Today’s post is a bit off topic for me. As you know if you follow this blog, normally its all about landscapes and wildlife. Today instead I offer a bit of Omaha architecture.
Why architecture? First, some of you might be surprised to learn that in addition to being a photographer, I am an architect too. As such I feel compelled to shoot buildings every now and then. Second, I need to practice using the newest lens in my line up which arrived yesterday from B&H. It’s a special lens, known as a Tilt-Shift lens. Specifically a Canon TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II. Tilt-shift lenses are typically used by landscape and architectural photographers becuase they let you go beyond the normal restrictions of depth of field and perspective.
I won’t go into great detail here because there is a ton of stuff on the Internet. However, the basic functionality of “shifting” the lens corrects perspective distortion – you know how if you tilt your camera up, buildings and trees look like they are falling over. By keeping your camera level while “shifting” the lens you can capture the entire scene while maintaining the verticals.
The lens’ other adjustment, “tilt”, changes the plane of focus to run along the ground, giving an increased apparent depth of field, even with the lens wide open. As a self-avowed pixel-peeper, the ability to maintain sharpness, front to back, even with a large aperture was something I just had to have. Oh yeah, and the optics on this bad boy inherently make it one of the sharpest lenses on the market today, regardless of any tilting or shifting.
So, needing appropriate subject matter to practice with my new lens and hoping to beat the rain (which we desperately need so I won’t complain), I ventured into the pre-dawn wilderness of downtown Omaha with the new tilt-shift lens mounted the to 5D Mark II. Here are the initial results. Thanks for looking.
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Click to Enlarge
Now you’ve gone and done it! I have been reading, studying, looking at photos and generally trying to talk myself out of the new Canon 24mm T/S lens for my scenic projects… got to get it! Your two photos are great.
For those in the same situation might I suggest the site… oopoomoo.com… created by Darwin Wiggett. He has a short PDF book ” The Tilt Shift Advantage” that has some absolutely fantastic scenic DOF shots as well as one of the best “how to” explanations I have found.
Have fun with the new lens… I am right behind you.
Bill, thanks for stopping by and for the heads up on oopoomoo.com!! My first reaction to the lens is that “shifting” is pretty straight forward but for me, “tilting” will take some practice and out-of-the-box thinking. But that of course is what I really bought it for – massive DOF and creative focus so I plan to spend considerable time practicing and experimenting. I admit I am a hopeless pixel peeper and love a tack sharp image – front to back.
Let me know when you get the lens – I’d love to see your work and compare notes. Later . . .