It's pretty tough on nikon, you lose the ability to focus past about 5 feet as soon as the lens leaves the mount...fairly annoying...i've thought about buying a medium format lens that is made for a longer flange to focal plane distance, just to use for free lensing, but it's very low on my priority list...
Ziffl3 wrote:
Not sure i would call it a fad since it a technique based on equipment.
That and most noobs do not grasp the concept.
If you over shoot it ... i can see it can get old. but used sparingly ... it can be enhancing. Especially if you do not own a tilt-shift lens,
I consider legitimate tilt-shift usage in portraiture to also be a fad. A tired fad. This is just a cheap version of that, and I haven't seen an example yet that doesn't look like hell (not that I think there is merit to the effect, anyways).
Taste in photography will invariably shift over time, regardless of "fads", it's the nature of being in a creative profession. Freelensing in a technique that basically uses a different approach to shallow depth of field and leading your viewer's eye with focus, and that has not gone "out of style" for a very long time.
Even though it's not to my taste or style, I think that something like the retro/film processing look is here to stay, if for no other reason but that there are so many photographers now that do not all discover it at once that it will go through a cycle. Look at fashion style in the 21st century, it's a hodgepodge of practically every style from the past 100 years, as opposed to looking at the 60's or 70's and seeing all bell bottoms or all of the same hair cut. Things are not the same as they have always been.
My point stands. Don't be too quick to automatically label things that are not to your tastes "fads". Freelensing is so rarely seen to begin with that it couldn't constitute a fad even if it did fall into whatever that category is.
Jon Mark... you will find that Kurtis will try to push your buttons.. heck last week he threatened me with a soggy potato and told me he was going to steal my Fuji XP1
hardlyboring wrote:
Jon Mark... you will find that Kurtis will try to push your buttons.. heck last week he threatened me with a soggy potato and told me he was going to steal my Fuji XP1
don't mess with the Canadians eh
I think it's pretty cool concept. I got lazy and bought a TS lol
Thanks for all the replies. Tilt-shift has it's uses in different ends of photography I feel but for wedding photography, I think it's just a stylistic touch which I can replicate using Photoshop so I would rather take a RAW that has all of the detail and then whittle away the detail in post. Freelensing on the other hand just seems to be a waste of time since 90% of the effects can be rendered in post. Good to hear people's opinions that are actually in the field.
It wasn't that long ago the "vintage" look with textures was in. Only the highest end photographers used this technique. Once it became popular, the high end guys stopped doing it. Now hardly anyone does it.
Ryan is pretty much the master of freelensing, and he is where I first came across it. This photo is a perfect example of when I love it for portraiture... when there is enough bling on the dress to give fantastic bokeh, but the face is sharp.
I'm yet to try it with my 100mm f/2.8 macro, but I think it would probably be the best lens I own for this, I find freelensing at f/1.4 is just a bit too shallow DOF for my tastes.
This one was done with my 50mm while on a canoe. I didn't have all my gear with me, and freelensing provided an option that I didn't otherwise have. It's simply another tool in my kit, no more, no less.
I have used it about three times, and the last time I used it I created this image which went on to win me an award and a bunch of free shite, so I'm all good with it. 85mm L II
Jon-mark ... i think Kurtis is a little technically challenge by this technique...
therefore it is a fad....
otherwise ... since it is technique and not a Photoshop action ... not many shooter will keep it in there tool box.
The tilt shift lens will be here to stay. may not be prominent or main stream .... but shooters who like to think out of the box will keep it in there visual tool box.
