Macro Lens For Portraiture
In my last post, I wrote about spending time at TWIGS Community Gardens with my macro lens. It’s a lens that I particularly enjoy working with. Macro imagery can offer fascinating insights into the smaller world around us.
However, the macro lens is not just a lens for close up work, it can also be used for portraiture. I’d never even considered using my lens for portrait work, until recently. Looking to upgrade to a new macro lens, I wondered whether to trade in my existing lens. I’m always reluctant to exchange kit which has served me well, but equally don’t want to hang onto pieces I will no longer use. Equipment is expensive, and when places like T4 Cameras offer excellent trade in deals, there’s no sense in keeping things for the sake of it. However, I wanted to give this particular work horse a chance. I decided to try it out as a portrait lens.
Sharing my home with a number of rescue animals meant finding portrait subjects was no issue. I used the macro lens with a ring light to increase the brightness without flooding the picture. A little extra light creates catchlights in the animals’ eyes, bringing them to life. The photographs below are examples of the portraits.
I was pleased with the results. Shallow depth of field and picture quality are two of the main elements which I look for in a portrait lens. The macro certainly passed muster in both respects. As a final test, I took the lens with me on a portrait shoot for the Switch on to Swindon campaign.
As before, the lens offered a good depth of field for a portrait. It also created a nice bokeh effect in the Tiffany light reflected in the mirror. Location always helps with the end result, of course. I’d chosen my favourite local venue, Coffee#1 in Swindon, which is homed in a magnificent building with high ceilings and lots of natural light. Location combined with lens, and a cheerful subject, made for an easy photo shoot.
The result of the trial is that the lens remains in my kit drawer, both for use as in portraiture and macro work. And I have made extra room for my new macro lens. If you have a macro lens and want to try it for something other than close up work, why not give it a go for some portraits? You might find your kit includes a hitherto untested portrait lens!
