Whether you’re running in auto exposure mode or taking full control in manual mode, a better understanding of how the light in your scene is being measured can greatly improve your ability to capture it in a way that matches your creative vision. To that end, we’ll jump in to how your camera’s metering interacts with exposure modes and we’ll cover the metering mode options commonly found in most cameras; evaluative metering, center-weighted metering and spot metering.

©Judy Host 2019 Created with Sigma’s 70-200mm F2.8 DG OS HSM | S. lens at f 8.0 s 1/125 ISO 160 70mm Focal Length, Manual mode, Two ProFoto light setup with an umbrella and a beauty dish. In this image, Lindsay is dancing to Bruno Mars with a fan in the background helping the fabric to move.

As I transition into a different field of photography from the traditional portrait world into the not so traditional fashion/commercial world, I find it fascinating to try to figure out what the current trends are.  Once you understand that, it’s time to move forward in a different direction.  “Lead, do not follow.” In my opinion, this is what sets us apart from the crowd. I do not see myself as a follower.  My goal is to produce unique, if not still classic work.  Using the old tools and redefining their presentation, I am forever trying to differentiate myself from everyone else.

The key is… (are you ready for it?)… patience.  Yep, that’s it.  Simple, but not easy.

Be.

Prepared.

To.

Wait.

Once you understand that this may take a while you will not feel the need to rush them or yourself, which will inevitably make this portrait session implode.   This applies to photographing children by themselves, with siblings/friends, and in family portraits.  In fact, sometimes photographing families with children is even more difficult because the parents get frustrated trying to make their kids behave that it can have the opposite effect.  Hopefully your patience will rub off on them.

Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG OS HSM | Art lens. 1/640 F2.8 ISO 200 . © 2019 Jared Ivy

Christmas has come and gone and hopefully the lens or camera of your dreams was waiting for you under the tree. And what did you ask Santa for? Maybe a fast-new wide-angle lens like the 14-24mm f2.8. Or maybe you scored the brand new 70-200mm f2.8 S lens. If you already have these two amazing lenses maybe you rounded out your lens trifecta with a 24-70 f2.8 A lens?  With these three lenses you can capture just about anything nature throws at you.

High speed action is tough to capture on its own. When you add tricky lighting and snow and ice things really get challenging. Doug Evans on Loveland Pass. Sigma 24-70 f2.8 A lens on Canon 7DMKII. 1/1600 sec. f/8 ISO 640.

What is nature throwing at us right now? Snow!  The mountains and hills in many parts of the country are covered in a deep blanket of soft snow. Many people in warmer climes are traveling to ski meccas around like Colorado, Utah,Vermont, New Hampshire and many other wintry destinations.

We have some fresh new photo gear and mountains covered in snow. The elements of a ski shoot are coming together nicely! Ski photography is a great way to get outside with family and friends and put your new gear to use in some fun real-world situations.

Intro

If you are seeking super-high resolution images without investing tens of thousands of dollars in a medium format system, the Sigma sd Quattro H camera paired with legendary yet affordable Sigma Global Vision (SGV) lenses, may be the answer for you.

The Sigma sd Quattro H offers extraordinary resolution, accurate colors with smooth gradations, and an ergonomic body with excellent control of the camera’s settings. In addition, the sd Quattro H is made even more powerful when its files are processed in  Sigma’s PhotoPro software or, if using the
DNG file option, in Adobe Camera RAW.

With the release of the brand new Sigma 40mm F1.4 Art lens, we asked for first impressions of the lens from our Sigma Ambassadors and fans. Come and see their images and read what they have to say about this awesome addition to the Sigma Art line!

Meg Loeks

The Sigma Art 40mm is an incredible lens. One of my favorite things about it is its ability to rock low light. I shot with this lens in both natural and artificial low light and it was sharp and fast. Not to mention the dynamic range of this lens, especially in tough lighting situations, makes it a favorite for me. The lens is durable which is crucial as I tend to not be very gentle with my gear while out hiking with my boys. Most importantly, it lives up to the Sigma Art name with its sharpness even when photographing fast moving children.

© Meg Loeks 2018 | 1/160 sec, F2, ISO 640 | Canon 5D Mark IV

© Meg Loeks 2018 | 1/160 sec, F1.6, ISO 800 | Canon 5D Mark IV

© Meg Loeks 2018 | 1/200 sec, F3.2, ISO 640 | Canon 5D Mark IV

Sigma Ambassadors

The Sigma Ambassadors are a collection of talented, up-and-coming photographers who utilize Sigma gear in their respective artistic pursuits. The Ambassadors operate in a variety of arenas of photography and film including astrophotography, portraiture, concert photography and more – a testament to just how comprehensive the ever-growing line-up of Sigma products is.

• Adam Elmakias
• Jack Fusco
• Meg Loeks
• Darren White
• Benjamin Ono
• McKenzie Deakins
• Tobi Shinobi
• Henry Wu

Recently here at Yonder Blue Films, based near Atlanta, Georgia, we were fortunate to be asked by Blackmagic Design to be one of the first production companies to try out their new Pocket Cinema Camera 4K on a project. I started Yonder Blue Films over six and a half years ago, and during that time we have moved towards combining Blackmagic Design cameras with the Sigma lenses to meet the needs of our many clients and projects. We’ve worked on everything from fundraiser videos, to commercials, to tentpole feature films for major studios. Prior to starting Yonder Blue Films, the bulk of my 20+ year career was in television. And while we’ve used other camera and lens brands at times, the majority of our work is shot with the combination of Blackmagic Design and Sigma gear because we get consistent, high-quality results from gear that we can own. We do rent gear on occasion, and have some great rental houses here in Atlanta, but sometimes that isn’t an option when a client calls and needs to get started on a project right away.

The Sigma 70mm F2.8 DG Macro Art  lens carries on a weighty tradition: it’s a Sigma Global Vision update on the company’s legendary Macro 70mm F2.8 EX DG, renown for its incredible sharpness. While those experienced with this go-to macro might find it hard to imagine improving upon the previous version, the new Art lens does that and more.

Sharp, contrasty, and with an oh-so-pleasing bokeh, the Sigma 70mm F2.8 DG Macro Art is a welcome addition to your bag, whether you shoot nature, small wildlife, travel, architecture, commercial, weddings, or portraits.

To back button focus or not? This is an interesting debate among sport shooters and hobbyists alike. I can tell you from experience it is the most unnatural thing to start doing and takes a great deal of practice and patience before it suddenly becomes second nature.

Straight out of the box, virtually every interchangeable lens camera has Autofocus assigned to the shutter button.  So, when you pick up the camera and push the shutter button, first it searches for focus, and then, once focus is achieved, it opens the shutter and takes your photo.  On the surface, this seems the perfect way to get more shots in focus. But it makes the shutter do double or triple -duty, and can slow down the process when timing means everything. The Back-button focus technique can make the camera more responsive since the shutter button is now charged, first and foremost, with the task for which it is named: opening and closing the shutter.

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