As a mother of four young children and a full-time photographer, I am my family’s storyteller. I have one of the most important “jobs” in the whole world: I’m capturing the special milestones we know are so fleeting, the mundane moments that make up our every day, and everything in between. It’s important for me to have faithful camera gear that I can rely on to capture our family’s memories.
When I’m out and about with my children and need to keep my gear light, I’m almost always grabbing my SIGMA 35mmF1.4 DG HSM | Art lens — it’s my most versatile. For me it’s imperative to travel light, my children range from ages 7 years to 6 months, so I’m often carrying at least one of them. Whether I’m photographing my daughter in tight spaces like her crib or need to be close to my boys while out hiking, the 35mm is my go-to that works in just about every situation.
Beyond sheer versatility, my favorite quality of this lens is its sharpness. I prefer to shoot nearly wide open in most situations when I’m photographing my children, and this lens is tack-sharp when I’m shooting anywhere from 1.6 to 2.2 which are my usual aperture choices. The 35mm is by far one of my fastest and sharpest lenses. I used to own one of its strongest and much more expensive competitors, and my SIGMA lens outshined the other 35mm in sharpness almost every single time.
On that same note, the autofocus is incredibly quiet and fast. In the same day I could find myself photographing both my sleeping daughter in her crib and my boys running around outside, and all the while, my SIGMA 35mm is able to grab focus quickly and effectively. Even at close to wide open, my images are still sharp. This goes for video as well. The 35mm is my preferred lens when recording my family’s special moments — I never worry about letting a memorable second slip by.
I gravitate towards SIGMA lenses because of their reputation for durability, and the 35mm is no exception. It’s a beast of a lens which is wonderful for me because I don’t tend to be very gentle on my gear. It’s a little hard to be delicate on my equipment when I’m chasing little boys up muddy trails just about every day. Even despite minor mishaps it still works like a charm. The SIGMA 35mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art is simply made to last.
Color plays a huge role in my style — I always gravitate towards dreamy colorful scenes over black and white. The color of my SIGMA 35mm is gorgeous and makes it so fun to play with my imagery. The colors are natural and vibrant — skin tones are accurate and lifelike compared to its competitor which often looks green and dull.
The cherry on top: you can’t beat the price point. As a mother of a family on a budget, this is huge plus for me, as I think it is for any parent and photographer
With my wide-angle 35mm, there’s no limit to my storytelling. The lens is by far one of the most durable and versatile lenses I own. I’m able to document all of my family’s moments while still be in close proximity to my little ones. It’s so important for me as a mother to be present and capture those fleeting milestones for my children and me to look back on for decades to come.
