The Three Levels of Sharpening you Should be Applying in Photoshop - Detail, Global & Local

I thought that seeing as I have a Post-Producition Workshop fast approaching, I needed a blatant excuse to promote it via an article on my site :D Well here it is, a look at some of the sharpening techniques I use in Photoshop to give my images a little visual-pop before I publish them.

What actually is image sharpening?

This is Lightroom's default sharpening settings as soon as you import your files. You can see that even the default setting adds a little sharpening to our shots immediately upon import.

Sharpening is one of those odd processes that we all do with our images even if we're not aware of it. In fact even the default import settings on a lot of raw processing software sharpens the images for us before we even look at them. Most of us don't actually change that default setting, including myself, because let's be honest it looks better with a little sharpening to begin with. To see what I mean then next time you import a raw into Lightroom or your preferred raw converter feel free to reduce the default sharpening settings to zero see what I mean.

But even though our raw converters add a little bit of sharpening, I personally don't add any additional sharpening until I've finished nearly all of my editing in Photoshop. Sharpening should be one of the very last things you do your image for a couple of reasons.

Firstly; the amount of sharpening applied to an image should be relevant to where you want it to be displayed. For example you would obviously apply a different amount of sharpening to a file being uploaded to the web as you would a file being printed out for a billboard advert. Applying the sharpening at the end of your post-pro workflow means that you can output several different versions with varying amounts of sharpening applied based on the final usage.

Secondly; sharpening in post-pro is a synthesised process. What I mean by that is that software plays tricks on the viewers eyes to 'simulate' an image being sharper and crisper than it actually is. We obviously can't re-focus the image after the fact so we apply 'sharpening' to simulate it. During this process of our software synthesising sharpening it actually just increases the contrast of adjacent pixels thereby giving the image an overall sharper appearance. But that increase in contrast can also increase saturation in edge detail which can be a problem if you haven't finished editing your file yet.

The image on the right is simply a 300% zoom of a section of the lefthand image. In this particular shot you can see what happens when you sharpen a file, see how that increase in sharpening increases the contrast of those adjacent pixels and thereb… — The image on the right is simply a 300% zoom of a section of the lefthand image. In this particular shot you can see what happens when you sharpen a file, see how that increase in sharpening increases the contrast of those adjacent pixels and thereby the saturation. The result is often these unwanted colour artefacts like we see here.

For a more complete explanation of this principle, feel free to check out my 'Colour Toning - Why, How & When' article.

The Sharpening Trifecta

So what sharpening techniques do I use? Now that we've established that we aren't really re-focusung our image in post, we can look at sharpening as more of a series of clever tricks to simply visually improve our images. With this in mind I actually do my sharpening in three distinct stages; detail, global and local.

Detail

This is the one that most of us will apply by default and if you simply hit the 'Sharpen' filter in Photoshop this will sharpen the detail in your image. This detail sharpening is the one that is increasing edge contrast the most and is the technique we use to give our images a little visual pop. If you were only going to apply one level of sharpening then it would be this one but I apply this detail sharpening as a base and then build on it with global and local sharpening afterwards.

Global

This is a sharpening technique that I use to visually tighten up the image towards the end of an edit. The technique uses the visual illusion of sharpening but increases the edge contrast but at a far broader and softer scale. This is also a technique that is used to quickly and easily apply a dodging and burning effect by increasing the brightness of highlight areas and the darkness of shadows. Remember what I said about sharpening only being the increase of contrast in adjacent pixels? Well this global technique is what sharpening can look like when applied more broadly as this technique sharpens adjacent tonal groups.

Local

This localised sharpening technique I use is specifically targeted at visually drawing the attention of my viewers eyes where I want it. It's a heavy sharpening look but it is localised to only areas like the eyes of a subject or the jewellery in an image where that extra pop of contrast can make those items really stand out.

The Photoshop Sharpening Technique

The following steps take you through my Photoshop process exactly as I would when I'm retouching a shot. The keys and shortcuts are from a Mac so if you're a PC user some things may be a little different but very minor.

Detail

First off we will need to make a flattened duplicate of the layered Photoshop document so far. As I mentioned at the start of the article, you will have already done the skin retouching, dodging and burning etc so now we need to create a flattened version of our file so far to work from. The following step creates a single flattened layer of everything below.

Select your top layer and hold the keys:

CMD+ALT+SHIFT+E

Rename this layer 'Detail'

Now that you have your new layer we want to strip any colour information that may be present in that layer.

Remember; sharpening increases contrast in adjacent pixels and an increase in contrast is also an increase in saturation. We don't want to increase the saturation so we should strip all the colour from our image before we sharpen.

With our Detail layer selected, hold the keys

CMD+SHIFT+U

or go to: Image -> Adjustments -> Desaturate

Your detail layer should now be black and white.

Next we want to apply the sharpening so go to: Filter -> Other -> High Pass...

In the dialogue box that opens we want to select a sharpening amount that is specific to the edge detail of the chosen image. Choosing a lower amount at this stage is a good place to start and I went for 4 pixels here.

Hit OK

At the moment our image is looking pretty horrendous so we need to select a blending mode that will best display the sharpening amount that we've applied.

In the layers 'Blending mode' drop down choose something like 'Vivid Light' or 'Hard Light'.

The next step is optional and down to personal preference but you may also want to reduce the amount of layer opacity of your Detail layer. Try varying amounts of opacity and see what works for your specific image.

Global

Next up we want to apply our Global sharpening. Remember this a technique that helps tie an image together and can be a great way to add some contrast via adding darkness to the shadows and brightness to the highlights. This is a very powerful technique but caution is advised because if overdone, the image can start to look very fake and artificial very quickly so subtly is key.

We need a new layer to sharpen so with our top layer selected hold the keys

CMD+ALT+SHIFT+E

Rename this layer 'Global'.

Again we want to strip away any colour information so with our Global layer selected, hold the keys

CMD+SHIFT+U

or go to: Image -> Adjustments -> Desaturate

Your Global layer should now be black and white.

Next we want to apply the sharpening so go to: Filter -> Other -> High Pass...

In the High Pass dialogue box we now want to choose a far broader amount of sharpening. In fact we want to select such a large amount that it now no longer looks like a sharpen but more like a glow. Again this amount is based on your image but I chose 40 for this particular shot.

Hit OK

Next we will need to blend this layer just like the previous one but we will choose a more subtle blending option this time.

In the layers 'Blending mode' drop down choose something like 'Soft Light'.

At the moment the effect is probably still looking a little strong so you may want to consider reducing the amount of layer opacity to soften the look.

Local

For our last stage of sharpening we will be focusing on sharpening just certain areas of the image and masking out everything else. For a lot of images this can just be the eyes but this localised sharpening technique can also be used on jewellery and other styling items to really make them stand out if need be too.

As with the previous two stages we will need a new layer to sharpen so with our top layer selected hold the keys

CMD+ALT+SHIFT+E

Rename this layer 'Local'.

Once more we want to strip away any colour information so with our Local layer selected, hold the keys

CMD+SHIFT+U

or go to: Image -> Adjustments -> Desaturate

Your Local layer should now be black and white.

Next we want to apply the sharpening so go to: Filter -> Other -> High Pass...

This time around we are just looking at specific areas to sharpen so in the High Pass dialogue box we want to be gauging the amount we sharpen by looking solely at those features. For this image I will be looking at giving the eyes a little extra sharpening so I've chosen 8 as a good number to show that.

Hit OK

Next we will need to blend this layer just like the previous ones but we will choose quite a strong look as we will be masking out everything apart from the eyes in our next steps.

In the layers 'Blending mode' drop down choose something like 'Overlay'.

We're going to be masking this layer so we can leave the layer opacity at a 100% for now.

We want to completely hide this layer and only show certain areas so first we will mask it by either;

Holding ALT and clicking on the Mask at the bottom of the layers palette or by going to Layer -> Layer Mask -> Hide All

Your Local layer should no longer be visible and in the thumbnail in the layers palette there should be a black square next to it.

Next we want to reveal the areas we want so hit B for the brush tool and choose a large sized soft bush. Next make sure the layer mask is selected by clicking onto it and lastly, paint with white paint over the eye area with 10-20% flow until the right amount of sharpening in the eyes is revealed.

If after you've finished you feel you've gone too far then you can always reduce the layers opacity to reduce the effect further.

That is it, you're done. You can either choose to save the file as it is or continue on with any other final colour toning adjustments. If you're interested in how I colour tone my shots then please feel free to check out the article on it here 'Colour Toning in Photoshop'

Sharpening my image like this is just one small step in a long line of adjustments I make during my post-production process. If you'd like to know more about my post-pro workflow then I discuss my entire post production process from importing in Lightroom to exporting in Photoshop. Both for fast paced studio work and for my intense editorial retouching, I cover absolutely everything in my new face-to-face Post Pro Workshop. Click on the link provided to find out more Jake Hicks Photography - Post-Pro Workflow Workshop

See you there :D

As always, if you have any questions or comments about anything I've discussed in this article then please feel free to fire away in the comments below and I will be sure to answer them just as soon as I can :)

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The Modelling Industry - What Photographers Need to Know

I think it's fair to say that most photographers will at some point in their career have to work with models at least once. Whether you're a still life shooter that photographs models' hands holding a fork full of food a couple of times a year or an e-commerce shooter that works with models every single day. We all need to know how to contact a model, book a model and what to expect when working with a model.

The modelling world can be broken down into three core demographics. You have the models that operate in the major cities and work for agencies that put them forward for in-person castings, you have your standard agency represented models and you al… — The modelling world can be broken down into three core demographics. You have the models that operate in the major cities and work for agencies that put them forward for in-person castings, you have your standard agency represented models and you also have your independently represented models.

But working with models in our current industry isn't just for professional photographers anymore. The digital age of photography has meant that the barrier to entry is now almost non-existent meaning that more people than ever before are picking up a camera and getting into photography and more specifically model photography. And why not? After all if you have a creative project in mind but you don't have a creative director or producer to help organise and facilitate it then how should you go about making that project a reality?

With this new influx of photographers, there has also been a huge increase in the number of models in the industry as well. Long gone are the days where the only way to hire a model was through a modelling agency.

One of the key elements of any project may well require a model, so if you're new to the world of model photography and are unsure on how to a find a model but also the best model for your shoot, let's take a look at how the modelling industry is divided.

Before we wade in with a bunch of links and "magic-bullets" let's first get a little more understanding of the modelling world as a whole. I think it's a good idea to not only understand our own photographic industry and how it works but theirs as well as they are both perpetually entwined and one cannot exist without the other.

The Model Pyramid

The modelling industry is vast, from the top advertising campaigns down to the smaller collaborative art projects there is definitely the perfect model for every shoot. This modelling industry pyramid probably best illustrates where I see each group… — The modelling industry is vast, from the top advertising campaigns down to the smaller collaborative art projects there is definitely the perfect model for every shoot. This modelling industry pyramid probably best illustrates where I see each group sitting and its relevant size to one another.

A little knowledge can be a powerful thing so looking in the right place for the right model for your project to begin with can often ensure a smooth and productive shoot for both model and photographer.

To best explain the model world as I see it, I'm going to lay out the modelling industry in a pyramid so that we can see how the different genres or levels of models stack against one another. I think that it's also important to point out at this stage that just because a certain type model is higher up this pyramid it certainly doesn't always translate to "better" or more "successful", there is merely the right model for the right job just as there is the right photographer for the right job.

At the top we have the major advertising campaigns, the photographers that are involved in shooting these usually have models that have been chosen either by themselves or the client via an 'in-person' casting in one of the major cites. Below that we have the standard modelling agency models. Although modelling agencies provide models to the in-person castings as well, I have separated this group to illustrate some core differences. And at the base of this pyramid we have the newest and largest demographic which is the ever growing market of independently represented models.

International Advertising Campaigns and Catwalks

In-person castings for models are an unfortunate but necessary evil. A room full of models patiently wait their turn to be called forward to show us their book and comp-card.

At the very top of the model pyramid we have the big commercial clients organising and booking their models through "in-person" castings. This has been happening the same way for a very long time and on a lot of these big-budget shoots there will be an incredibly thorough model casting process. Sometimes that client is looking for the next new "face" for their brand and that next new face is found through these in-person castings.

Models that attend these castings are nearly always from reputable modelling agencies so although I cover modelling agencies in general a little later, I have singled this demographic out at the top for a couple of reasons. Firstly these in-person castings only tend to happen in the big cities like London, New York, Paris etc so although a model might be agency signed and very busy, she may never attend one of these events purely based on her location. Secondly, even if you are agency signed and you live in a big city you still may never go to one of these in-person castings either. This again is simply down to that model maybe not having a "commercial look". That model may be very busy in her own right but due to the commercial nature and big budgets of these campaigns she may not have the current look an advertising client is after.

It's also worth noting here that although to us photographers catwalks aren't usually part of our remit, this same group of models and casting process applies to nearly every catwalk event that takes place too.

This in-person casting process can sometimes take days or even weeks until the perfect model is found. The art director, client or producer will invite models to a chosen location like a studio or office on a specific date and selected modelling agencies will send their girls over that fall under the parameters they've been given by their client for the specific project. It's also worth mentioning here that quite often the photographer is not involved at this stage and you may well only be brought in after this casting process has taken place.

On the day of the casting a constant stream of models will arrive and you will assess whether they are "right" for what you're after. I've been involved with several of these castings with art directors and clients in the past and they aren't overly nice experiences in my opinion. Yes there are some people in the fashion world that seemingly live for these casting days but it certainly isn't something I personally enjoy or look forward to. You have a huge number of models to see and you have very little time to make your judgement on them. The minuscule amount of time you do get to spend on vetting each model is nothing personal to them, it's just business and you might see over 100 girls a day so time is painfully limited. As a result there's very little chance for the individual model to shine beyond their portfolio and comp-card (more on comp-cards later) and often the art director won't know what he's looking for until he sees it.

When you as the photographer may see over 100 girls at an in-person casting, it's imperative that you keep notes on all the models you've seen. The specific elements you're looking for may vary from shoot to shoot but here I'm making notes of on whe… — When you as the photographer may see over 100 girls at an in-person casting, it's imperative that you keep notes on all the models you've seen. The specific elements you're looking for may vary from shoot to shoot but here I'm making notes of on whether I think the model can pose or not from looking at her book. As harsh as it may sound I'm also making notes on what I fear may be an issue feature wise with certain head shot poses too and a lot of this is written in shorthand code like you see here with the circles, dots, stars etc. This code means something to me that I might not necessarily want the model to see. I'm sure every photographer is different and although I've never actually seen another photographer at one of these castings I assume they all have their own way of keeping track of things. Making notes on each of the models comp-cards is another way to go but that can get cumbersome to cart around.

The process works like this; you or the art director will beckon the model forward, she'll present her comp-card, you skim through her book and then if they're even remotely suitable you take a Polaroid of the model. They aren't actually Polaroids anymore but it's a term that is still used. You simply photograph your model against a white wall or sheet with simple lighting for reference. This is ever more important now as you the photographer or the client have no real idea how much post-production has gone with the comp-card images or in their portfolio. This raw shot that you've taken will give you a far better understanding of how the model actually looks when you're making your final decisions later on.

If you or the client are particularly impressed by a model during the casting then we'll often ask to shoot a "Polaroid" of them before they leave the casting. The picture isn't actually a Polaroid anymore but instead it's a simple raw shot of … — If you or the client are particularly impressed by a model during the casting then we'll often ask to shoot a "Polaroid" of them before they leave the casting. The picture isn't actually a Polaroid anymore but instead it's a simple raw shot of them that we know hasn't received any retouching or post production.

I know for a lot of models that this type of casting is the worst part of the job and as a rule they only normally happen in the bigger cities. A model might be sent all over London by her agency and do 3 - 5 castings a day, she might have travelled across the entire city, sat patiently for hours waiting to be looked at for 30 seconds with the only word she hears being "next". That's just the way it's been for a very long time and although it's a seemingly cold experience it is often the most efficient way of finding the perfect person for your campaign in the shortest time possible.

The Modelling Agency

Below these major ad campaigns you have the individual shooters and studios that will contact a modelling agency directly to fulfill the needs of smaller shoots. Although in-person castings still happen on these shoots they generally don't have the budgets to personally meet and vet each model before shoot day. These shoots can range from individual adverts, look-books and even hair competitions and promos. The photographer or art-director will contact the agency ask them for 'comp cards' of the models on their books within their desired parameters.

A model comp-card is simply a selection of commercial looking images of your chosen model with her physical stats clearly displayed. Your modelling agency will easily be able to send you a range of these comp-cards within the chosen parameters you h… — A model comp-card is simply a selection of commercial looking images of your chosen model with her physical stats clearly displayed. Your modelling agency will easily be able to send you a range of these comp-cards within the chosen parameters you have stipulated. Model Josefine above is represented by Jera Models Creative

Model comp-cards are generally 5-6 images showing the individual model in a variety of shoots and her physical stats. The photographer may ask, 'please send me comp-cards for all your models that are size 8 at least 5'9" and with long blonde hair'. The agency will then send over the relevant cards and you can then choose the best model for your shoot from those. This is obviously a simplistic overview of it as photographers will often build a relationship with specific agencies and they'll generally have a good idea of what you're after based on your style and the type of work you shoot. For example, they wouldn't send you a fitness model within your given parameters if you generally shoot lingerie.

In the commercial world this is probably the largest section of the market and it covers a huge range of jobs from photographers looking to photograph 'new-faces' all the way up to incredibly specific and laser focused requirements of other shooters looking for something specific for a beauty campaign.

Model agency websites like the ones above are making it easier and easier to do the choosing of models from your home or office and a lot of them will let you select and download the images to create your own comp-cards of your chosen model. Agency … — Model agency websites like the ones above are making it easier and easier to do the choosing of models from your home or office and a lot of them will let you select and download the images to create your own comp-cards of your chosen model. Agency sites displayed above include Wilhelmina, Models 1, Select, Storm, Oxygen and Premiere Model Management.

The photographers looking for "new-faces" may be doing lighting tests or working with new team members for the first time so the models look won't be as important. They want to essentially "test" with a model that is of an agency standard. A "new-face" is a model that is new to the agency, she may be very young and inexperienced or she may simply have just been "discovered" and has no images for her comp-card yet. The model and modelling agency get new and updated images for their comp-card and the photographer gets to test out his lighting or team with a professional model for free. As a result you don't get a huge amount of choice in these models and it's generally just the newest girl on the agencies books.

Looking at the complete opposite end of this spectrum you have the photographers who shoot makeup and beauty campaigns who are looking for a very specific look and facial features. Their requirements will often be incredibly stringent down to eye shape and colour, hair length and colour and face shape and ethnicity. Each of the models submitted by the agency will have to fall under these rigid requirements to even be considered for the job. Modelling agencies make this process a lot easier, especially if they have a lot of models on their books. You give them the exact thing you're looking for and they can give you a list of models that fulfil this criteria very quickly without you having to waste days searching for the perfect one yourself.

As our industry gets bigger and bigger so does the potential for finding the perfect look. As a result more and more modelling agencies are popping up that are in themselves already focused on one niche of the industry. You have agencies that are solely for older models, tattooed models, hair models and etc. so it now makes it even easier for photographers to find exactly what they're looking for via the modelling agency route.

Models that Represent Themselves

A lot of models who choose to represent themselves will have modelling profiles on several creative networking sites like this one; Model Mayhem. By signing yourself up here a photographer can quickly and easily search for models that are not only r… — A lot of models who choose to represent themselves will have modelling profiles on several creative networking sites like this one; Model Mayhem. By signing yourself up here a photographer can quickly and easily search for models that are not only right for the project but also that are geographically close by.

Further down the pyramid of models you have the models that aren't represented officially by modelling agencies at all. I think it's this demographic of independent models that has seen the biggest changes in recent years. Before it used to be seen as being impossible to be a professional model if you weren't with a reputable modelling agency but that perception has changed dramatically.

There are now, more than ever, a lot of very successful models out there that are not currently under the wing of a modelling agency and that in my opinion is a good thing. First off let me clarify what I mean by "successful" as that means different things to different people. When I say successful model I mean that they are very busy and making a decent income for themselves without the help of an agent. If keeping your own schedule, being your own boss and making a decent pay packet is whats important to you as a model then this is definitely a viable option. On the other hand if success to you as a model is being involved in big name ad campaigns no matter the sacrifice to get there, then being a freelance model isn't the best route for you. Big ad campaigns only get their models from reputable modelling agencies so don't expect to be in Prada's next ad if you're a freelance model.

Some of these models who represent themselves are in fact models that for whatever reason cannot get agency representation. A lot of the time this is simply down to nothing more than height, a lot of agencies will only even consider a potential female model if she's between 5'8" and 5'11". If you're outside of that then it becomes increasing difficult for them to find work for you. This height issue isn't always the case though so models shouldn't loose heart and with enough hustle anything is possible. Remember Kate Moss was famously only 5'6".

So for these models who, through the lottery of birth can't get agency represented but still want to model they decide to go it alone and become an independent model. At the moment there is a huge market for slightly shorter models in hair photography too. Those shoots don't require a heavy focus on fashion nor do they require full body shots so there are some incredibly successful shorter models who do incredibly well in the hair scene. I've worked on a lot of very big hair shoots where we photographed both agency represented models as well as independent models in the same campaign.

But it's not only models that can't get agency representation that are choosing the independent route now. I know of several models who although have been approached by agencies still choose to go it alone. There's several reasons for this choice and although it may be a little more work it can certainly give them the independence to pick and choose their jobs whilst not having to sacrifice a cut of their pay to the agency.

But for a model to be a successful independent model at this level it takes a lot of hard work. They have to run and maintain a website and more importantly a very intense online presence in general. Successful models at this level will be dominating every modern digital portal available to them. They'll be on nearly all the social media sites with their personal modelling profile and they will often have model accounts on multiple creative networking platforms like Model Mayhem, Purple Port etc where they are advertising their ability.

One of the biggest creative networking sites here in the U.K. (and gaining more and more traction across Europe) is a site called Purple Port. They essentially took the bare bones of what Model Mayhem are doing for the U.S but updated it to the… — One of the biggest creative networking sites here in the U.K. (and gaining more and more traction across Europe) is a site called Purple Port. They essentially took the bare bones of what Model Mayhem are doing for the U.S but updated it to the 21st Century. They not only allow creatives to find one another but to also create a community where models, photographers and other creatives can share and discuss ideas in a more user friendly environment. If you're an independent model working for yourself then sites like this can be invaluable.

It's this demographic of models that is huge and rightly so because it's a simple case of supply and demand. There are more photographers than ever before that are starting out in photography and they often don't want or need to deal with big modelling agencies for a creative project they want to try at the weekend. This is where the independently represented model can step in and provide an alternative.

Useful Links

For a deeper look at both agency models and independent models here are a few links to get you started:

A brief list of the top London modelling agencies:

A few creative networking sites to find an independent model near you:

Closing Thoughts

The modelling pyramid I've just described is my interpretation of the modelling industry as it relates to us as photographers. I'm sure there are many smaller groups within these but the core modelling demographic falls between models either being agency represented or independent models representing themselves.

I also want to stipulate once again that just because a model and their role is situated higher up this pyramid it does not necessarily mean that they are actually "better".

Remember; there is no "better model", there is simply the right model for the right job.

In a follow up article I will be discussing which model is best for you as a photographer. Should you be working with agency models to get ahead? Just because agency models are expensive, does it mean they're better? Does your portfolio need to contain images of only agency represented models? These are just some of the questions I hear all the time and I'd like to address some of these in my next article and discuss some of our industries biggest myths and perceptions surrounding models.

As always, if you have any questions or anything to add to this then I'd love to hear your thoughts.

If you'd like to be kept updated regarding my future articles then please feel free to sign up to my mailing list where I will send you a monthly newsletter containing all of the previous months photography related tips, techniques and articles. Plus signing up now entitles you to a free 10 page pdf of my top ten quick tips. Monthly Newsletter Sign-up

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Using Household Items to Create Stunning Foreground Bokeh

With some simple household items you can get some really interesting and creative looks.

We all love to spend money on the latest and greatest photo gear, whether it be a $120 reflector with a hole in it (I'm just jealous I didn't market this myself haha ;) ), or a $500 tube with LED's inside! We love to spend money on our passion. But sometimes, you can create some fantastic looking shots for next to no money at all. I present to you, the wonders of the humble cling film!

The Look

The principles of the technique are that you place the cling film in front of the camera at such a distance as to create bokeh in the foreground of the shot. In my opinion this creates a really interesting look because the effect is twofold, firstly the bokeh in the foreground always looks interesting but you're also creating a lot of interest in your image for your viewers eyes to be drawn to. This is always a goal of mine when creating images; 'how can I hold my viewers attention a fraction of second longer?' If your viewers eyes have to work a little harder to absorb a photo then you've caught them.

The cling film produces the bokeh by catching the carefully placed lights that you've positioned either side of the model pointing back to camera. Another key point here is that you'll need a fairly fast lens, this is a lens that has an aperture of around f2.8 or wider. In these setups I used a cheap 85mm prime lens that you can pick up for around $150/$200. Having this fast lens is crucial to getting the look to work and if you don't already have a 'nifty-fifty' or fast 85mm prime then I highly recommend you get one as it can open up a lot of different creative opportunities.

I'll also add that although the actual items to make the look cost next to nothing, this setup does assume you have a few bits of photographic kit already at your disposal.

What you will need:

The Basic Setup

2 lights
1 hard light modifier (grid/snoot/barndoors)
1 soft light modifier (softbox/umbrella)
1 sheet of perspex/glass
Clingfilm

This basic setup of the technique is the bare-bones of the look. If you just want to test it out or only have two lights at your disposal then this is the setup for you.

The Full Setup (What I used to create the shots in this article)

4 lights
2 hard light modifier (grid/snoot/barndoors)
1 Beauty dish (22" Silver)
1 Small softbox (90cmx90cm)
Coloured Gels
1 sheet of perspex/glass

The Setup

The Key-Light

Let's first look at the lighting setup involved. There are a couple of key factors to bear in mind with this setup not least of all the model placement in relation to your background and key light. The key light that lights the model in this setup actually lights the background as well so making sure your model is close enough to whatever she has behind her will ensure a nicely lit background too. As a guide, try to place your model halfway between your backdrop and key light. According to the inverse square law of light this will mean that your backdrop will receive 1/4 as much light as your subject resulting in a natural drop off and slightly darker background.

Attaching a gel to a softbox needn't be a massive pain. Check the 'Quick Tips' page of my site for more info.

The Fill-Light

Now that we have our key light and subject in place let's place are fill light. I simply placed a small softbox on the floor at the base of the key light stand and angled it up at my subject. I added a gel to my softbox but it's up to you as to whether you'd like to do that or not. You can see how I attach the gel to my softbox in one of my 'Quick Tips' pages section of my website. I class this fill-light as a 'subjective' light meaning that the exposure is dependant on your personal taste but as a guide I would never have it more powerful than my key light.

For my piece of glass I simply removed the glass that was in a large picture frame. Be careful though as this type of glass is often extremely sharp and fragile. If you can find some good quality perspex then that is definitely safer and a lot easie… — For my piece of glass I simply removed the glass that was in a large picture frame. Be careful though as this type of glass is often extremely sharp and fragile. If you can find some good quality perspex then that is definitely safer and a lot easier to work with.

The Foreground Element

Once we're happy with our model lighting it's now time to get our foreground element in place. This is the object that creates that foreground bokeh. For this setup I used glass but you could also use perspex just as easily. This next section comes with a word of warning. If you're going to use a large sheet of glass like I did then please be very careful not only for your own safety but for the safety of your model too.

For my sheet of glass I simply removed it from a large picture frame I had. If you're going to do the same then take extra care because framing glass doesn't have sanded edges for handling so its incredibly sharp. The sheet I had was about 23"/60cmm square so it doesn't need to be huge and you could probably get away with it being smaller if you just wanted to test it first.

Big sheets of glass can be very dangerous indeed so I would strongly recommend going down the perspex or acrylic route if possible. The quality of acrylics now is so high that there will be very negligible difference in the clarity over glass especially when you consider this will be in the foreground and completely out of focus. Perspex is also a lot easier to store so you can reuse it many times for other projects as well.

Once you have your glass/perspex it's now time to place it in the scene correctly. In the setup you'll actually see that I placed mine behind the key light and fill light and between them and the camera. The benefits of this are twofold in that not only does no unwanted light from the key and fill light fall onto the glass and cling film but it actually brings the cling film further away from your model and thereby increasing the bokeh effect. It's up to you as to how you want to support it but I simply used a few stands and clamps to support it off the ground and high enough to shoot through.

Cling film is very cheap and can be bought in nearly every supermarket and other food shops.

The cling film

Attaching the cling film to the glass is thankfully very easy (finally something easy to look forward to). I simply tore off selection of strips and placed them in arcs around the glass and around where I was going to be shooting through. You want to place the Clingfilm roughly and not completely flat because the bunches, creases, bubbles and pockets are actually the features of the Clingfilm that the light will catch on and create the bokeh. Experiment with different looks and shapes of Clingfilm later on but for now we just need a rough idea of where the Clingfilm will be on the glass so that we can place our final lights correctly.

Using hard light modifiers like grids, snoots and barn doors on the back lights are essential to achieving the bokeh effect.

The Bokeh Lights

The last major step in this setup is going to be placing the bokeh producing lights. For my setup I used two lights placed either side of the model with grids attached to them. I personally didn't want the lights to light the edge of the model in any way so that's why I put them beside her rather than behind her. I also used grids on my lights to channel the light exactly where I wanted it. The only job of these lights is to create boken on the Clingfilm, I don't want that light bouncing around or even flaring into my lens so the control of the grids provided that. You could just as easily use snoots or barn doors here too as they all control the light without modifying it too much. A key point to make here is that these bokeh lights really need to be hard lights so you have to use modifiers like grids and snoots etc, if you use a soft light modifier like a softbox then it becomes increasingly difficult to create the bokeh. This is down to the fact that hard light modifiers create strong specularity in highlights resulting in the bokeh when photographed out of focus. I actually originally tried this technique with two gridded strip softboxes and although the light is directional it simply doesn't create enough specularity and in turn produces very little in the way of bokeh.

Getting Creative

Once you have everything in place for the setup, it's now time to get creative. I played around a lot with changing the coloured gels on the bokeh lights to get different effects.

All the hard work has now been done so it's time to get creative with the look and start playing with a few ideas. One thing to consider playing with is coloured gels on the bokeh back lights. I started out with no gels to begin with, that produces a very clean look but then I played with two of the same coloured gels on the lights and then different colours on each.

Playing around with different cling film placement on the glass is going to be your next step. Cling film allows for you to play around with the shape and look of the bokeh as many times as you like.

The other major creative factor you have to play with is of course the actual cling film placement on the glass. Thankfully cling film allows you to move, remove and adjust it as many times as you like. Play with different shapes, holes, bubbles, torn edges and even leaving sections hanging loose. These will all create different looks with the bokeh and the way in which they catch the light.

The Results

Two Different Coloured Gels

The shots below show the setup with two different coloured gels on the back lights.

Click on the images above to enlarge them

Two Gels of the Same Colour

The shots below show the results from a setup where I was using two gels of the same colour.

Click on the images above to enlarge them

White Bokeh Light

The images below were taken with no coloured gels on the back lights so just white light was hitting the cling film.

Click on the images above to enlarge them

Featured model: Sammie Howe

Points to Consider

So to close out this lighting technique I'll just mention a few pointers to consider:

Always be careful when handling large sheets of glass
I shot most of these images at around f1.8 but experiment with different apertures and lenses
Don't be afraid to experiment with a variety of different shapes and looks with the cling film
Using strobes over speedlights will make life easier as the modelling bulbs of the strobes will give you a pretty good idea of what the bokeh will look like
Experiment with a variety of coloured gels and see what works with not only your models styling but also your background
It's probably a good idea to explain to the model what you're doing and showing them the back of the camera so they can see what you're trying to achieve. Failing to do so might just make you look crazy ;)

Closing Comments

So there you have it, a setup that although looks a little complicated at the four light end of things, the basic principles can still be achieved with as little as two lights. Remember the point is to create an engaging look to your portraits so make the bokeh a feature rather than the subject itself.

If you have any questions about any of this then definitely let me know in the comments below and I'll be sure to answer them as soon as I can. Good luck with the setup and I look forward to seeing your shots :D

P.S. If you need some coloured gels to try this technique you've come to right place ;) Jake Hicks Photography Coloured Gel Packs

PLUS: If you'd rather not miss articles like this one in the future then make sure to sign up to my monthly newsletter where I send you all the articles I've written every month direct to your inbox. Monthly Newsletter Signup

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What's the Effect of Doubling-Up your Gels?

I'll be upfront and honest about this, I really thought I knew exactly what was going to happen when I added two of the same coloured gels to a single light. It turns out I was right and wrong on this one and although I learnt a few surprises about gel behaviour whilst doing this I have to admit that there also doesn't appear to be a simple rule to the results either. So let's take a look at what happens when you add multiple gels to the same light.

What is doubling-up your gels?

The reason this whole article came about was because I was getting messages from people who have been doubling up their gels from my gel packs because I provide duplicate gels of the key colours. I provide double colours of some of the gels to enable shooting with symmetrical lighting not necessarily to be doubled up although you can if you want too. So although I've been hearing of people doing that I've also been seeing comments from videographers who swore by the benefits of doubling-up gels on a single lights as well. So although I was seeing everybody else doubling up their gels, based on my own personal experiences and my basic knowledge of the physics of light I was of the opinion that doubling up your gels had little to no effect beyond the obvious exposure adjustments, for example adding another gel reduces the light output.

So what is doubling-up gels? It's simply the practice of adding two (or more) gels of exactly the same colour to a single light. Now there may be some of you out there that are thinking, "yeah that's gotta improve the colour right?" I understand why that's the common consensus, after all if you double up most things it stands to reason you double the effect. Two shots of whiskey is double the fun/trouble, two batteries is double the power of one, two slices of ham etc the list goes on but the physics of light plays out a little differently.

The Theory

I'm renowned for very long articles so I'm honestly going to resist the urge to get super nerdy and long-winded with the physics stuff here but this is basically what happens with light and colour.

Illustration showing how gels should affect white light. Click to enlarge — Illustration showing how gels should affect white light. *Click to enlarge*

In the diagram above we can see that all white light is made up of the complete spectrum of colours commonly know as a rainbow. As our white light passes through our red coloured gel above we can see that the gel filters out all colour except the red from the spectrum. For us photographers two fundamental things are happening here, firstly you'll see that we've lost a huge amount of light, in fact in my tests to achieve a consistent exposure value some coloured gels took away more than 3 whole stops of light! That is huge drop in light power and that's because as you can see in the diagram above, the more colours you strip away from the spectrum with your gel the less overall light that passes through on the other side. Secondly, and of course most obviously, (*SPOILER*) it changes the colour of the light. Big shock finale there right?

So based on that theory let's take a look at what should happen if we double up our gels.

The above diagram shows the effect that two red gels should have on white light. Click to enlarge — The above diagram shows the effect that two red gels *should* have on white light. *Click to enlarge*

The above diagram shows the theory behind adding two coloured gels of exactly the same colour in front of our white light source. The theory is that our first red gel eliminates all other colours apart from red, so when we add another red gel it stands to reason that it shouldn't affect the colour in any way but only reduce the exposure a little as there is bound to be a drop in light power from having to pass through another gel. So if we increase our light power to compensate for the extra gel it should in theory be the same colour right? Yes and no, I've been saying theory up until now because although this is what should happen if you double up your gels the reality in our day-to-day shooting with gels is actually a little different.

The Reality

Ok so I decided to find out for myself what the actual reality is for doubling up your gels. I thought I already had all the answers so I foolishly yet again thought this would be a quick experiment and article. Alas that was not to be the case and as soon as I'd tried a couple of different colours and I realised I was confused I carried on with other colours to see if there was any proof at all in my theory. Here's what I found.

The Test

Here's my setup, I took one flash head and shone it against a pure white wall. I marked on the wall with an X where I was going to consistently light meter before each image. The camera was on a tripod the whole time and was set to ISO 100, 1/125th, with a Kelvin white balance locked to 4400K for consistency. I would take a shot with no gels at f5.6 at X then with one gel at f5.6 at X and then with two gels at f5.6 at X and so on. The reason for the consistency of f5.6 for each was to look at colour over the same exposure and as exposure values on gels heavily influences saturation (you can see that here 'Coloured Gels Exposed' ) I didn't want that influencing the results.

This illustration shows how multiple gels affect the resulting colour at a consistent exposure. At the top we have no gel attached and then moving down I add multiples of the same colour all the way down to four gels. Click to enlarge — This illustration shows how multiple gels affect the resulting colour at a consistent exposure. At the top we have no gel attached and then moving down I add multiples of the same colour all the way down to four gels. *Click to enlarge*

So let's review what we're looking at here, the above illustration shows multiple gels and their resulting colour outputs. At the very top we have no gel at all and then below that we have one gel and then below that two gels and so-on down to four gels stacked on top of one another. Remember, the power of the light was increased with each additional gel to maintain a constant f5.6 at the X mark on the wall.

Conclusions

First off lets just comment on the insane amount of light these highly saturated gels strip out. Like I said before, gels remove other colours to leave only the colour you want, as a result the light power being lost is substantial. To maintain a consistent f5.6 at the X, the orange gel requires an additional 1.1/3 stops of light, the blue gel needs an additional 2.2/3 stops of light and the pink gel needs an insane amount of additional light at 3.1/3 stops of light.

Also by looking at the diagram you'll notice that the colours do appear to change, especially on the pink one, the more gels you add on top of one another the more red that seems to result. The orange and blue ones not so much but there certainly does appear to be a fluctuation in colour. Or is there?

Let's look at a crop of just the X on the wall and see what's going on at the point of that consistent exposure.

In the above picture we are looking at a close up crop of each of the previous images at the point in which I am reading f5.6 on the light meter. Click to enlarge — In the above picture we are looking at a close up crop of each of the previous images at the point in which I am reading f5.6 on the light meter. *Click to enlarge*

Above you should be able to see each of the same shots again but just close-up crops of the X where I was consistently reading f5.6. With our eyes now being constrained to a single point you should now be able see that there is even less fluctuation in colour through the orange and blue gels but the pink gel is still clearly way off the charts in terms of colour from one gel to four gels.

New Test - One Gel Four Exposures

So after I completed the first set of shots with one to four gels I was surprised at the apparent amount of colour fluctuations in the pink gel. I decided to then take a series of shots with just a single gel on the light but at varying exposures to see how exposure alone affects colour.

Again the test was simple with one light fired against a white wall with a single coloured gel attached. The camera again was fixed at 4400K and the aperture was fixed at f5.6. The only difference being that after each shot I would meter the X and reduce the power of the light by one whole stop. For example the first shot was metered at f5.6, the next at f4, the next at f2.8 and so on. Here's the results.

The above images show a single gel being exposed with varying amounts of light. Click to enlarge — The above images show a single gel being exposed with varying amounts of light. *Click to enlarge*

The above images clearly shows a far purer colour range in my opinion and the differences of colour tone through exposure is far more predictable and consistent. Although this isn't the purpose of this test, it's very apparent to me that these gels and their colours really come to life when they have less light passing through them too. Again in the interest of fairness lets also take a look at the cropped zoom to analyse the colour with the distracting vignette.

The above image shows a cropped zoom of the single gels at varying exposures. Click to enlarge — The above image shows a cropped zoom of the single gels at varying exposures. *Click to enlarge*

Now that we've isolated the X we can clearly see a smooth transition through the colours provided by a single gel and even the pink actually remains pink through all exposure values.

Final Conclusions

You have your own eyes so I'll let you decide from the shots above what you think about doubling up your gels. But for me, I won't be partaking in the double gel or even triple and quad gels for that matter. Coloured gels are specifically designed to allow a certain colour of light through them and then strip certain colours to leave only the desired colour. If you then take that colour and pass it through another gel all sorts of craziness can start to happen with the resulting colours, just take a look at Mr Pink x4 up there.

Yes it could be argued based on my test shots above that the colour of the orange and blue gels can be 'improved' with multiple gels. I would argue that although they appear that way when viewed big on the wall like that, this is somewhat of an illusion as the actual colour at point X stays pretty much the same. What's visually happening here is that the multiple gels are reducing a hot-spot of light which thereby gives a smoother colour transition. As a result you will find it harder for your multiple gels to show shadow and highlight which could leave the subject looking flat. You can use this knowledge to your advantage however so it's definitely worth knowing.

If your objective like mine is clean strong colours then you should only adjust the exposure of the light that passes through individual gels. If you want a stronger colour then you can try reducing the amount of light you're passing through the gel and if you're still not happy with that then you should really use a different coloured gel altogether rather then trying to mix and match multiple gels by doubling them up. As we've learnt from zoomed cropped shots above, doubling of gels has very little effect to the actual colour, the only time is does affect the colour it does so negatively like we see with the pinks so caution is certainly advised.

Multiple gels result in very little change to actual colour
When multiple gels do affect the colour it can produce undesirable effects
Doubling and tripling etc of gels reduces hotspots and as a result can leave subjects looking flat
Single gels produce the cleanest and purest colour
Gel colours should be adjusted via the amount of light you pass thorough them
Less light through single gels usually offers up stronger more saturated colours
If you can't get the colour you're after through exposure alone try a different gel rather that resorting to multiple gels

WOW! You made it this far in the article, full respect to you for your love of the gels you rock! :D

If you made it this far and you're still not sick of gels then why not check out my own personal gel packs if you haven't already. My gels come in three different packs; the 'Definitive' collection, 'Pastels' and 'Utility' gels.

Jake Hicks Photography - Coloured Gel Packs

Have you ever doubled up your gels? Do you normally double them up? Will you be trying it out yourself based on this article? I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences on this as I have a feeling these results will also be varied based on the gel brand you use. I know my LEE Filters gels are very thick compared to other big name brands and as a result they are very colour consistent but you may have a different experience with yours. I'd love to hear about your experiences below.

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Comparing the Lensbaby Edge 80 to a Standard 85mm Lens

I'll start off by stating that this lens comparison test is really only interested in the resulting images created by the two lenses in question and not necessarily their technical features.

Both of these lenses create a very specific look and it is not my intention to prove one 'better' than the other but to show just how varied they can be if used correctly.

Along the way I'll discuss a few features of the Lensbaby Edge 80 but this is not meant as a review but more of a look at a real-use situation when shooting portraits and why the Edge 80 might be an interesting addition to your current 85mm portrait lens rather than a direct replacement.

The Lensbaby Edge 80

The Edge 80 is another lens in a long lineup of creative lens from the art house of lenses Lensbaby. The Edge 80 is a lens that shifts the plane of focus in a shot so that we see a slice of focus that we not only dictate the angle of but also the size of it.

I understand that might sound a little confusing so let me take a moment to explain how that works. The Edge lens often gets confused with a 'tilt-shift lens' which although understandable, is incorrect. A tilt-shift lens is a very expensive and precise piece of kit that corrects perspective errors in architectural and still-life photography. They are a real pain to use properly and although the Edge 80 has the 'tilt' section of those lenses it isn't able to 'shift' in the same way. As a result the Edge 80 is not designed (in my opinion) to correct perspective but rather the complete opposite as it does an amazing job of distorting the perspective.

The Edge 80 distorts the perspective by literally tilting the lens in the middle of the lens barrel. The lens attaches to your camera like normal but then you have the option the tilt the end of the lens up, down or side to shift the actual plane of focus.

In the diagram above I have depicted how the two lens see the subject. On the left we have our standard lens that we are all accustomed to and on the right the Edge 80 lens that splits at barrel to tilt the focal plane to our desired angle. The key … — In the diagram above I have depicted how the two lens see the subject. On the left we have our standard lens that we are all accustomed to and on the right the Edge 80 lens that splits at barrel to tilt the focal plane to our desired angle. The key here is the fact that the camera body hasn't moved at all thereby creating drastic distortions in the perspective of the resulting image.

As you can see from this shot above with the Edge 80 attached to my Nikon, the lens barrel is clearly tilted over to one side.

As you can see from the diagram above this is a powerful tool because although you'd think you could simply tilt your regular lens up and down, the magic happens with the distortion because when using the Edge 80 the camera body doesn't move at all resulting in a mismatch of focal planes that thereby creates the perspective distortion. Believe it or not, I'm simplifying what's going on here and I'll go into a little more detail on what the resulting images look like in moment too.

The rest of the Lensbaby Edge 80 is much the same as any other lens you're used too, the only other key difference is that this lens is completely manual and doesn't 'talk' to the camera body in any way. The aperture ring is situated around the outside of the lens at the front and as this is a creative lens type it's also manual focus. Manual focusing is a bit of pain and it can put a few people off but you're not alone. Manual focusing is a skill just like any other so some practice is required to get good at it. To help you out I've already written a couple of articles to point you in the right direction. Tips on getting Sharper Images with Manual Focus Lenses Part 1 and Hacks for Getting Sharper Manual Focus Shots Part 2

The Edge 80 does have the option for macro images via a pull-out collar at the front of lens. Standard minimum focal distance is around 1m and with the collar extended that focal distance can be reduced to about half that at 48cm.

In the images above you can see the barrel extends slightly. In the shot on the right you can see that the barrel is extended fully, placing the lens in a macro mode allowing for closeup photography of around 48cm.

How Sharp is the Edge 80?

Whilst we are talking about focusing here I really wanted to talk about just how sharp this lens can be. I'll caveat this by saying that I'm not normally very fussy on how sharp a lens is compared to another lens. I like my lenses and resulting images to have a 'soul' and tack-sharpness doesn't really play a factor in that look so I'm happy to use a 50 year old beaten up Russian lens to get a desired look. But after seeing just how insanely sharp this Edge 80 lens is I was genuinely shocked.

Edge 80 shot with zoom of eye included. Click image to enlarge to confirm just how sharp this lens really is.

I think the sharpness is even more impressive when you consider the fact that this really is an 'art' lens and supposedly not designed to the same ridiculously expensive standards as some other lens manufactures. On that note I know plenty of lenses that cost well in excess of £1000 that are nowhere near this sharp. On top of that, those lenses don't have a huge ball-joint-tilting-mechanism slapped in the middle of them like this Edge 80 and they still aren't this sharp. If Lensbaby ever decide to step away from just the art-lens market I'd be seriously interested in what they come up with.

On that note I even posted the above image online and asked my community to guess what lens had taken the shot. Out of the 70 or so guesses we had everything from the £1800 Nikon 105 f1.4, the 85mm f1.2 from Canon and we even had the Zeiss 85mm f1.4 at £3,300 come up a few times! Suffice to say it created quite a stir and if you're interested you can check out the discussion here 'Would anybody like to make any guesses as to which stupidly sharp lens this is?'

The Lensbaby Edge 80 has been out a little while now and it's another one of the modular lenses from Lensbaby. That essentially means that if you own one or another of the other modular Lensbaby lenses you can simply swop in and out the specific optic you need with relative ease. I personally think this is a smart and very generous move on Lensbaby's part as this saves the consumer a lot of money when not having to purchase an entirely brand new lens each time. Buying the whole lens will cost around £399 whereas just buying the optic alone is around £229.

Most of the Lensbaby lenses come in two parts, the the housing and the optic. On the left in the shot above is my Composer Pro housing and on the right is the Edge 80 Optic. I already owned the housing when I bought my Lensbaby Sweet 50 lens so all … — Most of the Lensbaby lenses come in two parts, the the housing and the optic. On the left in the shot above is my Composer Pro housing and on the right is the Edge 80 Optic. I already owned the housing when I bought my Lensbaby Sweet 50 lens so all I had to do was purchase the Edge 80 optic and slot it in.

What's really going on with Edge 80 focusing?

So what is actually going on in the Edge 80, why do the portrait shots you take with it look like they've been taken at an extremely shallow depth of field? In this section I'm going to attempt to demystify what's actually going on with the focusing in the Edge 80 and how this can be manipulated for creative effect.

First up let's take a little look at a standard lens and see how that focal plane views its subjects.

In the diagrams above you should now see where the focusing is taking place on standard lens versus the Lensbaby Edge 80. Click to enlarge. — In the diagrams above you should now see where the focusing is taking place on standard lens versus the Lensbaby Edge 80. *Click to enlarge.*

So now that we can see how this slice of focus works and how we can use it to create perspective distortion now lets see how the depth of field interacts with that.

The diagrams above show the focal planes and the drop off of focus that we're all familiar with when using standard lenses at varying apertures. Click to enlarge. — The diagrams above show the focal planes and the drop off of focus that we're all familiar with when using standard lenses at varying apertures. *Click to enlarge.*

In these diagrams we see how combining a focal plane shift with a shallow depth of field can dramatically effect the look of the depth of filed. Click to enlarge. — In these diagrams we see how combining a focal plane shift with a shallow depth of field can dramatically effect the look of the depth of filed. *Click to enlarge.*

From the above illustrations it should now be more apparent as to what's going on with the Edge 80 shots. This should hopefully go some way to explain why some people were rightly tricked into thinking that my Edge 80 shot was taken on a £3000 f1.4 lens when in reality the forced depth of field was created with an Edge 80 lens taken at f2.8.

Edge 80 Images

Ok so now we've nerded out with the physics let's take a little look at some of the images I've taken with my Lensbaby Edge 80. In the below shots it's worth paying attention to how the bokeh is rendered too, it's this sort of light play that post-production tools like Photoshop's 'lens-blur' tool has a VERY long way to go to recreate in this detail.

Click on the images below to enlarge them.

Featured model: Ryo Love

Comparing the Edge 80 to a Standard 85mm Lens

My Nikon 85mm 1.8 prime lens was the lens I used for testing the visual difference between the Edge 80 and a 'standard' 85mm.

I wanted to explain what the Edge 80 was actually doing with light and perspectives before I jumped into this section as without really understanding what is going on with the Edge 80 optics would make the following images a little hard to explain.

The 'standard' 85mm lens I will be referring to from now on will be the Nikon 85mm f1.8 D lens. This is a great little lens that I've had for years and I would certainly never get rid of this lens because of the Edge because they do very different things.

For this comparison test I shot a bunch of headshots with both the Edge and the Nikon 85 set at exactly the same aperture of f2.8. I tried to compose them at roughly the same crop so you can see the effect that the aperture and tilt has on the same setup.

The shots below are from the Edge 80 at f2.8 - Click on the images below to enlarge them or view the slideshow.

The shots below are from the Nikon 85mm at f2.8 - Click on the images below to enlarge them or view the slideshow.

Featured Model: Sammie Howe

Conclusions

To me the difference and look that the Edge 80 creates is outstanding and I personally love it but it is a very unique and certainly not for every occasion. If we look at the above shots from the Edge 80 we can clearly see the plane of focus that it's creating compared to the regular 85mm. Like I mentioned I love the forced depth of field look it gives and I love the bokeh that it can produce as a result. And remember, this can't be done in Photoshop so the looks and shots you create will be pretty unique.

Is the Edge 80 great for every shoot?

No, definitely not.

Can you create some visually stunning shots?

Yes, definitely.

If used in a certain way with portraits and headshots can it look like it's producing images from a lens nearly 10 times its price?

Maybe, but I'll let you decide that one ;)

Lensbaby Edge 80 Specs

Focal Length: 80mm
Aperture range from f/2.8 through f/22
12-blade internal aperture, controlled by a dial on the front of the optic
Focus Type: Manual
Tilts from zero to 15 degrees
Compatible with the Lensbaby Optic Swap System
5 multi-coated glass elements, in four groups

Thinking of getting one?

If you are thinking of picking one of these Edge 80's up then feel free to use my discount code at WEX Photographic. The code is JAKEHICKS10 and it will entitle you to a 10% discount on any of the Lensbaby lenses at WEX. (EDIT: There was previously a problem with this code but it has now been resolved and is confirmed to be working again).

Here's soem direct links if you'd like to check it out.

WEX Photographic

Nikon Lensbaby Edge 80

Canon Lensbaby Edge 80

Lensbaby Edge 80 - Optic Only

If you've got one already then please let me know what you think of yours and if you've tried using them like this for portraits. I say that as I only ever see the 'toy-town' style pics taken with the lens so I'd like to hear from others who use them for portraits too.

Also if you have any questions then feel free to ask away in the comments below and I'll do my best to answer them as soon as I can :)

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