Lensbaby Spark Review: From our Lensbaby Spark winner, Cheryl Crotty

At Moms Who Click we are definitely having some fun with Lensbaby (@SeeInANewWay).  A few months ago we had a Lensbaby Spark giveaway on our blog.  Our winner, Cheryl Crotty, got her 'Spark' just before heading off on vacation.  She provided me with some of her Lensbaby images and a quick review of the lens.

I really liked it but it does take a bit of practice.   It's different and adds some fun photos to my files.  I loved the lightness of it for travel and also it was really easy to handle once I figured out how to move it.  It is a really fun lens to have in your bag.  When going on a shoot I surely would recommend it.   I will continue to practice with it and hopefully will have that "Ah ha" moment when it all comes together like magic.

Check out her images below, and to find out more about the Lensbaby Spark for only $80 click here.

Guest Post by Jessica Maleski--5 Quick Tips For Using Your Lensbaby

We are super excited to have Jessica Maleski back to give us some tips on using a Lensbaby. If you missed her early post on why she loves this creative lens, be sure to click here.  Jessica's tips below are perfect for those of you starting out with this very fun lens and have helped me tremendously! Thank you Jessica for sharing you know-how with us and for continuing to inspire us all!

So, after all the talk around here about Lensbabies have you run out and bought one? Kristina did and took some amazing shots of her lovely daughter (http://www.momswhoclick.com/2013/04/lensbaby-love-wordless-wednesday.html)!

If you have played around with one than you know they can be a little tricky. Since the Lensbaby contains no electronic parts, it can’t talk to your camera. You are in manual territory on focus, and with some cameras, metering and exposure as well.  If you are feeling a bit overwhelmed by the Lensbaby learning curve, here are 5 quick tips to help you get off to a good start with this fun little lens.

FOCUS

1. You must clearly see what you are trying to focus on.

If the camera’s diopter is adjusted for your eyes, then what you see in the viewfinder will more  accurately reflect what the camera sees. On most cameras the diopter is the little wheel next to the viewfinder. To adjust it, look through your viewfinder at a blank white wall and slowly turn the diopter adjustment dial until the lines in the viewfinder are at their darkest.

2. Make the in-focus area larger.

It’s best to start out using a medium aperture of f5.6 and up. The smaller the aperture the greater the area that remains in focus. A large “sweet spot”  is easier to keep in focus and even see as you bend the lens around.

3. Keep the focus in the center.

In the beginning, resist the urge to bend the lens or you’ll be left wondering where the “sweet spot” went. As you practice with your Lensbaby, slowly bend the lens outward more and more. You’ll soon develop a feel for where to look in the viewfinder based on how you’ve bent the lens.

4. Use the Live View screen on your camera.

If you have mounted your camera on a tripod, then use the live view screen to get the best possible focus. Not only can you see better since the screen is larger than the viewfinder, but you can always zoom in. By zooming in you can locate the sweet spot with great accuracy and make it as sharp as possible. And the double glass optic as well as the Sweet 35 and Edge 80 are very sharp lenses.

EXPOSURE

5. Learn to love the histogram and the clipped highlights warning screens!

Check your guesstimate for exposure using these two screens. They will help you adjust shutter speed and ISO as necessary in order to get the best possible exposure. Look for a nice bell shaped histogram with few, if any, points at the very ends of the graph. Also, make sure there are no flashing warnings for clipped highlights.

Above all, get out there with your Lensbaby and practice! I highly recommend leaving the lens on your camera for a week or two and practice taking random shots throughout the day. You will begin to develop a feel for what the exposure should be based on various conditions and you will grow to love manual focus. The Lensbaby’s manual selective focus gives you so much more creative control over your subject matter. And for some of us, that’s what photography is all about!

-- Jessica Maleski is a photographer in the Washington D.C. area. She blogs at Living in a Still Life even though, with seven children her life is anything but still. She is in the final quarter of a collaborative 365 project with a long-time flickr friend at Call and Response. Sometimes she posts things on flickr, sometimes on g+ and often on instagram -- and is desperately trying to figure out a logical way to do all that!

Lensbaby Love--Wordless Wednesday

by Kristina

If you missed our post yesterday from Jessica Maleski on the Lensbaby, you should definitely go and check it out.  She is the reason why I finally decided to take the Lensbaby leap.  Mine arrived late Monday afternoon and I was so excited to give it a try.

While I'm still getting the hang of it, I'm finding it to be much easier to use than the Lensbaby Spark or Lensbaby Composer Pro Double Optic (I had the chance to test out both of those before)....just my personal opinion...I'm sure with practice they would be great too.

I can't wait to shoot more creative images with this lens.  I love the way the bokeh creates such a dreamy, artistic look.  So fun!

@Lensbaby Spark Giveaway: Moms Who Click Review

We have a wonderful Lensbaby Spark (value, $80.00) to giveaway to ONE LUCKY WINNER.  See below for more details.

I was lucky to have the chance to shadow Laura Tillinghast on a recent Lensbaby photo shoot "Product Spotlight" a couple of weeks ago.  Laura tested the Lensbaby Composer Pro with Sweet Optic 35.   Laura is a professional photographer and part of the Pro Team at Zenfolio.  And Zenfolio just happens to be where my blogging partner Kristina and I both separately host our own studio websites.  It is through Zenfolio that I met Laura who teaches a variety of photography classes (Click see the list here).  

I was fortunate to receive a Lensbaby Spark to test out for Moms Who Click.  I have heard a lot about Lensbaby products from other photographers I follow including Alex Beadon.  Now that I've played with one I have to say,  I am totally hooked.

It is SO much fun and simple.  In this case just install the lens as you normally would to your DSLR.  Lensbaby Spark is a 50mm lens with a fixed aperture of f/5.6.  

Once your lens is in place you will need to set your camera to full manual mode.  While the Spark has a fixed focal length of 50mm, because of the flexible nature of the lens you can bend, extend or contract it until you find the sweet spot you're hoping to achieve.

Straight out of the camera results are amazing.  But you can further enhance, define, refine and highlight once you get the image into your favorite editing software.

To the right are a few examples I put together to show the same set up (except I did move the object on the right to a different plane in the top and bottom images).  

By just bending the lens to the left, center or right I was able to get a sharper focus wherever you see the red circle. Below are a few more examples using the Spark.  I deliberately picked images that had text in them to highlight the focus.

[The quote on the mug is based on the hilarious BBC Show, The IT Crowd.]

From the book, "The Four-Hour Chef"

For more information on how to use the Lensbaby Spark see the video below.




GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

1. Moms Who Click is pleased to giveaway ONE Lensbaby Spark to one of our readers
2. Please leave a comment below telling us what you will be using your Lensbaby Spark to photograph PLUS an email address for us to contact in case you are the winner.  No email means we cannot contact you and will pick another winner.  
3. For a second entry please LIKE our Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/MomsWhoClick if you haven't already
4. For a third entry please LIKE the Lensbaby Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/seeinanewway if you haven't already
5. We will notify the winner the week of February 18th.  We will ask for your model DSLR camera (Nikon F or Canon EF Mounts only)
6. We will hold the drawing one week from today, on Monday February 18th President's Day!  Good luck!

CLICK HERE TO LEAVE YOUR COMMENT

And by the way, to learn more about Zenfolio and to download a free eBook click here "Creating a Photography Website That Works For You"

Dive In....Fun with Underwater Photography

I've been wanting an underwater camera for a long time.  When I told my husband, he replied, "Why would you want one, you don't even swim in our pool."  I realized he had a point.  I rarely went in our pool this summer (mainly because I like a warm pool preferably 86 degrees) but I my thought was if I had a camera I would go in the pool more (anything for a cool image, right?).

In any case, I tabled the idea.... that is until I went to Shutter Sisters Oasis and had the opportunity to try out the LifeProof case for the iPhone (available soon for the iPhone 5).  Ohhh....emmm...geee....did I have fun with this little gadget.

Once I got over the initial fear of submerging my phone into the pool, which believe me took a bit of convincing and standing poolside watching, I had such a blast and I was blown away by the images I was able to get with my iPhone.  It made me realize that I don't really need to spend money on a special camera or housing unit for my DSLR (at least not just yet).

I must admit that it was hard to tell whether or not I was getting the person in frame because holding your breath, trying to stay under water in a saltwater pool and keeping your eyes open while clicking the + button on your iPhone is no easy task.  But the beauty of digital images (and lots of available space on your  iPhone) is you can click away and most likely you'll get something that will bring a smile to your face....at least I sure did.

All and all, I'm so glad I decided to take the plunge, both literally and figuratively, and try out this great case....if I hadn't I would have missed out on all this underwater fun!  Oh and you can bet that this little tool is now on my Christmas wish list.  

My Gear

by Kristina

I love learning about photography equipment from fellow photographers.  I greatly appreciate the knowledge I glean from others about favorite lenses, gadget love and how equipment is used.   As you know, photography equipment is expensive and insights and recommendations from others really helps me in deciding what to invest in next.

So I thought I would put together this post to give you an idea of some of my favorite gear.  While I've always loved photography, I really started my SLR journey 4 years ago and over time have accumulated a fair stash of goodies.

Pictured above, is the equipment I use most often and carry with me the majority of the time.  If you have any questions about the items above, please feel free to send me an email at momswhoclick@yahoo.com.  And I'd love to hear about your favorite gear. Please share in the comments below your favorite lens or photo gadgets.

Pictured above:

1. Epiphanie Clover Camera bag--love it! It fits all of the equipment you see pictured here (although carrying all of these goodies is heavy).  I also have Belle in teal and I love it too but I like Clover a bit more because it has room for my laptop or iPad when I travel.  
2. Tamron AF 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 SP Di VC USD XLD for Canon Digital SLR Cameras. I use this mainly for shooting my kids' sporting events. It also came in handy when I went to Pacific Grove to see the Monarch butterflies!
3. An extra battery--you always need a back up.
4. A lens cloth for getting any schmutz off my lens.
5. Sandisk 8GB Extreme CF memory cards --you never know how many photos you are going to take.
6. My iPad adaptor so I can load photos to my iPad when in the field or traveling. I love to edit on the go using Snapseed.
7. My FAVORITE lens, the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L. This is the lens I have on my camera the most. It is a lot to lug around and on the pricey side but the images I get and the range it provides is worth it.  The color, the sharpness, the bokeh.....it is ahhhmazing!  It is a great portrait lens and the one I use the most when shooting family portraits.
8. Black Rapid--RS-W1 Camera Strap specifically for women--I bought this because my prior camera strap was straining my neck. The sling style of this strap makes lugging my heavy lens around a breeze. A bunch of Shutter Sister's highly recommended this strap to me and I'm glad they did.  It is a great strap!
9. My Canon EOS 7D.  I love this camera. I upgraded to this body from the Canon 40D and it has been terrific. (The lens on my camera in this photo is the Canon 50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro, which is light weight and perfect for portraits and macro work--it was also highly recommended to me when I attend Camp Shutter Sisters).

Other items that I have that are not pictured above:

• Tamron AF 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 --great for wide angle, architectural shots and my favorite when traveling abroad.  I was amazed at the images I was able to get when I traveled throughout Europe.  It did really well in low light (inside churches, museums, etc.) and I ended up having it on my camera more than I thought I would.  
• 430 EX Speedlite & 580 EXII Speedlite--I use these mostly for indoor photography.
• Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Camera Lens--dubbed the nifty fifty, this is a great lens at a fantastic price...you can find it for right around $100.  It is a bit slow, but the creamy background it produces is fab and the price is great!  I think this is a great lens to invest in, especially for those of you just starting out and are wanting to move beyond your kit lens.  

My Mini Macro Lens: iPhone 4S

by Tina

For Christmas this year my husband presented me with a fun set of lenses for my iPhone 4S.  Since I take my iPhone wherever I go, I carry these lenses in my purse and whip them out when I need them.  I love them!

These work with nearly any smartphone camera.  They simply snap on with a little magnet that you attach to the back of your smartphone camera lens.

These were purchases from PhotoJoJo, a store we love.

Simply adhere the tiny disk to the back of the iPhone (there's even a little indent for the flash).  I have all three lenses, which includes a fish eye, macro + wide angle and a zoom lens.

Just place the lens you want to the magnetic disk.

Now you have a macro lens for your iPhone.  Right now all three lenses are only $49.00 plus shipping.

Definitely a cool little lens that you can have a lot of fun with!

I carry mine in this little red pouch from the Container Store.

Here's what all three lenses look like.

Here are some macros and zoom images taken with these lenses.  You can also view them on my Instragram page.