Life at 1.4

Nikon D700 + Nikkor AFS 24mm f/1.4G

There’s a place in my bag as well as my heart for both zoom and prime glass. I don’t think I could shoot exclusively with just one or the other, because both types can accomplish different things in various situations. For ultimate depth of field control and maximum speed, however, you can’t beat a fast prime.

When I use any of my prime lenses, I really like to take advantage of what truly sets them apart from my zooms, so I almost always leave them wide open at f/1.4 all day long.  Sure you can shoot a lens like this at f/5.6 and get great results (yaaawn), but I love shooting at 1.4, just because I can! Every shot you see in this post was taken at f/1.4.

At f/1.4, your camera becomes an absolute light bucket, even compared to a “fast” f/2.8 zoom. This allows you to shoot at night or indoors under low lighting with ease. In general, the wider your focal length, the lower shutter speed you can hand-hold. So shooting wide open with say a 24mm f/1.4 lens in front of a full frame sensor means you can happily keep snapping away under a moon-lit sky. Amazing stuff.

Let’s not forget control over depth of field with a super fast lens! Getting your subject pin sharp while the entire background melts out of focus gives you images with a unique sense of dimension and depth that, at least for me, never gets old. Many fast primes, like Nikon’s incredible 24mm f/1.4 AFS lens, are also insanely sharp wide open. Just be careful with your focus; the limited depth of field you get at really wide apertures means you have to nail your focus perfectly.

I’m all about wide angle lenses. If I had to pick one focal length as my absolute favorite, I’d have to say 24mm. To me it’s just wide enough to make a powerful impact on the perception of depth in an image if used correctly, and it’s a great focal length for everything from landscapes and street photography to portraits (yes, portraits!). Here’s a few more images from my catalog from the last couple of weeks. Enjoy!

These images are part of a new gallery I’m putting together on my website called “Random Moments.” It’s a less directed gallery compared to my others, very open and creatively free. It’s an expression of my life through the lens as I carry my camera with me everywhere I go. At least for now, it’s a gallery of images I’ve taken with prime lenses. Check it out at gallery.jonathanflemingphotography.com!

My favorite lens ever….really!

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Nikon D700 + Nikkor AFS 24mm f1.4G  and Nikkor AFS 50mm f/1.4G