Even in the most barren desert one would still feel one’s heart beating.
– Marty Rubin, author
Armed with the perfect trifecta of components that I adore – ballet, portraiture, and SIGMA Art prime lenses – I recently headed west into the sunset, quite literally, to the Arizona desert. I connected with various dancers from Master Ballet Academy in Scottsdale and a couple other local studios, making arrangements to meet both in Scottsdale, Phoenix, and Sedona. Russian Pointe Brand sent us a few leotards to pair with the handmade long sheer dance skirts that I designed for the sessions and had custom made by a local Arizona seamstress.
Packing My Bag for Dance Photography in the Desert
Wide-angle to standard prime lenses were exactly the tools I needed to shoot dancers surrounded by landscapes, to capture the majesty of the red rock formations in Sedona, and to establish the scope of each shot, from the ground to the mountain peaks.
In my planning stages, I knew that I needed the most precise and definitive images that would still allow me to show the softness of the beautiful scenery. The SIGMA 28mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art and 40mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art prime lenses ensured I could achieve my vision without question.
Photographing Dancers with the 28mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art
I found the SIGMA 28mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art to be versatile and flexible where it needed to be. Yes, it’s wide-angle, but it achieves a substantial angle of view without being excessive. The 28mm Art has an amazing range of use which has been so well thought out. It is suited for all types of photography, from street to landscape with absolute ease, but in my case, it excelled at capturing the beauty of the environment as well as the grace of the dancers that I was photographing.
Photographing Dancers with the 40mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art
My subjects were beautiful dancers and in addition to the wide-angle option, I needed a slightly narrower focal length with a sufficiently wide aperture to put more of the attention on the subjects. For this situation, the SIGMA 40mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art is outstanding! This lens was able to capture my dancers without any distortion in the background. This lens is beautifully built and feels good to hold, and its versatility will be loved by photographers in every field.
The Beauty of SIGMA Art Prime Lenses for Dance Photography
I chose the desert as my background and knew in doing so I would be putting both the 28mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art and 40mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art lenses to the test. The dusty surroundings were no problem whatsoever due to the lens’ robust weather sealing, which guards against dust and moisture at the mount and throughout the lens structure. The advanced optical design assures great sharpness in every image, and with their fast and accurate autofocus, outstanding even in low light, these were the ideal lenses to use. I love the creativity the lenses afforded me to be closer to my subjects and more emotionally connected, which is perfect for dance photography.
What an absolute pleasure to use the 28mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art and 40mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art lenses for my dancers. The versatility of these lenses are perfect for every genre, from family portraits or architecture, landscapes to gritty urban shoots. I am so excited to use these lenses in all areas of my photography business and I know how excited my clients will be to see the finished images.
