No, the sandy path was narrow, curved, and carved into the side of this huge slope where the bluff meets the water. It was around 3 PM and there were people everywhere. Some people climbing up and down the huge slope to the water...quite a few on this little trail. Kids trying to climb the sandy incline above where I was standing. In fact one kid almost kicked sand into my bag when I was switching from the Loxia 85 to Batis 135.
Given the curve this short path, some shrubbery obscuring the view from further back, the crowds (which weirds me out even more when I'm afraid of heights), and my fear of heights....this was the best I could do. I didn't see a way to have the sandy path with this scene in the distance if that's where you're going.
We drove over 2600 miles in 10 days, many short stops, etc. We got to see a lot of Michigan though. Consider these just snapshots on a family vacation. I always walk a line taking pictures on family vacations....I take what I can get and try not to make the whole trip about my photography. Had I been there at a less busy time of day, alone, etc...I might have found better compositions.
There may have been better spots to shoot from, but I just didn't have time to find them.
rob_ww wrote:
I like the top one better but I agree you do lose some of the scale with that curved coastline. Did you take a picture of the sandy path??
I once got caught on a path like that photographing the limestone outcrops on the Great Ocean Road south of Melbourne (Australia). About half way, the path down the cliff face had virtually disintegrated and I had to cling on with my fingernails. There was a moment when I thought, is this picture going to be worth it!!! And of course my family were even less impressed
I swapped out the picture (#18). It is now completely unedited. Only sharpness and noise were edited and then converted to jpg. No editing of colors, depths, contrast or anything else. I like the skin tones. It's the first portrait where I only have to convert the RAW to Jpg
Sold my 85/1.4 GM a week ago, which I've owned for 4 1/2 years. The skin tones of the GM often drove me to despair in LR. Especially those oversaturated reds of the GM often got me down...
This is the Lightroom edited version of image #18. I reduced the contrast (-23) for the face area and added a vignette (-18) to the image. The rest is identical to #18 and unedited. I'm not sure which version I like better.
I am not a portrait photographer. I am impressed by how beautiful skin tones and moods can already be created out of camera with the B135 without any post-processing having taken place with the RAW.
Schwarzlicht wrote:
This is the Lightroom edited version of image #18. I reduced the contrast (-23) for the face area and added a vignette (-18) to the image. The rest is identical to #18 and unedited. I'm not sure which version I like better.
I am not a portrait photographer. I am impressed by how beautiful skin tones and moods can already be created out of camera with the B135 without any post-processing having taken place with the RAW.
I think both are excellent images and portraits. The first looks slightly more like an actual person in a specific moment of feelings. The second seems a bit more like a sat-for, more "formal" photograph where some of the personal feelings have been removed by reducing the contrast on the face. I would like to see the first portrait with the vignette of the second. And then maybe a third version of the first with the added vignette and also with the contrast on the face down just very slightly but not as much as the second version.
chiron wrote:
I think you are inviting comments on the images?
I think both are excellent images and portraits. The first looks slightly more like an actual person in a specific moment of feelings. The second seems a bit more like a sat-for, more "formal" photograph where some of the personal feelings have been removed by reducing the contrast on the face. I would like to see the first portrait with the vignette of the second. And then maybe a third version of the first with the added vignette and also with the contrast on the face down just very slightly but not as much as the second version....Show more →
Hello,
I would like to apologize for the late reply. Here is the picture without reducing the contrast in the face. Only a vignette (-18) is inserted in LR. The rest (colors, depths, contrasts...) is unedited.
Schwarzlicht wrote:
Hello,
I would like to apologize for the late reply. Here is the picture without reducing the contrast in the face. Only a vignette (-18) is inserted in LR. The rest (colors, depths, contrasts...) is unedited.
I think that I prefer this one of the three versions. Leaving the contrast in makes this much more (to me) a portrait of a particular person in a particular moment. I feel that it is more telling of who she is (of course, I don't really know who she is). You could also experiment with taking the contrast down just very very slightly and then compare those two versions to see which you (and she) prefer.. The vignette helps to focus the viewer's mind on the face.
As a relatively new user of the Zeiss Batis lenses I have read all the way through this thread from the beginning. It has been very helpful and I want to say a big "thank you" to everyone who has posted. If numerous new likes have appeared on pictures posted long ago, you now know why!
Overall, and judging on the photos shared here, the Batis 40 and the Batis 135 are the outstanding stars. But the other lenses are no slouches either. I hesitated to get those two lenses until last, the Batis 40 because I have the Sony 35GM and there are many other attractive lenses at this focal length. Since acquiring the 40 it has been stuck to the camera, and I have taken lots of shots which make me go "wow!" when I open the files.
The Batis 135 is still new to me. However, I used it recently to take pictures at an event and the attendees were effusive in their praise of the resulting pictures. So the 135 and I are off to a good start together!
Gunzorro wrote:
Just bought a Batis 85 today here on B&S. Looking forward to it, although I'm not much of a telephoto guy.
Should be here possibly Monday, in time for a little mid-week camping trip in the Pacific Northwest.
We'll see how useful I find it, before I consider completing the set with Batis 135.
Thanks for all the great images prompting my interest in the lens!
Been using my Batis 135 for outdoor portraits for about 4-1/2 years now and added the Batis 85 shortly thereafter. By far the 135 is the most used, it accounts for almost 50% of all portraits, with the Batis 85mm the 2nd most used and a Sony 55 and 35 mm making up the rest. One thing I really love is the OIS these lenses have, it allows for pretty slow shutter speeds when the sun is getting low and this feature is not given enough credit. Really amazing how the IBIS on my A7RIV gets about 2 times better when either of these lenses are mounted, handheld photos at 1/15 of a second are common. I had the Sony FE 85 f1.8 before and I could barely shoot it at 1/60th of a second without shake, so I sold it and got the Batis 85 once I saw how good the OIS on the 135mm was.
Besides portraits, both are excellent for city, landscape and travel photos. I am leaving next week for a 2 month trip to SE Asia and both Batis lenses are in my kit along with a 50 f1.4 GM and Tamron 20-40 f2.8. All 67mm filters too, which makes it easy.
Both the Batis 85 and 135 mm lenses are really excellent, I am sure you will find ways to use them with great success
One thing I really love is the OIS these lenses have, it allows for pretty slow shutter speeds when the sun is getting low and this feature is not given enough credit. Really amazing how the IBIS on my A7RIV gets about 2 times better when either of these lenses are mounted, handheld photos at 1/15 of a second are common.
Yes, important point. I tested the Batis 135 down to 1/15 second and 9 out of 10 shots were still perfect. Also useful for indoor work (I was taking pictures inside a church). In one important photo of a couple, one person was perfectly sharp and subject movement caused a little blur in the other person. Fortunately Topaz Sharpen cleared it up beautifully.
rob_ww wrote:
Yes, important point. I tested the Batis 135 down to 1/15 second and 9 out of 10 shots were still perfect. Also useful for indoor work (I was taking pictures inside a church). In one important photo of a couple, one person was perfectly sharp and subject movement caused a little blur in the other person. Fortunately Topaz Sharpen cleared it up beautifully.
And for those thinking why bother to shoot at slow shutter speeds versus just using a higher ISO, my answer is dynamic range. I shoot my outside portraits at ISO 50 or 100 and like to stay at those ISO's for as long as I can, as these 2 settings bring the highest dynamic range on my A7RIV. If instead of lowering the shutter speed I raised the ISO 3 stops from ISO 100 to 800 the dynamic range goes from 12 stops down to 9, or a 25% loss, plus the associated noise higher ISO brings. Also I use off camera flash in outdoor settings many times and having a consistent ISO is helpful, as I can use the same ND filter for shots to keep the flash sync at 1/250 of a second or less.
