The Phoblographer

Go into any niche or cult in the photography world, and you’ll notice a lot of different things. The people using the cameras have changed for sure. Further, no one is making bad cameras. Some brands have stronger cult followings than others. Some brands inspire a quiet sense of confidence in their user base. Here’s what I’ve noticed in over 10 years in the photo industry between various camera fans.

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Fetishizing Canon L Lenses?

Years ago, Canon camera fans used to be all about their L lenses. With the latest generation of RF L lenses, Canon users seem to have become quiet. They have a certain confidence about them that just lets them focus on shooting. And honestly, it’s well earned. Canon gives users big, heavy lenses, but have get quality you can’t get anywhere else. Plus the autofocus is terrific. I don’t see a whole lot of bashing of other camera brands from Canon users. But when a new L lens comes out, then I surely see it.

Years ago, Canon users used to bash Nikon users. It’s been the classic duel for well over a decade. Now, with the RF cameras, there seems to be a quiet confidence instead.

Nikon Camera Users and Their Recent Silence

The majority of folks I know who still use Nikon cameras still have DSLRs. Like Canon, Nikon camera fans tend to listen to what other camera fans say. But in the end, they end up staying with Nikon for the most part. And that’s with good reason. Nikon does a whole lot different than most of the industry. For example, mounting a lens on a Nikon camera is just different. Where I’ve seen folks really complain is with the autofocus. But even that’s improved. Still, Nikon seems like they’ve only begun to spread their wings in mirrorless. And they’re prepping us for some wishfully exciting things in the future.

This is far different from years ago. When Sony started to overtake Nikon in market share, Nikon users became very quiet.

Where I see a lot of wonderful pride though is with Nikon film cameras. That’s where they truly deserve to flex.

Sony’s Cult of Endless Post-Production and Tech Geeks

Sony has surely changed over the years. A while back, the only folks I knew who used Sony cameras were those paid by them and Minolta shooters. To a certain degree, that’s still the case. However, there are also lots of folks who want to get on the Alpha Collective train. These days, Sony camera fans like to geek out about their passions and the tech. Many of them are newer to photography. But at the same time, they’re also all about the extra accessories. Some need their G Master lenses, their various LEDs, and their hours of post-production to make a single photo look good. The majority of them embrace the shooting experience and then spend a ton of time trying to fix it in post-production. I’ve always wondered about this; if you’re just going to edit in post-production, what’s the point of getting the camera? Any camera can do what they’re producing in the end then!

At the same time, Sony’s innovation can’t be denied. Without what they’ve done, we’d probably still be complaining about how Canon offered the most minor update to a camera. And Nikon probably would’ve clung to DSLRs even harder.

The Odd States of Fujifilm Camera Fans

Fujifilm camera users have fallen into various groups over the years. The X-series lovers used to shoot, enjoy the experience, and then edit a lot in post-production. But that’s changed. Unless you’re living under a rock, you probably don’t edit much with your Fuji camera. The cameras are highly capable, and Fuji users don’t hate on Leica users as much anymore. But they also try to talk about how their photos look like real film. I’m sure most of them haven’t run a roll of film through a camera though.

The oddest part of all this though is the Fujifilm GF camera fans who buy higher-end cameras to adapt their full-frame lenses to. I mean, why? Why not go for medium form...

The cool thing about Leica M-mount is how versatile the lens lineup is. It’s easy to get many of them used at great prices. But it’s also very possible to score M-mount lenses from other manufacturers for extremely affordable prices. Lucky for you, we’ve reviewed tons of M-mount lenses by Leica and lots of other manufacturers too. So we’re rounding up a bunch that are affordable and we think you’ll really like.

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The Phoblographer’s various product round-up features are done in-house. Our philosophy is simple: you wouldn’t get a Wagyu beef steak review from a lifelong vegetarian. And you wouldn’t get photography advice from someone who doesn’t touch the product. We only recommend gear that we’ve fully reviewed. If you’re wondering why your favorite product didn’t make the cut, there’s a chance it’s on another list. If we haven’t reviewed it, we won’t recommend it. This method keeps our lists packed with industry-leading knowledge. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Table of Contents

Pro Tips on Using M-Mount Lenses

7Artisans 28mm f1.4

Mitakon 50mm f0.95 III

7Artisans 50mm f1.1

Pro Tips on Using M-Mount Lenses

If you’re interested in using M-Mount lenses, here are some things everyone should know:

The Leica M-Mount was created originally by Leica. It was made during a time when manual focus was the way to do things.

All M-Mount lenses aren’t made by Leica. A lot are more affordable. The ones we’re recommending in this list are from Chinese manufacturers that we’ve reviewed and liked. These lenses were tested and adapted onto either Sony E-mount cameras or Leica L-mount cameras.

Leica branded lenses will always have a far superior build quality to anything else out there. There are zero exceptions to this rule.

All of these lenses can be used while zone focusing. This method can let you get a scene or subject in focus faster than some autofocus cameras.

All of these lenses have gorgeous bokeh, which is probably why you’re reaching for them.

7Artisans 28mm f1.4

In our review, we state:

“The 7Artisans 28mm f1.4 has a very unique image quality to it. But admittedly, it isn’t unique enough for me to be able to pick it out from the rest of the crowd. I’d liken it to some cheap glass. And essentially that’s what it is. These flaws it exhibits aren’t even necessarily picturesque. I’d expect problems like this from Lomography and for that to then be called a feature of some sort. But that’s not the case here. Overall, the lens’ image quality is just okay. It isn’t spectacular. If anything, I’d say the image quality is less than rudimentary in comparison to many other lenses on the market. To that end, every variant of a 28mm lens is pretty much better than this one. But it isn’t terrible. The workaround here is to shoot in black and white–sort of.”

Buy Now

Mitakon 50mm f0.95 III

In our review, we state:

“The Mitakon 50mm f0.95 III doesn’t start to get really sharp until f4. That’s totally understandable if you’re going for a more classic look. It was only 13 years ago that lenses weren’t that sharp until you stopped them down that much. It’s totally a wonderful look. This also makes you shoot with more intent.”

“The Mitakon 50mm f0.95 III doesn’t start to get really sharp until f4. That’s totally understandable if you’re going for a more classic look. It was only 13 years ago that lenses really weren’t that sharp until you stopped them down that much. It’s totally a wonderful look. This also makes you shoot with much more intent.”

Buy Now

7Artisans 50mm f1.1

In our review, we state:

“Oh man, am I in love with this lens. Want that soft look? You can get it. Want that super sharp look? It’s got that. Want lens flare? Oh man, does this lens control it just right! The 7A...

“I’m inspired by the stories that our clients come in with,” Marina LaBaff, the owner of A Million Monarchs Boudoir, tells me. “Some of them will bring you to your knees with the weight of what a mother carries on her shoulders, and some will make you laugh or smile so hard. Hearing about the trials and tribulations of our clients and watching them celebrate their journeys–and themselves–in an empowering light makes my heart swoon.”

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Early in her career, LaBaff didn’t expect to fall in love with boudoir photography. In fact, when a client first approached her about setting up a boudoir session, she was reluctant. But the client was persistent. “So we set a date to shoot,” the photographer remembers now. “We set hair and makeup. She arrived, a bundle of nerves. And slowly, I saw her undress her fears. The more we shot, the more she let go of her fears.”Ultimately, LaBaff created A Million Monarchs to empower others and change the way they see themselves. While many of her clients identify as female, the studio prides itself on being a safe place for everyone. All gender identities and expressions are welcome, as long as you’re eighteen years old and up.

“Our clients have everything yet absolutely nothing in common,” the artist says. “Each client is different in ways you couldn’t imagine, but all walk into the studio with some kind of nerves and walk out feeling so much more confident. While they’re here, they each have a different kind of ‘aha’ moment, where they begin to walk in more confidence than they’ve ever had before.”

We asked LaBaff more about her passion for boudoir, her experiences in the studio, and her signature shooting style, known as Dark Glamour.

The essential gear of Marina LaBaff

Nikon D6

Nikkor 35mm

Nikkor 105mm macro

LaBaff tells us,

“I am a Nikon girl through and through. Maybe someday they will sponsor me, but at this time, I am not getting any kickbacks or special prizes for loving them so much. I truly love the user design of the buttons on Nikon cameras and their smooth, straight-out-of-camera coloring. My camera body is always a full-frame Nikon. As well as all of my backup equipment! The Nikon D6 is our main camera (right now), which is the latest and greatest at this present time. We are always upgrading, so this frequently changes.

“As a professional studio, we are equipped with multiple backups for every piece of equipment we have. So, as I’m sure you can imagine, our camera arsenal is beautiful. I prefer the 35mm lens for indoor boudoir portraits, mostly because I love the look of negative space. I do have a 105mm macro and some other lenses I keep both as backup and for other stylistic/creative purposes, but I very much prefer the 35mm. It is so versatile.”

Phoblographer: How did you get started as a photographer, and later, shooting boudoir?

Marina LaBaff: When I first started my photography journey, I was shooting every genre in every kind of light imaginable. My favorite when I started was photographing mothers with their new babies. Initially, when a past client came to me for a boudoir shoot, I thought, “Oh no, I cannot imagine posing another woman naked.” It wasn’t until I saw the power of self-image that boudoir had that it completely changed my mind. It was such a different mindset shift to go from sweet and quiet lullabies during a newborn session to empowering music pumping and helping to buckle lingerie stockings during a boudoir session.

Phoblographer: What are some of the emotions running through your clients’ minds when they arrive at a shoot for the first time?

Marina LaBaff: It starts with the door handle experience. This is a very overwhelming moment of courage and bravery for our clients! They go from the safety of their vehicles to our front door. And even though we are a safe space here too, we’re mostly foreign to them, as this is their first time in our space.

Clien...

“Covid was a new and invisible terror,” the photographer Aaron Yeandle remembers. “March 2020 was a very scary time, as we were just seeing and hearing about these mass deaths all over the world.” In Guernsey, where Yeandle is based, the first lockdown ran for 88 days, starting on March 24th. During that time, the artist and his wife, like many of us, were flooded with countless pictures of people in hazmat suits, watching from their apartment as the global death count rose. Masks became a part of their daily lives.

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Yeandle’s work has always been rooted in history and culture, inspired by overlooked communities and hidden stories. Amid the pandemic, he found himself considering the heritage of masks. He knew masks resembling animals had been used in medicine during the European plague of the 17th century, but they’d also been used in countless other ways, many magical or sacred. Some communities donned them in celebration of life’s milestones, while others wore them to communicate with their departed ancestors.

During those frenzied early weeks of the pandemic, Yeandle set to work creating masks of his own. With his wife as his model and collaborator, he then created formal portraits for the Covid era, all within the confines of their flat. “All I knew at the time was that I wanted to keep myself creative for my own mental health,” he says now. “Furthermore, I wanted to capture the pandemic and our historical experience using a very different approach. In many ways, this moment of global fear and uncertainty was actually a very self-explorative time to be an artist.”

He emerged from the lockdown with PPE-19, a photographic series that has since been exhibited in England, New Zealand, Italy, and beyond. Even though Yeandle’s wife is the person wearing the masks, she’s embodying a make-believe character, drawn from the artist’s own personal book of folklore. She belongs to the ancient past, the distant future, and the here and now. “In a way, though, these are also self-portraits, as I was portraying my emotions and feelings within these ambiguous representations,” he admits. We asked him more about the project.

The essential gear of Aaron Yeandle

Canon 5D Mark II

Elinchrom D-Lite RX4 studio flash kit

Yeandle tells us,

“I usually use several camera bodies, lenses, studio lights, and modifiers, but to create the PPE-19 project, I was limited to my Canon 5D Mark II and my Elinchrom D-Lite RX4 studio flash kit. This was because most of my photographic equipment was in my studio, and I was unable to access it because of the lockdown. With that being said, I always use flash for all of my work. This is because it produces the style and the appearance I look for within my photographs. Using portable studio flash equipment is very important to me, as it allows me to have continuity with my work and gives me studio-quality lighting on location.”

Phoblographer: How did you first get started as an artist, and what drew you to photography, in particular?

Aaron Yeandle: As a child, I was always interested in the arts and the world around me. I used art as a form of escapism. As an adult, I felt a deep need to express myself through art and to be creative as part of my everyday life. I was drawn to photography as a creative medium, as it allowed me to see the world through the lens and capture fleeting moments in time. The camera gave me the opportunity to see my everyday environments in a new and enlightening way.

I first started photography when I enlisted on an evening course. I enjoyed this course so much that the following year, I left my job to start a full-time BTEC National Diploma in photography at my local College. Finally, I felt I had found something which really filled my creative vacuum. I then spent the next few years completing a BA (Hons) in Photo...

A photographer on Reddit recently suggested he wanted to replace Instagram. With Instagram’s push on Reels (going head-to-head with TikTok) and its ever-changing algorithm, the Redditor felt it might be time to put his photography on a different platform. But are they right to run away? Or is there something else photographers need to do?

Photography and Instagram

I’m no stranger to criticizing Instagram. Two years ago, I accused the platform of no longer caring about photography. I’ve spoken about the toxic culture it hosts. However, over time, I’ve realized no matter the platform, that’s more of an issue with people, not the space they operate.

So, do I believe photographers should be looking for a replacement for Instagram? Well, we’ve seen other platforms try (and fail) to be the next big thing for photographers. VERO was the cool kid on the block back in 2018. It offered an algorithm-free experience and championed strong photography over being popular. Some photographers flocked to it, but it never really took off. Sticking to what you know prevailed, and photographers stayed with Instagram.

Twitter is becoming a new home for a budding photography community. It seems to be the “anti-Instagram” crowd making up the numbers, but overall it’s offering a nice experience. The downside to Twitter is that it can’t compete with Instagram’s feed, making it more difficult to sink yourself into a photographer’s work. Plus, with the platform’s latest policy change to sharing photographs without a subject’s consent (candid photographers, take note) likely, Twitter won’t be the place for photographers to push their photographic voice.

For a photographer, the main alternative to Instagram should be a website. It’s a space you have total control over, and you don’t have to play by the rules of a large social media company. But managing a website is a lot of work, at least if you want to drive traffic and attract eyes to your photographs. Most photographers use social media to make people aware they have a website, so it doesn’t serve as a replacement.

To answer the question: should photographers replace Instagram? No, they shouldn’t. What they should do, however, is replace their way of thinking. Please stick with me.

The Mindset of the Instagram Photographer

First off, allow me to say that there’s good reason to have gripes with Instagram. I’m sure it’s not only photographers (we don’t want to be Debby Downer of the creative world). Surely videographers, influencers, publications, and businesses have their own concerns about how Instagram operates. But what I do believe is that photographers could loosen up a little.

Most videographers I know also shoot stills. Photography isn’t their preferred creative medium, but they recognize its value and try to incorporate it into their brand. Photographers, however, tend to have a different approach. For the longest time, many photographers refused to accept that video was taking over. Stuck in their ways, they continued to make images as if video didn’t exist. I was one of those photographers.

Not everyone shared this mentality. A lot of photographers started to shoot video the way videographers made photos: on the side. And guess what, many of them have had successful careers because they decided to evolve.

I’m not suggesting we should move away from photography. But when many photographers complain about Instagram’s push on motion rather than stills, the signs are that it’s time to adapt. Like I said, if anything needs replacing, it’s our way of thinking, not Instagram.

I made a few Reels in 2021. Some of them did great numbers and brought new eyes to my photographs. Also, check out the reels we publish on The Phoblographer’s Instagram account. It’s a cool, fun way to incorporate motion into your photographic identity and a sure-fire way to get eyes on what you’re doing.

Final Thought

As it stands, I suggest we, the photography community, stop this constant need to run away from Instagram. I...

“Copying other people doesn’t help you grow,” clarifies Hiren Vekaria when I query him on what photographers could do to develop a visual style. “It’s like copying someone else’s homework,” he adds candidly. And incredibly, just two years since he bought a professional camera, he’s establishing a very recognizable style of his own.

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I don’t shoot the same subject consistently enough to develop a signature style of my own. And back in the years when I shot sports, there was really no scope for doing this. Even when I shoot casually for myself, the edit depends a lot on the mood I felt at the time of the shoot. I’m not discouraging anyone from trying to visually stand out with a recognizable look, but it’s something that could take months, if not years. How do you do this with wildlife photography though? There are so many photographers in this genre today, and while not everyone is an expert at tracking down elusive species, what’s the best way to make the common ones look unique in your work? Hiren Vekaria feels that having a certain post-processing style is a good place to start. It’s more than just about capturing the moment; it’s also about being able to express the mood in that image.

The Essential Photo Gear Used by Hiren Vekaria

Hiren told us:

Nikon Z6

Nikon Z6 II

Nikkor 200-500mm f5.6 lens

Nikon FTZ adapter

Nikkor 24-70 f4 S lens

Nikkor 24-70 f2.8 S lens

Manfrotto tripod

Nikkor 50mm 1.8 S lens

Nikkor 70-200 f2.8 S lens

Godox V1 flash and trigger

The Z6 and Z6ii have amazing specs, shoot super fast in continuous mode and produce beautiful raw files for me to work with in post processing.

The Phoblographer: Hello Hiren. Please tell us about yourself and how you got into photography.

Hiren Vekaria: I’ve been into photography since I was a kid. My dad always had a camera when we were growing up, and he loved having his picture taken. I still remember a holiday to Portugal when I was about 15 where it was 30 degrees, and as soon as we got to our apartment, he put on a shirt, his suit and got me to take pictures of him all over town. I always seemed to have an eye for the shot from a young age.

As camera phones progressed, I used what tools I had to enhance images and make my shots stand out. In 2019 through a serendipitous conversation with a friend who runs his own audio and visual business, I mentioned that I was going to Uganda and Kenya to see the mountain gorillas and the big cats in the Serengeti. He had one question, what are you going to shoot with?

My phone was not the answer he was looking for. He convinced me to take his Panasonic Lumix GH5 with me, along with a couple of lenses. I’d never used a proper camera before, and mirrorless was a whole new ball game. Needless to say, I’m glad I took it. However, I didn’t have enough time to get my head around the modes, shooting style, and there were a lot of awful pictures.

Fast forward a couple of months, and my CEO at work and I were having a conversation about David Yarrow, one of my favorite wildlife photographers. I told him about his work and what I enjoy about his shots, and he paid attention to this a lot more than I expected. A couple of weeks later, my CEO was fortunate enough to go to see David speak at the Natural History Museum. The next day he came over to my desk, handed me one of Yarrow’s newest photography books with a personalized message and signature. This was a turning point for me; I knew it was time to invest In my own gear.

The Phoblographer: How did you decide on a camera system for your wildlife photography?

Hiren Vekaria: In November 2019, I was ready to buy a camera. I’d done my research, watched countless hours of YouTube comparisons, reviews and heeded David Yarrow’s advice and decided I was going to go with Nikon and the powerhouse that is the D850. I headed off to Wex Digital in Aldgate and asked the assistant to get me one. “Why, ...

Community is important. There’s the photography community and countless others too. Some photographers like to travel far and wide to focus their lenses on different communities from around the world. Others prefer to stay closer to home and document stories happening locally. Either way, documenting communities is important in the photography world, and it’s something we’re going to look at in the piece.

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Below is a selection of photographs and stories from photographers we featured in 2021. It’s a diverse selection, and all of them touch on deeply meaningful topics. You’ll certainly learn something from these stories, or at the very least, realize something you already knew. Enjoy.

Craig Varjabedian Photographs the Native American Community

Craig Varjabedian spent many years photographing the Native American community. People young and old made up his subjects as he explored the rich history and culture. “.I remember watching a pow wow dance, standing in awe and being overcome by the wonder of it,” Varjabedian told as he shared how his relationship with the community first began. He added, “.since that time, I have wanted to know more and understand what I had seen, experienced, and felt.” In his early 2021 interview, Varjabedian discussed how he photographs his subjects with empathy, how his series Native Light materialized, and why he uses the Nikon D850 for the work. It’s a worthwhile read and one you can enjoy here.

Matt Yessian Photographs Family Community

Over time, some of us venture out and discover subcultures and the communities that comprise them. But for most of us, the first community we’re exposed to is the one we call family. Photographer Matt Yessain is best known for his travel photography. However, like most people, the pandemic put a barrier in front of his productivity. Rather than let his Fujifilm X-T4 collect dust, Yessian began documenting the people closest to him; his family. “My goal is for me or my family members to look at a photograph and instantly take them back to that moment as if it just happened. To actually feel that moment again,” he told us. In a candid interview, he spoke about how his mini-series made him more aware of the day-to-day experiences of his children. You can read about it all right here.

JP Stones Documents Traditional Mexican Communities

JP Stones is a photographer and educator. Hailing from the UK, he is currently based in Mexico. Throughout that time, he’s put his attention on traditional Mexican culture and communities. He also runs workshops. Those workshops educate photographers and teach them about the subjects they’re documenting. “Including the local community in my business means we get to create more honest and ethical photos,” said Stones in an interview last summer. Stone is extremely well-spoken, honest, and he can add a lot of value to your photography journey. Read more about him here.

Shady William Looks at Egypt’s Cultural Magic

Sporting traditions have a long history all over the world. Most sports evolve or die out over time. However, one battle between two local communities is still going strong in Egypt. Photographer Shady William traveled to Luxor, a city on the east bank of the Nile River. He titled his series Horses & Knights, which documents one of the world’s oldest fencing competitions. On why he focuses on such an abstract topic, William told us, “I am usually attracted to subjects who have incredible stories, but their voices are hard to hear.” He certainly helps people hear their voices through this series, and you can read more about it here.

Do You Photograph Communities?

If you have a good community project, why not send in your photographs using the form below? If it clicks with us, we’ll share it. Or maybe you have a concept you’d like to share with us in the comments below? We’d love to read about it. Thanks for reading.

Want to g...

“Reminiscencia is not a finished project,” proclaims the artist who goes by the moniker Ezo Reiner. A quick glance at the project, and one tends to disbelieve that he began photography a decade ago, just for fun. Surreal, hauntingly beautiful, and even seductive, we look at how Renier came up with the idea for this unique series.

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If I had to recreate even one of the frames the enigmatic Reiner has created as part of Reminiscencia, I’d probably be storyboarding every minute detail of the scene. Not Reiner, though. His approach to his project is limited only by the boundaries of his imagination, and he prefers not to pen down the production. That part alone adds a whole new level of surrealism to the project as a whole, aside from the visual aspect. One wonders how many more different scenes he can add to this series. Seeing as he’s been creating this for a decade now, I would think he could keep producing these mind-blowing stills indefinitely. We featured his ‘Phobias’ series a few years ago on our site.

The Essential Photo Gear Used by Ezo Renier

Ezo told us:

Canon EOS M2

Canon 50mm lens

At first, I used second-hand cameras, but rather quickly switched to Canon M2, which I use to this day.

The Phoblographer: Please tell us about yourself and how you got into photography.

Ezo Renier: My real name is Ilya. I am a 30-year-old web designer from Saint Petersburg, Russia. Ten years ago, I decided to start photographing without any practical purpose, just for fun. It was the time of the explosion in popularity of concept photography launched, I suppose, via Alex Stoddard’s Tumblr project called 365, which inspired many contemporaries I know and when I looked at their work, I started to realize that I could make them much better, so I started filming on my own.

The Phoblographer: What camera gear do you use for your photo series?

Ezo Renier: I don’t think that gear is significant now with modern iPhones. I have only one camera and one 50mm main lens. Pretty quickly, I realized that studio photography didn’t appeal to me, so I started shooting outdoors. But in nature, I only need good sun, so I don’t feel it necessary to have a lot of equipment; just good timing.

The Phoblographer: What’s the core idea behind Reminiscenia? What inspired the concept?

Ezo Renier: Reminiscenia is a vague memory, an echo of something once seen or heard. People have already drawn and filmed everything they could, so I do not hide that my work is a fusion of ideas, an amalgam of daydreams, visualizations of music, interpretation of books. A kind of quintessence of all my sensory experience

It is positioned not as a photo project for the world but as a personal visual diary. I did not immediately start publishing my works, but as Man Ray once said, “Every artist needs a viewer”.

The Phoblographer: Each image is distinct in its production with a lot of intricate and somewhat intoxicating details. How long did the project take to execute?

Ezo Renier: Reminiscenia is not a finished project; it took me ten years to create it, but it must be remembered that my shooting was not continuous. In one year, I could shoot more, in another less. In the third year, I didn’t take the camera in my hands at all. I think that only my death will put the final closure on it.

The Phoblographer: What emotions and feelings were you going through while storyboarding these images before photographing them?

Ezo Renier: During filming, I usually listen to music to tune myself in a kind of decadent mood, the imprint of which, I think, is clearly visible.

The Phoblographer: Were there any images whose end result differed significantly from the original thought, after you had post processed them? Or did they all remain true to their original concepts?

Ezo Renier: Unlike many other conceptual photographers, I do not use sketches. I prefer to visualize a sensation in my head rathe...

It’s not every day that we think about adapting luxurious Leica lenses to Sony cameras. But the truth is that when you do, you get the best of two worlds. You get great, full-frame image quality with some of the best lenses money can buy. Of course, you don’t always need to dish out lots of money either. So in this round-up, we’re focusing on good Leica M-mount lenses that we’ve reviewed (and we’ve reviewed a ton). None of them are from Leica, and we’re mixing it up with affordable and mid-tier prices. Considering adapting Leica lenses to Sony cameras like the Sony a7c. We had a lot of fun doing that.

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The Phoblographer’s various product round-up features are done in-house. Our philosophy is simple: you wouldn’t get a Wagyu beef steak review from a lifelong vegetarian. And you wouldn’t get photography advice from someone who doesn’t touch the product. We only recommend gear that we’ve fully reviewed. If you’re wondering why your favorite product didn’t make the cut, there’s a chance it’s on another list. If we haven’t reviewed it, we won’t recommend it. This method keeps our lists packed with industry-leading knowledge. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Pro Tips on Adapting Leica Lenses to Sony Cameras

Here are some tips of adapting Leica lenses to Sony cameras:

Leica M-mount lenses come in all sizes and flavors. Here, we’re focusing on a few alternatives.

Make sure you get a good adapter for these. A cheap adapter can be a bit loose fitting and won’t give you optimal image quality. A good adapter will mean that your lens doesn’t shake.

Just because it’s a lens for Leica M-mount doesn’t meant that it’s going to be expensive. Only one lens in this roundup is over $1,000.

Use focus magnification; Sony’s focus peaking is notoriously bad.

Live a little; try shooting in black and white!

7Artisans 50mm f1.1

Why is it special?: The fact that it’s an f1.1 lens and there’s so little contrast will make this lens tough to focus. But if you have patience, you’ll be well rewarded when you nail the focus.

In our review, we state:

“Yup, there’s tons of bokeh here. The best bokeh from this lens obviously comes at f1.1 and when you’re focused closely to the subject. But given that this is a rangefinder lens, the closest focusing is around 3 feet. The bokeh is creamy, dreamy, gorgeous, there is so much to say about it that simply can’t be put into words. But in addition to that it’s also unlike any bokeh that I’ve seen before. Some say that this lens is a copy of a Voigtlander, but I’m not sure that I see that. Portrait photographers will surely be pleased here.”

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Zeiss 35mm f1.4 ZM

Why is it special?: The Zeiss 35mm f1.4 ZM has great build quality, but it also boasts sharp images while having a low contrast and that token Zeiss “pop” to the photos.

In our review, we state:

“The bokeh overall is very creamy and beautiful. I’d even call it cinematic. For that reason, both photographers and videographers alike will like what the Zeiss 35mm f1.4 ZM can do on a full frame sensor.”

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7Artisans 35mm f2

Why is it special?: The affordable price and the design being based on an older Leica lens is a great reason why you should pick this one up.

In our review, we state:

“The bokeh from the 7Artisans 35mm f2 is very nice to my eyes. It’s not what the f1.4 lenses that I’ve tested have, but it’s still very beautiful in its own way. This is partially due to the design and how subjects tend to bloom with light if they’re backlit. If you love bokeh, then you’re not going to really complain. Instead, you’re going to be more thrilled that you’ve got an affordable lens that can give you solid quality.”

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“My earliest memories of nature are of the sea,” the French artist Natalia Kovachevski tells me. “Growing up as a Mediterranean girl, I was convinced I was a mermaid and a witch–a wild woman, part-animal, with an affinity for the natural world.”

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Now a photographer and model, Natalia continues to return to nature, exploring lush forests, hidden coves, and secluded waterfalls close to her home in the South of France. In many of her self-portraits, she embodies mythical characters: not only a witch and mermaid but also a kitsune, a divine fox from Japanese legend. In one portrait, she becomes la vouivre, or a guivre in English, a chimerical creature rumored to roam the French countryside during the medieval period, much like a dragon or serpent.

In Kovachevski’s work, the female body (and by extension, the landscapes she inhabits) becomes sacred domain. “I am a naturist, and I think that humans should remember that we are, first and foremost, natural creatures,” she says. “I will never forget what it feels like to be in communion with nature, to spend hours creating in the forest or by the water’s edge. We are a part of this ecosystem, and we can’t continue to destroy it.” We asked her more about her work.

The Essential Gear of Natalia Kovachevski

Canon 600D

Canon 18-55mm lens

Canon 5D

Canon 24-105mm lens

Kovachevski tells us:

“For a long time, I only worked with a Canon 600D and 18-55mm lens. That’s it. I learned everything on my own as an autodidact, in a very intuitive way. Of course, I later tried another camera, the much better Canon 5D with a 24-105mm lens. But in the end, the technical differences do not matter much to me, as my art is more rooted in emotion than technicalities.

“I have a fairly artisanal and instinctive approach to photography. I try to get most of my effects straight out of the camera, and then I mainly focus on color grading in post-production. In terms of my self-portraits, in particular, I have a very experimental approach. I sometimes even work with a GoPro underwater. I have a tripod and remote control, but I prefer to use the self-timer. What I consider really essential to my practice is not being afraid to fail.”

Phoblographer: How did you get started as a photographer? Which came first: photography or modeling?

Natalia Kovachevski: I started as a model when I was eighteen years old, as a quest for identity. I was searching for a way to find myself, but I quickly realized that I would not be able to accept myself and my body through the eyes of others. That’s why I wanted to develop my own vision as an artist and photographer.

Phoblographer: Some of your images are inspired by folklore and mythology, such as Andromédē, the Greek heroine. Imbolc is a Gaelic traditional festival; Sappho was a lyric poet. Are there any specific traditions, tales, or legends that have helped shape your vision as an artist?

Natalia Kovachevski: There is no specific myth or story, but together, they all serve as a real inspiration. Folklore, tales, myths, and legends mean a lot to me because they reveal truths about humanity, using archetypes to tap into our collective unconscious. They are inexhaustible sources of inspiration to question and illustrate.

Phoblographer: Speaking of Andromédē, that photograph of yours reminds me of the famous Titian painting. Do you draw a lot of inspiration from art history as well?

Natalia Kovachevski: Several artists from different periods of art history inspire me, but I’m especially drawn to mythological scenes representing women. I question the ways in which women are depicted throughout art history. I am also passionate about discovering the visions of female artists–Angelica Kauffmann, Artemisia Gentileschi, Rosalba Carriera, and Sofonisba Anguissola among them.

Phoblographer: If we return to Sappho, the Greek poet, many see her as a feminist in a time long before feminis...