the sigma 24mm f/1.8 macro lens (for my nikon d3)
arrived this afternoon while the twins were napping and my camera battery was charging. i loved having a wide angle lens when i shot with film, but i sold it many years ago. this was a range that i was missing from my equipment and really interested in working with again. while the new nikon 24mm f/1.4G 
is without a doubt kickass, i will never be able to justify the cost. if i shot weddings or was a photojournalist, it would make sense, but not for what i do. after a lot of research online, i decided to give sigma a try. i have never owned a sigma lens. i did not really have a good reason for that, just never thought about them as an option. when i started looking, i was really impressed with the photographers i found using sigma gear.
so by the time everyone was home, fed and the battery was ready, i was left with cruddy light and dirty and tired models. i was too excited to wait another day though, so on the lens went and i gave it a whirl.
gemma noticed i had a new lens. (i was very proud.) her interest faded after 2 shots. kind of fun though…the bobblehead distortion makes her look younger!
left: one shot that kieran “took” while i held the camera and clover. kieran likes to push buttons…he is also and excellent garage door shutter, washing machine starter and crosswalk signal alerter. right: kiki hunting baby in the backyard. i do not understand how i get the ONLY crazy ragdoll cat in the world. every other ragdoll cat i meet is docile and mine is the one with the attitude problem. sigh.
being a macro, this lens can really get in close and focus. kiki actually bit my camera today (see? crazy!) it gets that close.
verdict (on the lens, not the cat).
great lens for the price!
pros:
feels solid and well built
focuses fairly quickly. no hunting around even in the dim light.
beautiful balance of sharpness and shallow depth of field at f/2.2, but still pretty sharp wide open. i just found the focus was falling ever so slightly in front at f/1.8….that could be user error though. ;)
colors rendered well
cons:
you have to clean up because it shows everything in your messy living room that you could hide from the 50mm.
so hello there, Sigma. i am sorry that i have never given you a chance before. welcome to my camera bag. i had better go and see what else you have…i have heard there is a sweet 70-200mm f/2.8 
in your catalog.
sometimes i am a little too enthusiastic about photography…that is why peta and i started beyond snapshots. if you join us for any of our classes (only one seat left for the next class so hurry if you are interested) or workshop talks, be prepared for over sharing. i have a lot of information and frankly, alec is no longer interested. i start talking about my search for the best wide angle lens for the money and i can see his eyes glaze over and i can almost read the thought bubble hovering above his head “please make her stop talking.” i recognize the look…it is the same one i have when he speaks cycling.
i can’t help it. i just get really excited about things i love.
these guys pretend to be enthusiastic, but really they just want a cookie. in fact gemma would like 3 cookies. never too early to bribe. there is your free tip for the day.
but one thing that is amazing to have when you are learning a craft and excited about the work you are producing is a community of like minded friends. it is a lifesaver (for husbands like alec.)
that is exactly what you get with clickin moms! these women have created a friendly and beautiful community where you can virtually hang out with people who are actually interested in your in camera settings.
clickin moms is the newest sponsor here on the blog and to celebrate having them join the sidebar we have a contest for 2 people to win a year subscription each to their information packed forum!
How great is that? Here is what you need to do to have a chance to win, leave a comment here on my blog (facebook comments do not count, so if you are reading this on facebook, click on over to the site to leave your note) and tell me something photo related…something that would bore the pants off your kid or trigger eye rolls from your partner. i am listening.
what are you excited about today?
have you found a great photoblog?
want a new lens?
are trying new processing?
going to your first photo/blogging conference?
ANYTHING.
I will be picking 2 random comments as the winners so get clickin.
the contest is now closed, but i love hearing your stories, so if you landed here and have something to share, tell me! like i said, i am listening!
Random Picks:
Congratulations to Julia Avina and Natalie Barnes!
American Baby Magazine is having a cover photo contest and they are looking for the cutest baby/toddler. Since you have the cutest baby/toddler right in your own home, I am encouraging you all to enter! The winner gets to be the cover child on the August issue of American Baby. The deadline is March 31st and your child has to be between the ages of 3 and 24 months on the date of submission.
Whether it is photography or kid related, it is always fun to enter contests. Take this opportunity to take some wonderful shots of your kids and then enter them…you really have nothing to lose.
Make sure you capture the best of your child…make their personality shine. Get the smiles, giggles and the more pensive moments as well.
You don’t have to do anything fancy for this and it can’t be professional, but that does not mean that it has to be bad. Some random tips to think about when you take the shot. Simple clothing and background is best, but they don’t have to be boring. Indirect light is so flattering and placing your child in a doorway, under the shade of your front porch or by a window makes for wonderful big catch lights in the eyes. You can get indirect light while out and about as well, the stroller is my favorite mobile studio! Another idea is to make your own light with an external flash. Attach it to your camera, turn the flash head around to point behind you and bounce the light off a white wall or the ceiling (like in the last shot).
Here are a few shots of my babies to get you inspired:
Have any questions about entering the contest, click here for the official FAQ.
Whatever you do, have fun and celebrate the most beautiful baby in the world, yours!
i have heard it all. from various people. however differently they said it, they all meant the same thing… the twins are too old for bottles.
thank you to the many strangers who have preached to offered me advice, i think it is wonderful that your child was drinking from a regular cup in utero.
i went out and bought various drink containers. we have the straw, the sippy, the sigg. all hold and dispense water just fine, but put milk in them and it is another story to these guys.
you just try to take those bottles away from them.
in my opinion, there are plenty of other things to obsess over as a parent, but i am taking the “i’ll parent mine, you parent yours” stance.
i highly doubt that they will be 22 and still starting the morning with a nice cold evenflo. in a blink of an eye, they will be having coffee with me.
so go on…call them babies. they are babies.
*all images in this post are made with the new diana toy camera lens on my d200*
one of these is my house and if you guess wrong, you don’t know me at all.
just to help you out in case it was not completely obvious
since moving to australia, i seem to have the christmas spirit of a gnat. and that makes me sad because i used to LOVE christmas. it is really going to take me some time to embrace long, warm, sunny days leading up to the holiday where i spent my life praying for snow.
i am enjoying the summer days, i just wish they were in july where they are supposed to be.
now as a mother, i feel the need to develop at least a shred of festive enthusiasm. i have such beautiful christmas memories from childhood that i want to give to my kids. then again, maybe that is part of what is holding me back. not much could top those experiences. a giant family dinner…bundling up for the freezing cold walk down the road to my aunt and uncle’s home. early nightfall and candles in every window. singing carols with the neighbors…all the adults holding warm grownup drinks and the kids scanning the dark night sky for a red nose amongst the stars. if i was lucky, it was a clear night and there was snow on the ground to crunch underfoot.
i need to learn how to let go of my attachments to those memories. record them somehow so they are not lost and then maybe i will be free to build new ones here.
this diana toy camera lens is the photographic version of my christmas spirit dilemma. i want to let go of my ideas of what makes a perfect image and experiment…put myself in a situation where i do not have full control and can’t make things the way i normally would have them. i don’t fancy being a one trick pony. i enjoy using different lenses, various camera settings, and even artificial lighting to ensure that my work is not by rote. you will not find me repeating the same session poses under the same tree in the same park for my clients. i do crave consistency in my work though. i want to produce images that make sense together and that are nice to look at. it presents a complex problem while i try to grow as a photographer.
i decided to add this plastic lens to my d200 and just point and shoot. i set the camera to vivid and am just making jpgs. there is no editing beyond the resize ( and occasional crop) for web. it is not a greatly expensive way to step outside of the box either. if i had to buy film for my holga and have it processed, it would quickly add up to and surpass the $60.00 spent on the lens. i am terrible at committing to daily photo projects, so this is my challenge to myself. let go and create. whenever.
it may take some getting used to, but eventually a hot christmas and a blurry photo will both be things that i love.
i want to hear from you…what are you doing to grow? what challenges your convictions? comment below and show me what you are aiming to do in the new year to expand your world.
