used this lens, great fun, but not on a wedding day. Shooting a whole wedding with a couple fast primes, a 35mm and 50mm can produce wonderful results.

1 upvote
George Veltchev
By George Veltchev (2 months ago)

Wonderful images ... but, that effect can be achieved easily in post processing those days!

2 upvotes
Mike Fried
By Mike Fried (2 months ago)

While it might be achievable in post, to some degree, you lose a bit of the art by doing it non-optically. A lensbaby is not that expensive and produces a similar effect.

A better argument would be that you can achieve far more interesting OOF effects in post by stopping down and applying lens blur more intentionally with a more interesting mask.

0 upvotes
anthonyGR
By anthonyGR (2 months ago)

Art? Most photographers do weddings to pay the bills, not to do art.

1 upvote
acidic
By acidic (2 months ago)

This is not wedding photography. It's bridal photography, staged and all that. No different than a glamor shoot or senior portraits, logistically speaking.

I've been using my 90mm TS-E to shoot portraits since around 2005. Either I'm 8 years ahead of the times or dpreview is 8 years too late. Or maybe it's a combination of the two.

8 upvotes
diarsi
By diarsi (2 months ago)

It must understand that is no for you/me only.That is for many other.

0 upvotes
fmian
By fmian (2 months ago)

http://www.dpreview.com/galleries/1832778312/photos/2471208/scan810-custom

Here is a scan from a glass plate negative that was shot in Yorkshire England circa 1910.
Personally I think it's a very good example of movements in portraiture.

1 upvote
JanRob3174
By JanRob3174 (2 months ago)

Wow. They actually had 3D looking photos back in 1910!

0 upvotes
RodrigoMiguel
By RodrigoMiguel (2 months ago)

Those aren't wedding photos. Those are, at best, from a bridal photoshoot (if not a model in wedding gown). and those are the opposite of
a) the dimly-lit church
b) avoid-the-same-posing
c) get-the-registrar-out-of-the-way
d) control-flash or the recpetion looks horrible
e) contant ISO/f/Aperture changes in the ever changing lighting conditions of the dance floor.

Great pic and maybe T/S is a good idea, but he didn't deliver what the title offered.

7 upvotes
pfzt
By pfzt (2 months ago)

Amen!

0 upvotes
TrevorDayley
By TrevorDayley (2 months ago)

Rodrigo I believe the title of the original article was, "My New Favorite Lens Is Not Found In Very Many Photographer Bags" - Not sure what you mean I didn't "deliver on what the title offered." I was just sharing something that has been working for me.

0 upvotes
peterstuckings
By peterstuckings (2 months ago)

Yes, agree with Lancet. Any wedding photog NOT doing this is behind the times...

0 upvotes
Teila Day
By Teila Day (2 months ago)

Photographers have been using t/s lenses in glamour/fashion photography for years. A wedding photographer not doing this is hardly "behind the times"... especially since what you're looking at is fashion (bridal) photography as opposed to "wedding photography".

The shots look nice though! :)

0 upvotes
ALEXADNDROS
By ALEXADNDROS (2 months ago)

I found it very interesting , never though to use these lens on people, portraits ,
thank you for sharing.nice pictures ,

PS: for the people commenting the alternative ways would be nice to share the work they have done

2 upvotes
lancet
By lancet (2 months ago)

In 2008/09 it was a new thing. Now most of the more expensive or more artistic wedding photographers use them. Even in Croatia.

3 upvotes
nikongnn
By nikongnn (2 months ago)

Should we follow the example and buy such a lens? and more learn to use it correctly in portraits...

0 upvotes
JMichaelsPhoto
By JMichaelsPhoto (2 months ago)

Could achieve the same effect for a lot less money with a lensbaby.

3 upvotes
Hugo600si
By Hugo600si (2 months ago)

You can always use a cheaper lens/third party brand, most of the times the image quality suffers (most definitely with lensbaby lenses)

0 upvotes
Matthew Miller
By Matthew Miller (2 months ago)

I woudn't say image quality "suffers". Rather, technical image quality is _beside the point_.

0 upvotes
Nukunukoo
By Nukunukoo (2 months ago)

Open Photoshop, mask mode and apply gradients (multiply), exit mode and apply lens blur, done.

7 upvotes
Jehu Fire
By Jehu Fire (2 months ago)

Yes. comment WIN!!!

0 upvotes
Adam L Productions
By Adam L Productions (2 months ago)

I'd be even more lazy and just apply two gradient blurs in Lightroom.

0 upvotes
Nishi Drew
By Nishi Drew (2 months ago)

To make the shot look like a cool perspective shift shot and not a smartphone "smudge everything to make it look shallow" filter may actually be tough.

But well, like already said where's the wedding part? Setting up and getting great shots 'in time' with a tilt shift during a wedding seems like what's really tough and talking about that, maybe, would have been cool.
And also stuff like this is pretty much saying "less in focus the better" just blow everything except the eyes OOF and wow! You're an amazing photographer for having so little of the subject sharp and recognizable! Still ok, DOF control is a great tool and I shoot shallow often, but oohing and ahhing just at how little is in focus is old

2 upvotes
Paco 316
By Paco 316 (2 months ago)

I am a believer when it come to doing things in a non-traditional way. But this "look" can be achieved with any lens, really. All you got to do is not attach the lens to the camera and move it close to the camera and take a shot. A very thin line will be in focus... every thing else is blurred. Try it.

Not going to say it is crazy creative, but it does make you think outside the box and you get a kick out of it if you are a person with patience and like trying new things.

0 upvotes
micahmedia
By micahmedia (2 months ago)

...that only works properly with "unit focus" lenses. Rear and internal focus lenses tend to not mantain a sharp plain of focus in a usable place off the mount.

Although YMMV and I don't doubt there are exceptions. This has been my experience though. Try it and find out!

Also glare/flare from the light leaks can be an issue. Or a feature!

0 upvotes
wlachan
By wlachan (2 months ago)

Not bad, but where are the actual wedding photos? And don't tell me those aren't professional models.

2 upvotes
gl2k
By gl2k (2 months ago)

Didn't you know, that almost all modern brides are about 20 year old and look like models ? Additionally they are also in possession of georgeous & expensive gowns and know how to pose like a pro.
Even better, they all have a lot of time for their wedding shooting and can easily afford a pro photog and a crew of assistants.

7 upvotes
TrevorDayley
By TrevorDayley (2 months ago)

I picked up the lens about a month ago. I have shot two weddings with it but many more to go throughout this year. Stay tuned to my Facebook page or Website and you will see plenty more as I do plan on using the lens at each wedding.

0 upvotes
wlachan
By wlachan (2 months ago)

...

Comment edited 9 minutes after posting
0 upvotes
fmian
By fmian (2 months ago)

Malyons, camera movements and lens design are first year photography subjects. For a high school photography teacher to consider such a trivial article a learning option is quite a frightening prospect. It's like a high school computer teacher getting excited hearing about command line parameters for the first time, or an auto mechanic instructor just figuring out the benefits of a manual shift.

1 upvote
Dheorl
By Dheorl (2 months ago)

I dunno where you learnt photography but for me year one was basics of how a camera works, exposure relationships and what they effect, how to operate dark room equipment (I guess these days replaced by how to use photoshop) and basic composition.

I don't see how camera movement and lens design would be at all helpful to anyone if they haven't got the other stuff down first.

0 upvotes
malyons
By malyons (2 months ago)

I don't recall saying I was excited. I also don't recall mentioning what level I taught.

I do indeed teach level one, B&W photography for students who have absolutely no experience in a school setting that is less than optimal. My experience has been less than I'd like lately as well, as I do not have the time or money to spend to become a super-photographer...it isn't my entire life.

I have some students who have great potential, and I like to give them resources, however trivial you may find them, so they can learn a bit more that I do not necessarily have time to teach them (check out any available article on the state of public schools.) I don't recall this site being for "Pro's Only."

The point of my post was surprise at the unexpected level of conceit I had noticed on the site...which you have just proven. I know now I can expect to have any photo or post trashed due to my "frightening" lack of skill.

Perhaps, in time, I can reach an appropriate level of arrogance.

0 upvotes
fmian
By fmian (2 months ago)

Malyons, I would suggest you give your students a heads up on books such as The Camera, The Print, and The Negative, by Ansell Adams. The first one in particular giving one much more grounded and accurate information than most articles online.
Regardless of what you or I feel, the fact that so many people here are dissing this article should be a cause for concern for you as far as using it as a resource.
With photography involving so much exacting science, it should be no surprise that many people are picky about the correct information, terminology and impression being given on precise tools and procedures.
Yesterday, I had one of my class peers (who is a working journalist at the moment) confidently tell me that an ISO800 shot out of a 5D mk3 would produce a result way brighter than an ISO3200 shot from a 5D mk2, because the newer model has better ISO performance. What a scary thought.
Studying Diploma of Photoimaging in Australia by the way, and apologies if I caused you offence.

0 upvotes
malyons
By malyons (2 months ago)

Point taken.

I'm not a pro photographer, just a knowledgeable hobbyist who teaches photo and art at a school where I'm lucky if the students don't hock the cameras we provide, so I'm not always up on who really has it "right." It'll take another 42 years to muddle through...

Thankfully I have a few very skilled students with potential, and good AP scores, so there's hope.

Good luck on your studies.

0 upvotes
malyons
By malyons (2 months ago)

Wow! And by Wow I mean, based on the comments I've read thus far, I will be careful as a new member not to post or write anything that isn't the resolution of Einsteinian and Quantum physics.

If you read the caption, it states that it is an opinion piece he wrote, hence "why it is his favorite" etc. Unfortunately those of us relatively new to things don't have the Encyclopaedia Brittanica of photographic history entrenched in our brains to recall how many of this type of photo we've seen.

I appreciate the info I've gleaned from the article and many of the comments. As a High School Photo teacher (who is still also learning) I am looking for resources of all sorts, and this gives me one more thing to add to the list of learning options.

There is certainly a wealth of opinion to be sorted through...

4 upvotes
TrevorDayley
By TrevorDayley (2 months ago)

Thanks Malyons. I appreciate your comment.

0 upvotes
spitfire31
By spitfire31 (2 months ago)

Not to sound negative (some good ideas in the article, I think), but that heading profile photo, with a distracting strand of hair going right through the model's eye…

Personally, I'd have sent it straight into the Lightroom trash can for that reason.

/Joachim

0 upvotes
yabokkie
By yabokkie (2 months ago)

one reason that I can think is the lens was very difficult to handle that there were few usable shots.

2 upvotes
ValkuraReigns
By ValkuraReigns (2 months ago)

I like that piece of hair going through her eye.

2 upvotes
Teila Day
By Teila Day (2 months ago)

I like the strand of hair over the eye as well- it makes the photograph have a more realistic look instead of the all-too-typical sanitized text-book stuff that often is counter reality.

Women have their hair blown, and strands of hair across their face, such hardly makes a photograph less attractive on that alone.

I didn't find the hair distractive. I found it refreshing, normal, and a relief that the photographer isn't chained down to technical convention that has reached the point of utter ridiculousness. :)

0 upvotes
RobertSigmund
By RobertSigmund (2 months ago)

Good photos made with a good lens.

1 upvote
yabokkie
By yabokkie (2 months ago)

basically we use perspective control to get things within focus. some very simple tricks can put things out of focus. just raise one side of the plate under the enlarger in the darkroom where you can have much more control than on the site (like the paper can be curved, or you put two cents under the face and focus to the raised place, you cannot do it in camera).

now we can do it more easily and comfortably in the livingroom, and lens makers begin to use "optical bokeh" in their advertisement.

my advice is "do not do anything on the site that you can do later at desk" and the "perspective bokeh" is one.

Comment edited 3 times, last edit 8 minutes after posting
2 upvotes
Dylthedog
By Dylthedog (2 months ago)

What you are talking about is 'Chocolate flavoured' and full-on Chocolate made from 90 cocoa.

When you have the genuine 3 dimensions to work with things happen that are lost once they are flattened and both the darkroom and photoshop have the same limitation.

I'm not saying they can't produce something similar, but they can't produce the same thing exactly. TS lenses and polariser filters can't truly be recreated after the fact, at least with current capture technology.

0 upvotes
yabokkie
By yabokkie (2 months ago)

I know they are different but as I said only when you want to put something in focus (or almost in focus) like in the first portrait if the woman reaches her hand toward the camera so that to put her wedding ring in the focal plane while the backgroud (breast-belly) is blurred. this is difficult in darkroom but we can do in software now.

you can do a lot of tricks in the darkroom that are not possible or very expensive on site, and with much fun.

Comment edited 2 times, last edit 11 minutes after posting
1 upvote
PMC1
By PMC1 (2 months ago)

think you mean to tilting the lens buy using the scheimflug principle
perspective control is to shift the lens and aids control on perspective
and a large format camera uses these effect much better than any T/S lens as you can control movements at the lens plain and the film plain with any lens

sometimes the really old way is still far the best way to go

0 upvotes
Higuel
By Higuel (2 months ago)

THANKS yabokkie for teaching WAY MORE then the non-article, uh publicity!

Thank you!!! :)

0 upvotes
yabokkie
By yabokkie (2 months ago)

the art of photography is in the war- and darkrooms.
send dispensable GIs to the front.
keep the best talents at home,
and let them control over satellite link.

0 upvotes
fujidanny
By fujidanny (2 months ago)

You mustn't give all those negative comments!
For me as a beginner it's very interesting to learn from the article about those possibilities, that you get by t/s lenses. For me it's a good input. Thanks a lot!
For the so called 'Pro's': I think you're only envious, that you didn't write that article. Sit down and write a good article. Than you'll see: it's not that easy...
Have a nice weekend! Go out and come down taking better photos...
Fujidanny

2 upvotes
yabokkie
By yabokkie (2 months ago)

> learn from the article about those possibilities

possibilities yes, but I'd like to tell people to avoid.

0 upvotes
Higuel
By Higuel (2 months ago)

this was NOT an article! JUST publicity!!!
If you want to learn anything about T&S lenses or related stuff just google it because the only thing u learn here is that the 90mm T&S exist!

0 upvotes
TrevorDayley
By TrevorDayley (2 months ago)

Thanks FujiDanny.

0 upvotes
pancromat
By pancromat (2 months ago)

if you look at the first big vertical picture of this article, you might notice something that always displeased me when i used TS lenses. the tilted focal plane frequently meets something in the background (or the ground here) or elsewhere that should not be sharp. this distracts the viewer. like in this case. that's why i prefer using software to create a sweet spot these days.

1 upvote
Higuel
By Higuel (2 months ago)

amazing... NOT!

JUST ANOTHER supposed article with half dozen nice pictures and no real juice to get from! Nothing to learn here, people DID use tilt for this more then 1century ago already!!! Good that he feels like he discovered the wheel! The article is just another one about publicity!!! And even for the canon lens at that! :/

Indeed like someone said: he asn his budy and the store get a few more hundred clicks from all this when i believe most of us would like to ACTUALLY learn something.
A waste of time. :(

9 upvotes
qwertyasdf
By qwertyasdf (2 months ago)

I had been looking at TS portraits on photography forums everyday for years!

1 upvote
TrevorDayley
By TrevorDayley (2 months ago)

You guys are a tough crowd. I never claimed to "discover the wheel." I was just sharing something that I was enjoying in my photography work.

0 upvotes
Roland Karlsson
By Roland Karlsson (2 months ago)

What Trevor Dayley do is making the eyes, and nothing else, sharp. Thats it. As far as I can see from the example photos. Thats a nice effect. And he himself says, he likes to get the effect directly on site, and not doing post processing in Photoshop. Why not?

What would be interesting though is to see if the same quality of an effect can be made in post processing. Similar kind of effects can definitely be made in post processing. But ... can you get similar quality?

2 upvotes
singernot
By singernot (2 months ago)

I'm heavily using the TS-E 90mm for my work since several years. I find it fascinating to discover new ways of taking pictures diretly on-site, not using PS in post pro. Check yourself: http://www.gernotsinger.com/

1 upvote
motion
By motion (2 months ago)

Awesome photos Singernot! I'd like to get my hands on a lens like that some day and try it out myself.

0 upvotes
Kodachrome200
By Kodachrome200 (2 months ago)

basically he is throwing the bottom of the image out of focus

blah

2 upvotes
Photomonkey
By Photomonkey (2 months ago)

For those sneering at his work he starts out saying that this lens is not for everyone.
Frankly his work is very appealing despite the detractors.
As for it being in use for over 100 years that is true insofar as view cameras have been around that long. However the usual use has been to increase DOF and only rarely to decrease it.
The technique is enjoying a fashion these days because of the renewed interest in alt. lenses.Just as Instagram and any number of PS actions give a photographer a look, this effect is another enjoying some fashion at the moment. As fashions/fads go at least it is attractive.

Comment edited 58 seconds after posting
3 upvotes
Kodachrome200
By Kodachrome200 (2 months ago)

view cameras have been used for ultr shallow dof since they were created

3 upvotes
fmian
By fmian (2 months ago)

Increasing DOF has never been the point of TS lenses, and they are just as good at it as other lenses are. Perspective correction and plane of focus adjustment is what they are technically made for.
While controlling what is in focus, you are also controlling what is out of focus. This is nothing new, even for portrait and fashion photography. Anyone with a fast prime lens can achieve a similar result by not shooting parallel to the subject.
It's just that when you get some overzealous article writers who disregard history, and only look at the last 10 years of the topics they are enthused about, then news like this gets posted and some photographer gets a whole bunch of extra hits on his page that week.

3 upvotes
Petka
By Petka (2 months ago)

Tilt was invented (shift is not used here, almost never with this effect) to make pictures sharper by making the plane of focus follow the plane of the subject (ground, wall etc.). For some strange reason the whole idea has been turned around recently by using tilt to make most of the picture blurry. In some circumstances the same effect can not be perfectly simulated in post, but often it can be done.

This is a fad, I agree, and I admit I use it also sometimes to direct the eye to the most important part of the picture. It is one tool among many.

2 upvotes
jeffcpix
By jeffcpix (2 months ago)

There was a time when head shots were done with large format cameras. In order to reduce exposure time, images were made using large apertures which meant DOF was extremely limited.
Unless the sitter was looking directly into the camera, DOF
was not sufficient to get both eyes in the same plane/focus.
In order to get the plane of focus to correspond to the plane of the eyes when the sitter's face was not parallel to the film plane, the lens was was rotated slightly around its vertical axis. This resulted in both eyes being sharp and the fall-off in
sharpness extending in front and behind equally (Scheimpflug). Both eyes would be very sharp -- but the tip of the nose and the ears were quite soft.

It was a look -- one that few photographers today are capable of reproducing or even recognizing.

2 upvotes
qwertyasdf
By qwertyasdf (2 months ago)

I guess why he didn't use it to increase apparent DOF, is because reducing apparent DOF is much easier, just tilt it to the max the "wrong" way, done!

1 upvote
TrevorDayley
By TrevorDayley (2 months ago)

Thanks Photomonkey!

0 upvotes
fmian
By fmian (2 months ago)

This 'unique' approach has been in use by photographers for over 100 years.

11 upvotes
Sovern
By Sovern (2 months ago)

In my opinion the photos look artificial almost like someone applied gassuain blur to the bottom of the dress or other areas which removes details and most brides want to see in their photos and I would like to see in the photos.......

I like the effect that shallow DOD gives even better as if you can get your subject completely in focus you can blur the backdrop out but you don't lose the detail as is lost using a tilt shift lens.

2 upvotes
Dave Luttmann
By Dave Luttmann (2 months ago)

I agree. I prefer the look of the Lensbaby over the Tilt lens....or simply working with shallow DOF.

0 upvotes
TrevorDayley
By TrevorDayley (2 months ago)

Hi Sovern, I definitely wouldn't do this on all the photos, but I do think it is a great effect to apply to some in order to draw your eyes to certain areas of the photo or even more attention to the subjects eyes.

0 upvotes
Steve D Yue
By Steve D Yue (2 months ago)

to all those detractors/negators of shallow DoF images shot 'in-camera' on the spot with the mounted lens...

why not just settle for a focus-free, 'infinite' super-high deep DoF everything is in focus, via tiny apertured tiny lensed tiny sensored cellphone cameras (or something smaller than a dSLR), and photoshop all the '3D pop' shallow DoF to your hearts content POST-PROCESSED (ad nauseum)... (blurry tunnel vision lens-baby optional)

happy now?

sdyue

4 upvotes
sagebrushfire
By sagebrushfire (2 months ago)

Using a large aperture and getting a shallow DOF in-camera gives you an effect that you can't truly replicate in post because there's certain information that the camera didn't pick up and is lost forever.

That being said, there is some merit to the "use a camera as a data capturing device" approach. If you shoot in raw, use small apertures for the greatest depth of field and make your exposures as bland as possible (try to avoid any blown highlights or blackened shadows) you have a LOT of creative freedom in post. This is sometimes beneficial for a client that doesn't know what they want or needs many different effects but doesn't want multiple shoots, etc.

So I think there are merits to getting it right in the camera and making it right in post, it all depends on your workflow. Some people don't have time for ANY processing so in-camera has to be perfect; other people have no time for setting up shots in the field but all the processing time they want.

1 upvote
GraemeF
By GraemeF (2 months ago)

Most wedding photographers don't have the time to do extensive post processing on their images, so getting the right results or as near as possible straight out of the camera is pretty important.

It's far easier to take a few extra seconds setting up a T/S to capture the right look than it is to create that look using minutes/hours in post.

Photoshop CS6 has a lot of refinements over CS5, but I still don't think the 'blur' effects that can be added in post look anywhere near as convincing as those created by the camera and lens.

1 upvote
Higuel
By Higuel (2 months ago)

@Steve D Yue - even then u wouldn't make them happy Steve!!!
AND...

then the FF group would start whining about it!!! ;)

1 upvote
onlooker
By onlooker (2 months ago)

The first B&W is magic. The second is flat and dreary. Strange the same person would showcase both.

1 upvote
five5pho
By five5pho (2 months ago)

Cool but that is a life style shoot, where is the wedding ?
( nice images don't get me wrong )

2 upvotes
TrevorDayley
By TrevorDayley (2 months ago)

hey five5pho - keep an eye on my Facebook page and I will be posting a number of T/S wedding shots throughout the wedding season. There are a few up there already, but I will be using it quite a bit more.

0 upvotes
huyzer
By huyzer (2 months ago)

Very cool indeed.

1 upvote
AshMills
By AshMills (2 months ago)

Lovely pics. Not sure how many times I personally will have the time required on a wedding day to spend that time on a shot, and the look is not a million miles from post-processing, but I do like the idea a lot!

George53 I think you are being a tad tough on many working professionals- the article is after all titled "wedding photography" - a title that to me (as a working pro who only does weddings when I'm asked nicely) tends to mean covering a couples wedding day, rather than a glamorous portrait shoot- which may well not be the same occasion.

1 upvote
Mssimo
By Mssimo (2 months ago)

Can't wait for the "using fisheye for wedding photography" article.

9 upvotes
Steve D Yue
By Steve D Yue (2 months ago)

hmmm... isn't covered under wedding lomography? or lensbaby lomography?

sdyue

Comment edited 10 seconds after posting
0 upvotes
Peksu
By Peksu (2 months ago)

Your wishes have been answered.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-WxCoDewbY

0 upvotes
RoelHendrickx
By RoelHendrickx (2 months ago)

Look here for fisheye shots (not all of them of course) at a wedding:
http://roelh.zenfolio.com/p627552318
In my book, anything goes as long as it supports a creative vision.

0 upvotes
qwertyasdf
By qwertyasdf (2 months ago)

This world is moving too fast, I can't stand the tide.
I want my wedding to be taken in Daguerreotype.

2 upvotes
deep7
By deep7 (2 months ago)

These photos are epic. The photographer combines a real artistic vision with sound technical knowledge and I bet he is sought after for his work. His use of a tilt/shift lens is stellar.

That said, I note all the photos in the article only have the bride. While my favourite part of shooting weddings is the brief time away from the throngs, when I am able to be a bit artistic, I tend to focus on the couple in the arty shots, for a good reason, duh! I'd love to see some TS shots with both bride and groom.

0 upvotes
Steve D Yue
By Steve D Yue (2 months ago)

TS shots are best on single subjects than multiple/paired subjects

after all, non-TS shots rely on 'easy' single equal 'known' focal planes, but for TS, any altered 'slant' focal planes make focusing more than one subject even more difficult, if not unnecessarily time consuming

finding the focal point of two subjects standing at different distances 'on purpose' is considerably harder than for the conventional 'equal distance' focal plane of non-TS shots

sdyue

2 upvotes
tkbslc
By tkbslc (2 months ago)

NM

Comment edited 17 seconds after posting
0 upvotes
deep7
By deep7 (2 months ago)

Hmm, not so sure. The idea of the tilt is to be able to have a focal plane not parallel to the camera, hence allowing two subjects to be in focus while most other things aren't. I'll allow it's difficult but a wedding is about two people, so single person shots have limited value (though I do it, I balance the people so both have some solo shots, or even the rest of the bridal party if it works.)

2 upvotes
TrevorDayley
By TrevorDayley (2 months ago)

Thank you! Super appreciated.

0 upvotes
George 53
By George 53 (2 months ago)

I forgot to mention that one could use "Lensbaby" and create similar and even more interesting images at that time.

2 upvotes
magneto shot
By magneto shot (2 months ago)

lensbaby is manual isnt it...that would be way too slow to focus in a wedding...

1 upvote
AshMills
By AshMills (2 months ago)

And they could be even softer/blurrier too. Awesome. ;-) The 90 TSE in this article is MF too. Just 18times the price and somewhat more controllable.

Comment edited 1 minute after posting
2 upvotes
Steve D Yue
By Steve D Yue (2 months ago)

lens baby = semi-TS mostly tunnel vision, if not suffers lomographically

sdyue

Comment edited 17 seconds after posting
0 upvotes
George 53
By George 53 (2 months ago)

Looks like we have so many arm chair wedding photographers making comments but never-mind, free speech and all that.

Just a few of my comments. Not all the wedding couples in this world want a McDonald's 5 min photographic session. Some like to pay more and leave the photographer to create the magical images, some may like it some may adore them, everyone has a different perspective.

Secondly for a photographer to use a standard lens and then change the image in Photoshop according to the likes of the client meant the couple have not looked at the photographers portfolio and the photographer is probably some amateur who likes to dale in Photoshop because he or she is not creative enough on their feet and they need to plonk their bums on a chair to try and be creative.

2 upvotes
Sean Clark
By Sean Clark (2 months ago)

These shots look like bridal portrait sessions before the wedding, although the blog talks about using the lens at the wedding.
I find blur in front of or below the subject usually detracts from a conventional portrait. It feels like somethings in the way when the print is viewed.

For dreamy, other-worldly styles I can see a T/S shining. Really high key shots where everything but the bride is blown out should work well. The kind of artistic intent that a lensbaby works with should suit a T/S too.

The B&W shot on the beach with the bride striding out of frame seems to work, while the one below it with the bride squatting really isn't to my taste at all.

3 upvotes
Lift Off
By Lift Off (2 months ago)

If you ask me, that's staged portrait photography (with wedding dresses), not wedding photography.

Comment edited 4 minutes after posting
17 upvotes
Steve D Yue
By Steve D Yue (2 months ago)

all weddings are staged to one degree or another, no matter what.

sdyue

Comment edited 9 seconds after posting
5 upvotes
wlachan
By wlachan (2 months ago)

Those shots were done with professional models, not actual average people getting married I bet. There is a HUGE difference.

3 upvotes
sammy_j
By sammy_j (2 months ago)

Exactly, where's the wedding? it looks like he has all the time int he world out there to play around.

Being at an actual wedding when you have 30 minutes after the ceremony and have to deal with the family all aroudn does not merit this kind of photography.

You would have to go out on a separate occasion to even think about doing a shoot like this.

1 upvote
TrevorDayley
By TrevorDayley (2 months ago)

Hi Lift Off, these photos were done during a shoot for Thirst Relief International while out at WPPI. This was not a wedding and the whole gallery from the shoot is available in the original article. That said, I have now used the lens at 2 different weddings since buying it and plan on using it at the rest of my weddings during the year. It doesn't take long to use. It seems to me that a lot of people think it takes minutes to set this up. It's more like seconds. If you have ever manually focused a lens before (think back in the days of film) then you would realize that it's not taking away from the day at all. Stay in touch on my Facebook page and you'll see lots of Tilt-Shift pictures from weddings this season. http://www.facebook.com/modernphoto

0 upvotes
CameraLabTester
By CameraLabTester (2 months ago)

Better have a "normal" camera to mimick those shots just in case the bride says: "Umm.. I like those background to show, because THAT'S what I want, and it's NOT what YOU want..."

.

3 upvotes
Max Pometun
By Max Pometun (2 months ago)

I have to say that I like the images very much, but if the selective focus is all you are after, you might do better with creating the effect in post processing (I believe the latest version of PS even has a filter for that)...

1 upvote
mironv
By mironv (2 months ago)

Well there are very elaborate weddings with set time for formals where there is a time to use such lens or regular one in slow methodical aproch. On another hand camera and lenses getting better abd better but aparenty in high end weddings the "worst" picture looks the better. There are so many that shot with flare, PP to look like chip 50's slides or out of focus blured shots and people paid upwords of $4500 to $10000 for such "style".
To me it looks like this days starting at high end is easier than low end but since one bride won a court case in USA all wedding photogs be weary.
What was a claim she won? She claim she did not like pictures and asked for $40.000 and yes she did get a $$$$$$$$$$. Market will never be same since any bride can say I don't like it pay me lot of $$$$$$$$ I'm sure that $40K covered a even big wedding cost and who paid for that poor photographer.

3 upvotes
Peksu
By Peksu (2 months ago)

With extensive googling I could find no such lawsuit, maybe you could provide a link? The only thing even close is a 2011 lawsuit for 48000 dollars, most of the claims were dropped and I don't know if the case is even finished yet.

1 upvote
mironv
By mironv (2 months ago)

I seen link to such case articel of this site about 2 maybe 2.5 years ago. I did not save it .

0 upvotes
brendon1000
By brendon1000 (2 months ago)

I believe they were referring to this -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Lz-07D5KoE

Comment edited 22 seconds after posting
0 upvotes
mironv
By mironv (2 months ago)

No it was not a Youtube it was just text article and discusion on this site I don't recall which forum as I visit few .

0 upvotes
Timmbits
By Timmbits (2 months ago)

Seems to me that it would be simpler to have a tilt-shift sensor in the camera, so this would work with any lens.

Ooops...sorry Canikon... now that it's public knowledge you can't patent it anymore! hahaha

Comment edited 43 seconds after posting
4 upvotes
HowaboutRAW
By HowaboutRAW (2 months ago)

Better make sure by doing a public use version, and then file your own patent just to be sure.

0 upvotes
peevee1
By peevee1 (2 months ago)

Yes, you can patent now. Under the new patent law in the US (which went almost unnoticed), first patent application counts and nothing else. Some other countries had this nonsense before.
Our legal systems is made up by lawyers for the benefit of the lawyers and nobody else, if you haven't noticed yet. People who vote lawyers into Congress are mad.

Comment edited 1 minute after posting
0 upvotes
Total comments: 124
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