As you know, I love photography. I love photographing businesses, families and high school seniors. But every now and then I like to take time to shoot photos just for me and try out creative photography tools like the Lenbaby Lens. If you are not familiar with Lensbaby lenses they are unique in that they are designed to help you create interesting effects. By using selective focus you can achieve amazing bokeh or an almost painterly style.
I have the Composer Pro Sweet Optic 35 which has a rotating ball so that you can use different angles to create different effects. The lens is not like a typical camera lens in that everything is done manually including setting focus and aperture. Unlike traditional lenses there is no electronic component that talks with your camera.
Getting sharp photos is a bit of a challenge but really the lens is all about creating artistic blur. The Lensbaby is definitely a lens that you need to practice with in order to find your sweet spot. So don’t be discouraged if you find you are deleting a lot of photos. It takes a bit of time to get the hang of it. It is the type of lens where you need to let go and just play.
What I like about the lens is it challenges me to think creatively and to experiment. If you are wanting to try something new, I definitely recommend renting one to see what you think. As Lensbaby’s tagline says, their lenses will help you “see in a new way.”
