# Photoshoot with 40 pancake, 50 Sigma and a brolly box



## drmikeinpdx (Mar 16, 2014)

I thought my friends here at CR might enjoy reading about my recent Photoshoot with 40 pancake, 50 Sigma and a brolly box. 

I took the time to include the lens and ISO data for each shot. Hope you find that interesting! As usual, I am using my beloved 5D3, the camera that makes every lens look good. (According to me, anyway!)

Oh, I also used my favorite lens, the Canon 85mm f/1.8. You may notice that when photographing people, I tend to use my prime lenses between f/2 and f/2.8, that seems to be the sweet spot for me.

I am becoming quite a fan of what our Brit friends call a Brolly Box. Basically it means an umbrella with translucent white fabric over the open side with a small hole for the light source. In my case an Alien Bee 400 is located in the hole. This makes a really nice soft box that is very compact to transport and very easy to set up. It is so efficient that I sometimes end up using ISO 50 in order to use a large aperture with my prime lenses. (Light source: Alien Bees 400)

Perhaps the best thing is that they can be made very cheaply, so if yours gets damaged (hasn't happened to mine yet), you just reach for a fresh one. I bought mine at the link below. They are so cheap they are sold in pairs to make a worthwhile sale.

http://www.skaeser.com/servlet/the-607/photo%2Cvideo%2Clight%2Clights%2Clighting%2Cumbrella%2Csoftbox%2Creflective%2Creflector/Detail

So if you would like to read my blog post, just go here:

Fair warning... after the first few photos it is rated NSFW.

http://www.beyondboudoirphoto.com/blog/2014/3/boudoir-photography-in-a-century-old-portland-home


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## distant.star (Mar 16, 2014)

.
Nice work.

I'm a little surprised by the deep DOF at f/2.8 on the 40mm in the first two images. I find so much detail in the texture of the wall behind her a bit distracting.

I can't remember using my 40 on the 5D3; it's been relegated to the T2i since I got the Sigma 35.

Thanks.


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## drmikeinpdx (Mar 16, 2014)

distant.star said:


> .
> Nice work.
> 
> I'm a little surprised by the deep DOF at f/2.8 on the 40mm in the first two images. I find so much detail in the texture of the wall behind her a bit distracting.
> ...



I see what you mean about the wall texture. I placed the focus on the model's face and she is very close to the wall. If I had been thinking about the wall texture I could have placed the focus a bit closer to the camera. However, keeping a clear face while blurring the wall would be tricky with anything wider than about 85mm, I'd guess. Another option would be to move the model away from the wall. 

At the time, I thought it would be fun to have her feet blurred, and in the next photo I wanted to blur the cat.


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