I’m a music photographer. Oh, and I also have a pet photography business… and I photograph fantasy… and fashion. So what’s my photography niche? I don’t have one! The fact that I am able to galavant across the country capturing everything from fashion editorials to concerts to whatever else inspires me is an ode to my trusty best friends — my SIGMA lenses. With the right tools at your side, anything is possible.
How lenses can influence your voice.
Having been in the photography industry for thirteen years, a lot of different gear has crossed my path. From lighting kits to cameras and lenses, each piece of equipment that’s fallen into my hands has helped shaped how I create my work.
I often tell newer photographers that there will be points in your career where you’ll feel like you’ve outgrown certain pieces of equipment and will feel the pull to explore a new lens or piece of gear. That’s your creative self telling you that your voice as a photographer may require something different in order to speak.
For me, the greatest creative leaps have always come from lenses. Since the glass we choose helps determine focal length, depth of field, and clarity, lenses shape our perspective and allow us to dive deeper into our own artistic style.
Like a paintbrush or set of graphite pencils, lenses are the photographer’s direct tools of creation. A great lens will grant you capabilities beyond your wildest imagination, offering you a path for expressing your voice.
My SIGMA lenses have greatly influenced my development as a versatile photographer with an emphasis on shallow depth of field. My style is so intertwined with fantastical bokeh and pushing my subjects to the forefront that I would argue these characteristics have become a facet of my own personality! Funny enough, the reason for shallow depth of field actually has its root in my journey as a photographer.
See how my lenses shape my work (Video)
Here’s a look at how I photograph everything under the sun and still maintain a unique, consistent style. My lens choices help me achieve the look and feel I want while also allowing me to give my clients an exceptional experience.
My SIGMA lens journey — how it all began.
I began my photography passion at the age of ten. As awesome as it can be to find a trajectory as young as that, it was also rather limiting, considering the lack of a car, access to locations, and so forth. Still, I found myself entirely intertwined in my artistic endeavors and quickly outgrew point and shoot cameras. Upon being gifted my very first DSLR and investing in my very first lens, the doors opened even wider to pursue photography.
I started taking clients at the age of 15, but kept running into the same limitation; I did not have a car and lived in an area that didn’t really have public transportation (Uber and Lyft weren’t a thing yet!). I was very limited by location and had to find a way to work in areas that weren’t always ideal for photos.
SIGMA lenses helped me solve this problem. As I mentioned, the right lenses can open up the door of possibility because they grant you the tools necessary to make your vision come to fruition.
I began investing in lenses with wide apertures to help melt away unsavory backgrounds into a creamy bokeh. In the process of this, I really began to favor the interpretive impact this visual trick had. Images suddenly had a very dream-like appearance to them, the subject was able to take full center stage, and the focus was more on the colors and textures of the background rather than what it really looked like.
I always favor lenses that make my subjects really pop. Whether it’s due to lack of optic distortion (such as the curved glass of a wide angle lens) or nice subject compression from beautiful telephoto lenses, SIGMA lenses always give me the sharpness, clarity, and ease of use I need.
This contributes tremendously to how I work. Because, the easier your tools are to handle, the more trust you have in them, and the more effortless your work becomes.
I love that SIGMA keeps up with new technology.
Another important point in my photography journey was my transition from DSLR cameras to Mirrorless — a big leap, despite it not seeming so to the viewer. SIGMA’s brilliant way of making the lenses communicate with the camera body carried into the mirrorless world, with the lens and the camera speaking to one another fluently. This allowed me to continue using my beloved SIGMA glass with the brilliance of mirrorless autofocus systems, making my photo shoots even more enjoyable as an image maker.
I love that I can use lenses I know as well as my own hands and arms on a brand new system.
My go-to SIGMA lenses
Although I will always love my zoom lenses — notably the SIGMA 70-200mm F2.8 DG OS HSM Sports, SIGMA 24-70mm F2.8 DG OS HSM Art, and the SIGMA 14-24mm F2.8 DG HSM Art — wide aperture primes make up the bulk of my workhorse kit these days.
The stunning SIGMA 35mm F1.2 Art has accompanied me on so many adventures. You can’t get a wider aperture with autofocus, and the shallow depth of field is as dreamy as can be. The focal length is great to use in both tighter spaces (like backstage) and wide open scenic spots. The construction itself is quite brilliant, with a slew of nifty features — like a manual aperture ring — right on the barrel.
My favorite telephoto portrait lens, the new 85mm F1.4 Art for mirrorless systems is a real treat. Lighter weight and more compact than the previous version, the incredible sharpness and subject compression is absolutely stunning. Despite being traditionally a portrait lens, I find that I can also capture action photos with ease due to the super fast and precise autofocus.
For all of my action photography, the 135mm F1.8 is a workhorse. With a beautifully wide aperture to separate my subject from the background while maintaining a focal length that allows me to be a good distance away, I have found so many uses for this stunning lens. It’s sharp, well constructed, and not too heavy to hold!
SIGMA I series lenses changed everything.
As much as I loved my kit and felt good about my photography, something new came up that was impactful enough to change who I am — and how I work — as a photographer. SIGMA I series lenses use the technology of mirrorless systems to make much smaller lenses that work just as well (or better) than the lenses I always loved. Dream come true!
Somehow, SIGMA magically took all the characteristics I loved about my older SIGMA lenses and shrunk them into a smaller package. This completely changed the game for me. The I series lenses offer me edge-to-edge sharpness, fast autofocus, all-metal construction, and great ease of use.
Plus, one of my favorite little bonuses is that the I series lenses have magnetic lens caps. Busy photographers know what a useful feature this is! Instead of doing the usual pinch and release, the magnetic cap makes these lenses quicker to draw for spontaneous images.
But the most monumental difference, for me, is the size of the lenses. That’s where my way of shooting began to change.
Photo shoots tend to draw attention, especially when photographing in busy urban environments. The smaller stature of the SIGMA I series lenses allows for a more spontaneous feeling.
With a smaller kit in hand, I can make my clients feel like we’re just taking an exploratory stroll through a location, which puts them at ease and also means I can create unique images that aren’t easily replicated. Plus, the smaller size of my lenses minimizes curious onlookers, which can be distracting for clients. This ability to adventure through locations and shoot more discreetly completely changed the feeling of my sessions, making the images as fun to create as to receive.
Side note: my I series lenses are so easy to throw in a bag because they take up minimal space. I’ve done a slew of travel sessions with them this summer and airport security was a breeze!
In all honesty, the SIGMA I series has entirely changed how I approach photo sessions, allowing me to literally go further and capture images others may not have shot before.
My I series faves:
I’m so in love with the freedom and flexibility these smaller lenses give me!
Just like my beloved 35mm Art, the 35mm I series lens is a true workhorse. Able to photograph so much variety, this lens goes with me absolutely everywhere. The smaller size gives me so much flexibility, and I love being able to keep photo sessions discreet for my clients. I also love being able to grab those on-the-go moments, knowing my images will come out just as I expect every time.
This lens is a dream for portraits! And, I love that I can take a step back for full-body fashion shots and still get my signature bokeh that makes my clients really pop out of the image.
When I want a slightly wider angle to capture a bit more background, I grab my 24mm F2. What I love about this I series lens is the edge-to-edge sharpness and durability. These features give me that extra boost of confidence that whatever I want to photograph — wherever I want to photograph it — will come out just how I envisioned.
When I need an ultra-wide lens, whether it’s to photograph a dog show, concert or fantasy location, this lens is it. It’s fast, sharp, durable and super portable, making my job just a little easier.
Why I choose SIGMA again and again:
Along with helping me find out who I am as a photographer (and artist), SIGMA has done an equally monumental deed — inspired my confidence.
My work isn’t the easiest to place in a box. Frankly, I have the hardest time describing exactly what it is that I photograph in ten words or less! My equipment needs to be able to adapt to covering a broad range of subjects throughout the day. No matter what precarious conditions, unique subject matter, or wild adventures are thrown at my lenses on a daily basis, they continue to perform effortlessly.
This dedication to maintaining incredible sharpness, beautiful bokeh, durable construction, and fluent communication with my cameras’ various autofocus systems means that no matter how many shots I fire off on a daily basis, I know my photos will always be of the utmost quality. This confidence helps me focus on what matters the most during a photo shoot — creating beautiful art and making my clients happy.
That, right there, is why you’ll find me choosing SIGMA over, and over, and over… again.
Photos by Annabel D’Flux, created with Sigma lenses.
This is a sponsored post but opinions are those of the author.
