{"id":7833,"date":"2023-10-22T15:04:06","date_gmt":"2023-10-22T15:04:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.andrewkingphotography.co.uk\/?p=7833"},"modified":"2023-10-22T17:58:30","modified_gmt":"2023-10-22T17:58:30","slug":"bromley-wedding-photographer-tools-105-macro-lens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.andrewkingphotography.co.uk\/bromley-wedding-photographer-tools-105-macro-lens\/","title":{"rendered":"A WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER’S TOOLS: 105MM MACRO LENS"},"content":{"rendered":"[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_spacing=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_custom_heading text=”A wedding photographer’s tools: The 105mm Macro lens” google_fonts=”font_family:Raleway%3A100%2C200%2C300%2Cregular%2C500%2C600%2C700%2C800%2C900|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_spacing=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/2″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]A macro lens? For a wedding photographer?\u00a0<\/b>Why do you want one of those?<\/p>\n

I admit, it isn’t often that I photograph insects at weddings, but there are more uses for a macro than bees and butterflies!<\/p>\n

Back in 2009 I was at the beginning of my journey as a professional photographer. Sussex-based, I was fortunate to have another income stream, and although I wasn’t rolling in money, I could build up my kit with careful, secondhand purchases.<\/p>\n

From the off, I had the middle range covered happily and at a high standard by the 24-70 2.8<\/a>. Within a month I bought a 70-300mm zoom because I was desperate for more “reach”. Then a few months later I bought the Sigma 12-24<\/a>, to cover seriously wide angle needs.<\/p>\n

Come August 2009, though, that cheap long zoom was frustrating me – both in overall sharpness but especially in the aperture and rather sad out-of-focus (OOF) areas. I shot weddings with my cousin Tim back then, and I coveted his 70-200mm f2.8<\/a> with its crisp detail and great bokeh. But it was way outside of my budget at the time. How could I get real sharpness at a wide aperture on a portrait length lens without breaking the bank?[\/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”50 pixels”][\/vc_column][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_spacing=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/2″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][image_with_animation image_url=”7868″ animation=”Fade In” hover_animation=”none” alignment=”” img_link_large=”yes” border_radius=”none” box_shadow=”none” image_loading=”default” max_width=”100%” max_width_mobile=”default”][vc_column_text]\n

My 105mm macro – the Sigma f2.8<\/em><\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”50 pixels”][vc_column_text]For me the answer was the Sigma 105mm macro lens. Sigma<\/a> is one of the best “third party” makes of lens – third party means “not make by the big camera companies” in this case. 105mm is a classic portrait length, f2.8 is a decent aperture, and the lens is sharp. Above all, at the time, \u00a3262 compared very favourably with the \u00a31400 odd that the 70-200 cost, back then. It was one of my best buys in my photography career, and the lens is still in use regularly.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_spacing=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][nectar_btn size=”medium” button_style=”regular” button_color_2=”Accent-Color” icon_family=”none” text=”If you are here because you are getting married and aren’t interested in lenses, click here!” margin_left=”0″ url=”https:\/\/www.andrewkingphotography.co.uk\/contact-us\/”][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”50 pixels”][divider line_type=”Small Line” line_alignment=”center” line_thickness=”1″ divider_color=”default” custom_height=”50 pixels”][vc_custom_heading text=”A wedding photographer’s tools: The 105mm Macro for Portraits” google_fonts=”font_family:Raleway%3A100%2C200%2C300%2Cregular%2C500%2C600%2C700%2C800%2C900|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”50 pixels”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_spacing=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/2″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]So, I bought the Sigma in the first place as a portrait lens. I use it less than I did to for that purpose but it still gets pointed at a few faces. Sometimes because it just happens to be on the camera, and sometimes because it is the slimmest and most unobtrusive lens that I have when viewed from the subject’s end – a real plus. Both the 70-200 and the 105mm f2 are far more dominating. Here is a selection of portraits taken with the Sigma over a 14 year span.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_spacing=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/2″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][image_with_animation image_url=”7877″ animation=”Fade In” hover_animation=”none” alignment=”” img_link_large=”yes” border_radius=”none” box_shadow=”none” image_loading=”default” max_width=”100%” max_width_mobile=”default”][vc_column_text]\n

Bride preparations – Ashtead, Surrey, wedding<\/i><\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_spacing=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”50 pixels”][vc_column_text]\n