The Phoblographer

The Leica M 135mm f3.4 is one of the longest lenses in Leica’s beloved M mount system. As such, it brings more background separation and the ability to get in close without physically being close. The lens, formally known as the Leica APO Telyt M 135mm f3.4, brings several key features that I’ve come to expect from the system, starting with the solid build and continuing to the color and contrast. Of course, it has a price that I’ve come to expect from the system as well — $4,495.

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Leica’s M system, as fans of the series know, is all manual focus. Just how hard is it to focus with a 135mm? Does the Leica M 135mm f3.4 demand the high price? I tested the lens on the M10R to find out.

Table of Contents

Too Long, Didn’t Read

Leica M 135mm f3.4 Pros and Cons

Pros

Cons

Gear Used

Innovations

Leica M 135mm f3.4 Tech Specs

Ergonomics

Build Quality

Focus

Ease of Use

Image Quality

Bokeh

Sharpness

Lens Character

Color Rendering

Extra Image Samples

Edited

Unedited

Conclusions

Likes

Dislikes

Too Long, Didn’t Read

The 135mm focal length is the longest for an M mount lens. Like the rest of the series, the Leica M 135mm f3.4 is beautifully made and delivers some great color and contrast. Getting such a long lens sharp using manual focus is tricky, but it rewards patience with some great background separation.

Leica M 135mm f3.4 Pros and Cons

Pros

All metal design

Longest focal length in the Leica M mount

Great contrast

Excellent bokeh

Solid sharpness

Cons

Difficult to focus

Expensive

Gear Used

I paired the Leica M 135mm f3.4 with the M10R. A loaner from LensRentals, I used a Leica 49mm UVa II filter on the front of the lens.

Innovations

The Leica M 135mm f3.4 is one of the longest focal lengths in the M mount system. It’s a longstanding lens that’s been around for several years, yet still has several advantages to offer.

Leica M 135mm f3.4 Tech Specs

For the APO TELYT M 135mm f3.4, Lensrentals lists the following specifications:

Angle of View18 degreesAperturef3.4-22AutofocusManual Focus OnlyBrandLeicaDiameter2.3″DimensionsLength: 4.1″Filter Size49.0mm (nonrotating)Filter StylenonrotatingFocal Length135.0-135.0Groups/Elements4/5Hood IncludedNoImage StabilizationNoItem TypeLensLens TypeNormal RangeMax Aperture3.4Maximum Magnification1:9Minimum Aperture22.0Minimum Focusing Distance5.0feetMountLeica MWeight1 lb.

Ergonomics

The Leica M 135mm f3.4 is the longest focal length available for the M mount system, yet it isn’t terribly large. It’s about 4.2 inches long. The lens is also pretty narrow and is capped by just a 49mm filter thread.

With a metal build, the lens is also surprisingly not terribly heavy. Leica’s 90mm f2 lens is actually heavier. It weighs just a touch under a pound. Carrying three M lenses for a two-hour portrait session, I felt like I was carrying less gear than my typical bag. The compact size makes the metal construction less overwhelming in weight.

The Leica M 135mm f3.4’s front end is taken up by nearly all glass, with just enough of a metal ring to hold a 49mm filter. A built-in metal lens hood slides smoothly out from the body to help fight flare. Just below that hood is a thin aperture ring. It turns easily with a nice click for making changes by feel.

The aperture ring is much wider. It’s easy to grab, even with gloves on, and turns smoothly. Labeled with both meters and feet, it’s matched up with a depth of field scale.

The Leica M 135mm f3.4 is a very classic Leica lens with a design similar to the 90mm f2. It’s fun to shoot with and not terribly heavy.

Build Quality

This Leica lens feels lovely. The all-metal build feels great and adds durability. It is narrower than the lenses that I’m accustomed to, but that allows the metal build to not make the lens too heavy.

This Leica lens feels lovely. The all-metal build feels great and adds durability. It is narrower than the lenses I’m accustomed to, but that allows...

It’s crazy to think that, years ago, no one would’ve used a 24mm lens for portraiture. But these days, it’s easy to use 24mm lenses for just that. Prime lenses have just gotten so much better. So we dove into our reviews index to look for some of the best 24mm lenses that shoot great portraits. Here’s what we found!

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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 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 24mm Lenses for Portraits

Sony 24mm f1.4 G Master

Tech Specs

Tamron 24mm f2.8 Di III OSD

Tech Specs

Nikon 24mm f1.8 Z

Tech Specs

Pro Tips on Using 24mm Lenses for Portraits

Here are some pro tips on how to photograph people using a 24mm lens:

Generally speaking, you’re supposed to keep people towards the center of the frame with a 24mm lens. But recent offerings have become so good, that you can position them a little bit more toward the corners. Still, try to keep a distance. Getting close up with the lens can provide distortion.

Shoot wide open if you want bokeh.

24mm lenses are fantastic for environmental portraits. Use them to show someone in a specific setting or location.

Why go for a prime and not a 24-70mm? Well, the wider aperture and smaller size is just one reason. But there’s also the weight. If you’re the type to be very mobile and on-the-go, you’ll want a 24mm prime lens.

Use face detection when you can with a 24mm lens.

Sony 24mm f1.4 G Master

Tech Specs

LENS SPECIFICATIONS MOUNTSony E-mountFORMAT35 mm full frameFOCAL LENGTH (MM)2435 MM EQUIVALENT FOCAL LENGTH (APS-C)36LENS GROUPS / ELEMENTS10–13ANGLE OF VIEW (35 MM)84ﾟANGLE OF VIEW (APS-C)61ﾟ1MAXIMUM APERTURE (F)1.4MINIMUM APERTURE (F)16APERTURE BLADES11CIRCULAR APERTUREYesMINIMUM FOCUS DISTANCE0.79 ft (0.24 m)MAXIMUM MAGNIFICATION RATIO (X)0.17FILTER DIAMETER (MM)67IMAGE STABILIZATION (STEADYSHOT)– (body-integrated)HOOD TYPEPetal shape, bayonet type SIZE & WEIGHT DIMENSIONS (DIAMETER X LENGTH)3″ x 3 3/4″ (75.4 x 92.4 mm)WEIGHT15.7 oz (445 g)

In our review, we state:

“Photographers on a bokeh-rich diet will be delighted to learn that the Sony 24mm f1.4 G Master features a circular aperture design consisting of 11 blades, which helps to produce beautifully creamy and circular bokeh, even when the lens is stopped down a few stops.”

Buy Now

Tamron 24mm f2.8 Di III OSD

Tech Specs

ModelF051Focal Length24mmMaximum Aperturef2.8Angle of View (diagonal)84°04′Optical Construction10 elements in 9 groupsMinimum Object Distance4.7 in (0.12m)Maximum Magnification Ratio1:2Filter SizeØ67mmMaximum DiameterØ73mmLength64mm (2.5 in.)Weight7.6 oz (215g)Aperture Blades7 (circular diaphragm)Minimum Aperturef22Standard AccessoriesLens hood (Flower-shaped), Lens capsCompatible MountsSony E-mount for full-frame mirrorless format Length is the distance from the front tip of the lens to the lens mount face. The circular diaphragm stays almost perfectly circular up to two stops down from maximum aperture.

In our review, we state:

“You better have some Band-Aids in your camera bag because the Tamron 24mm f2.8 Di III OSD M1:2 is sharp! Subjects in focus will appear tack sharp throughout the entire frame, even when shooting wide open. There’s also no significant loss in sharpness as we move from the center of the frame towards the edges and corners.”

Buy Now

Nikon 24mm f1.8 Z

Tech Specs

Angle of...

The Leica M system has several great portrait lenses. The Leica Macro Elmar 90mm f4, however, is often overlooked. While it doesn’t have the f2 of the Summicron, this 90mm is incredibly tiny, focuses in closer, and comes in a little less expensive. The build is a bit different than most M mount lenses, with a collapsable design that also helps the lens achieve infinity focus.

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Macro photographers will need to play close attention to that spec sheet, however. The lens needs the macro adapter to get in real close. Even then, the lens has only 1:2 reproduction ratio. What the Leica Macro Elmar 90mm really excels in, however, is portraits. I shot a portrait session with this 90mm lens, and here’s what I found.

Table of Contents

Too Long, Didn’t Read

Leica Macro Elmar 90mm Pros and Cons

Pros

Cons

Gear Used

Innovations

Leica Macro Elmar 90mm Tech Specs

Ergonomics

Build Quality

Focus

Ease of Use

Image Quality

Bokeh

Sharpness

Lens Character

Color Rendering

Extra Image Samples

Edited

Unedited

Conclusions

Likes

Dislikes

Too Long, Didn’t Read

The Macro in the name of Leica Macro Elmar 90mm is a bit misleading. But, even without the macro adapter, this lens is a great portrait tool with marvelous color and beautiful yet controllable flare. It’s also super tiny and incredibly well built.

Leica Macro Elmar 90mm Pros and Cons

Pros

Compact and lightweight

Compatible with macro adapter

Easy to lock in focus

Focuses close enough for headshots, making it a great portrait option

Great color

Sharp centers

Beautiful, controllable flare

Cons

Reproduction ratio is only 1:6.7; a macro adapter is needed for 1:2

Collapsible design and push pull focus means a little more to learn

Softer edges

No weather sealing

Expensive

Gear Used

I used the Leica Macro Elmar 90mm with the Leica M10R and a Leica UVa II filter. I did not use the macro adapter with this lens.

Innovations

The Leica Macro Elmar 90mm is the M-mount system’s smallest 90mm lens. Longer focal lengths and metal lenses tend to be heavy and large. But this 90mm weighs just over eight ounces and only takes up about two inches of real estate in a camera bag.

Leica Macro Elmar 90mm Tech Specs

Lensrentals lists the following tech specs for the 90mm f4:

Angle of View27°AutofocusManual Focus OnlyBrandLeicaDiameter2.3″DimensionsLength: 2″Filter Size39.0mmFocal Length90.0-90.0Groups/Elements4/4Hood IncludedYesImage StabilizationNoItem TypeLensLens TypeNormal RangeMax Aperture4.0Maximum Reproduction Ratio1:6.7Minimum Aperture22.0Minimum Focusing Distance2.6feetMountLeica MWeight0.5 lb.

Ergonomics

When I first pulled the Leica Macro Elmar 90mm out of the box, I thought they had sent me the wrong lens. Surely, the tiny metal lens must not be a telephoto. I was wrong — Leica has indeed managed to fit a mid-telephoto focal length into a lens that folds down to just over two inches long. The lens is also narrow and doesn’t widen from the size of the M-mount itself. Despite a metal build, it weighs just a touch over eight ounces.

The Leica Macro Elmar 90mm is collapsible. This is both for size reasons and function, as pushing the lens back in slightly allows the lens to focus at infinity. The front of the lens pulls out, exposing a thumb-width of a metallic silver barrel. The lens can then be locked in this position with a clockwise turn to the front.

The front of the lens accepts 39mm filters. Moving the front of the lens towards the mount, the tiny aperture ring is just as narrow as the metal edges of a Leica filter. The ring turns with a satisfying click. It’s easy to use, so long as you remember to twist-lock the front of the lens so that doesn’t also try to turn when adjusting the aperture.

After that sliver of silver that extends from the lens is the focus ring. This has the classic look of other M-mount optics with a depth of field scale and focal length indicators with feet noted in yellow and met...

This is a lens that has had me scratching my head. Leica is hitting the ball out of the park in so many ways with this lens, but they’re also making something a bit odd. The Leica 90-280mm f2.8-f4 SL is a heavy lens with great optics and beautiful image quality. And you also just can’t deny how great the build quality is. Plus, there’s a very useful focal range attached with a pretty wide aperture. Though at the same time, you’ll wonder who exactly would use a lens like this.

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Models

Anthony Hem

Table of Contents

Too Long; Didn’t Read

Pros and Cons

Pros

Cons

Gear Used

Innovations

Tech Specs

Ergonomics

Build Quality

Autofocus

Ease of Use

Image Quality

Bokeh

Color Rendition

Lens Character

Sharpness

Extra Image Samples

Unedited

Edited

Conclusions

Likes

Dislikes

Too Long; Didn’t Read

The Leica 90-280mm f2.8-f4 SL lens is a big, heavy lens. But it’s pretty capable of doing everything except for fast-moving sports photography. It boasts beautiful image quality, and a very hefty price tag as well. For what it is, it’s a great lens. It’s very useful. But I’m still trying to wrap my head around who the buyer for this lens actually is.

The Leica 90-280mm f2.8-f4 SL is a big, heavy lens that’s pretty capable of doing everything except fast-moving sports photography. It boasts beautiful image quality and a very hefty price tag as well. For what it is, it’s a great lens. It’s very useful. But I’m still trying to wrap my head around who the buyer for this lens actually is.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Big

Weather sealing

A very useful focal length set

It’s kind of a 70-200 and a 70-300mm all in one.

It’s kind of a 70-200 and a 70-300mm all in one

Only one stop of aperture change

Fast to focus

Fantastic image quality.

Internal zooming and focusing

Work very well with Leica’s image stabilization

Cons

Big

Heavy

Expensive

Looking through Behance, it’s tough to find what photographers are shooting with this besides random stuff

Doesn’t really have the autofocus speed for action

Gear Used

We tested the Leica 90-280mm f2.8-f4 SL with the:

Leica SL2S

Flashpoint Zoom Lion R2

Innovations

The Leica 90-280mm f2.8-f4 SL isn’t particularly innovative except for a few points. It’s the only one of a focal length like this made. And because of that, it fits the bill somewhere between a traditional 70-200 and 70-300mm lens. But it does that with a pretty fast aperture.

Tech Specs

These tech specs are taken from LensRentals.

Angle of View26° – 9°AutofocusAutofocusBrandLeicaCompatibilityCrop and Full FrameFocal Length90.0-280.0Hood IncludedYesImage StabilizationYesItem TypeLensLens TypeTelephotoMax Aperture2.8Minimum Aperture22.0MountL MountWeight4.08 lbs

Ergonomics

Here’s the front of the Leica 90-280mm f2.8-f4 SL lens. It’s big. Really, really big. But the good thing is that it doesn’t get any bigger when you zoom all the way in. This is an internally zooming optic. And that typically helps with build quality.

This lens has a lot of metal on the build. But it’s also characterized by the rubber rings on the outside. These are nice for grip in the cold weather. Realistically, you’ll probably just hold the zoom ring and not worry about the focusing ring at all.

The lens also boasts a tripod collar. More often than not, it acts as a nice grip if you’re shooting handheld. But most of the time you might not bother with it.

Here’s a bit more of a view of this lens. It’s big, black, durable, and heavy.

Build Quality

Well, there’s a lot to take in here. First off, the Leica 90-280mm f2.8-f4 SL is very well built. It’s weather sealed and there’s a metal exterior. It’s an overall, very solid lens. Plus, consider that the Leica SL series of cameras have IP ratings for durability. The lenses have to be able to keep up. So when it comes to reliablity, I’ve got no qualms with the Leica 90-280mm f2.8-f4 SL. However, all of this comes at a cost!

Well, there’s a lot to take in ...

If you look on the market, you’ll see that a few new zoom lenses have been popping up with constant f2.8 apertures. Sigma has a 28-70mm f2.8 that’s seriously lacking weather resistance. The new Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 G2 has a ton of weather resistance for under $1,000 — and received top marks from us. Now, Nikon has their own variant in the form of the new Nikon 28-75mm f2.8 Z. You should note that this isn’t one of Nikon’s S-series lenses, but if it’s anything like the company’s 40mm f2, then we’ll be surprised. At the same time, we wouldn’t call $1,199.95 affordable at all for this sort of lens.

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Nikon 28-75mm f2.8 Z Tech Specs

The following specs were pulled from the press release for the Nikon 28-75mm f2.8 Z. We’ve added to it.

The NIKKOR Z 28-75mm f/2.8 delivers incredible sharpness and a bright f/2.8 aperture, affording the ability to shoot in low light or produce images with a natural and pleasing bokeh.

The lens weighs only 1.2 lbs oz (565g), which is 8.4 oz lighter than the NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S. In addition to its portability, the lens is well-suited for gimbal use for content creation and video productions.

The minimum focus distance of 0.62ft (0.19m) allows users to capture intricate details.

By employing a stepping motor (STM) with superior response, the lens quickly focuses on moving subjects during still-shooting or video recording. The extremely quiet STM greatly reduces the level of lens drive and operational sounds during focusing and video recording.

With the control ring, users can focus manually or change ISO sensitivity, aperture and exposure compensation in stills and video. The smooth rotation enables precise focus control. The knurling employed improves operation.

The lens is sealed to prevent dust and water droplets from entry, enabling use in everyday circumstances without worry. It also features effective antifouling coating for easy cleaning.

No image stabilization built in, but we’re not surprised at this. It makes sense.

3 inches by 4.8 inches

1 ED element, 3 aspherical elements, 1 Super ED lens element

67mm filter thread, and that means that it won’t be a super large lens.

9 Aperture blades

15 elements in 12 groups

$1,199.95; which is affordable compared to their higher end 24-70mm f2.8.

How Will The Nikon 28-75mm f2.8 Z Perform?

Here’s where I’m very torn! Has Nikon improved a lot? Heck yes! But when it comes to lenses, there still isn’t a whole lot of innovation going on. We’d know — we recently updated our Nikon Z Lens guide and there’s a lot of similarity between them and other camera systems. The Nikon 14-30mm and 40mm f2 are some of their most unique lenses that we’ve reviewed so far, and we’ve reviewed the most! For the Nikon system, the Nikon 28-75mm f2.8 Z is a new lens. But it’s not enough to make me want to jump ship to the Nikon system. Couple this with much-improved autofocus that still lags behind the others, and I’m questioning this move.

If the Nikon 28-75mm f2.8 Z were offered as a kit lens option, then I think things could get a whole lot more fascinating.

So, without having the lens in for review, here are my predictions:

Ergonomics: I’m sure it’s going to be very lightweight in the hand since it’s just over 1lb. The size isn’t all that huge either, but we’ll have to see when a lens hood is attached. The specs tell one story, but when a lens is attached to a camera, different things unfold.

Build quality: Nikon tends to be very conservative about their weather sealing. I’m sure that it’s going to survive the rain just fine.

Autofocus: Nikon’s autofocus is good. But it’s still behind Canon and Sony. We’ll see how this does.

Image quality: Nikon’s image quality is, without question, always fantastic. So I’m sure we won’t have any faults here.

But then, this opens us up to the elephant in the room. This is nearly a $1,200 lens. I just spoke with Reviews Editor Hillary Gri...

Still trying to figure out what to bring with you to enjoy some rest and relaxation? Well, you should obviously bring your camera! And trust us, the selection of lenses for vacation photography isn’t all that difficult. You need something weather-resistant, affordable, small, lightweight, and with excellent image quality. But most importantly, you need something that will autofocus quickly so you can put the camera away and just enjoy. Remember, don’t forget to actually enjoy the moments on your vacation! Here are some of our favorite lenses for vacation photography if you’re a Sony shooter.

This piece is presented in partnership with TAMRON. We’ve independently and ethically reviewed all the products in this post already without sponsorship. And we worked with them to recommend a few key gems to you.

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 Lenses for Vacation Photography

Tamron 17-28mm f2.8 Di III RXD

Tech Specs

Tamron 28-200mm f2.8-5.6 Di III RXD

Tech Specs

Tamron 70-300mm f4.5-6.3 Di III RXD

Tech Specs

Pro Tips on Using Lenses for Vacation Photography

Here are some pro tips for any photographer taking a vacation:

In reality, you don’t need more than two lenses for vacation photography. We typically stick to prime lenses, but these zooms are really great for what most folks do. I personally have taken a weekend getaway with the Tamron 17-28mm and 70-300mm lenses and been totally fine. The former covered anything I needed honestly. Tamron lenses are small, lightweight, and weather-resistant and they’re the only lenses for vacation photography I’d bring for the Sony system.

We recommend using the Dynamic Range Optimization option on your Sony camera for vacation photography.

If you shoot prime lenses, don’t scoff at zoom lenses for vacation photography. They can be a whole lot more useful than you’d think. What’s more, these lenses are pretty small, too.

Weather sealing on the Sony camera system is a big concern, andhese Tamron lenses are weather sealed, prefect for shooting in inclement weather. I’ve taken them out in the rain, in snow, around shedding Golden Retrievers, and they’ve consistently worked just fine.

Always remember to change the face detection priority. The Sony system lets you switch between bird, animal, and human depending on which camera you’re using. In fact, our review snippets are focusing on autofocus performance. For even more transparency, we’ve used these excellent lenses for vacation photography on cameras like the Sony a7r III, Sony a7r IV, Sony a1, Sony a7 original, and others.

Tamron 17-28mm f2.8 Di III RXD

Tech Specs

ModelA046Focal Length17-28mmMaximum ApertureF/2.8Angle of View (diagonal)103°41′-75°23′ (for full-frame mirrorless format)Optical Construction13 elements in 11 groupsMinimum Object Distance0.19m (7.5 in) (WIDE) /0.26m (10.2 in) (TELE)Maximum Magnification Ratio1:5.2 (WIDE) / 1:6 (TELE)Filter SizeΦ67mmMaximum DiameterΦ73mmLength99mm (3.9 in)Weight420g (14.8 oz)Diaphragm Blade Number9 (circular diaphragm)Minimum ApertureF/22Standard AccessoriesFlower-shaped hood, Lens capsCompatible MountsSony E-mount

In our review, we state:

“The autofocus on the Tamron 17-28mm f2.8 Di III RXD is mostly what surprised me. Of course, it’s going to be fast to focus because this is a wide angle lens. But then I remembered that Sony owns part of Tamron. And so...

“I found so many bizarre phobias,” says Anna Hoormann about her research into things that people are oddly scared about. What started as a mid-term university project became a fascination with some of the most unusual things that frighten humans today. Are we really human if we’re not even remotely scared of anything?

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We probably share a lot of phobias among people we know. For someone who loves taking pictures from the rooftops of skyscrapers, Acrophobia (intense fear of heights ) affects me. I can’t even walk to the edge of the roof of a building without feeling like the floor is going to give way. But if I had to reveal a highly uncommon phobia of mine, it’s the fear of anti-theft alarms going off as I leave a retail store. Incidentally, this happened to me just a couple of days ago as I was walking out of an electronics store. I didn’t even have any bags on me. Turns out it was something in a bag that someone else who walked out at the same time as me was carrying. Whenever I see an anti-theft alarm at a store, I have this awful fear that it will ring when I walk out of the store and embarrass me. Not that I’m a kleptomaniac, but these older alarm systems have a way of going off even when you’ve paid for your goods.

I don’t think there’s a name for this phobia, but I’m pretty confident I can’t be the only one who has this fear. Anna Hoormann did a lot of research on odd phobias and compiled some interesting ones here that I didn’t even know existed.

The Essential Photo Gear Used by Anna Hoormann

Anna told us:

Canon 1200D

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ71

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

Anna Hoormann: My name’s Anna; I’m 22 years old, born, raised and living in wonderful Hamburg, Germany. Currently, I’m studying communication design, but I’ll graduate next year in the fall, so this will be my last month as a student! The first time I got into photography was when my stepfather surprised me with a digital camera. I was 13, I guess, and it was a lot of fun, and I started experimenting. It was not the best camera, but in the beginning, it was pretty awesome. After watching some YouTube videos, I started using this camera for videos. Kinda like a video diary. I was collecting snippets of my life and putting everything together in Windows Movie Maker (such a horrible tool).

The Phoblographer: What gave you the idea to do this series about phobias? Where did it all start?

Anna Hoormann: So I had to do a midterm exam for my uni; we were completely free and could implement anything we wanted as a topic. And this evening, I was thinking about my best friend, who I know since the seventh grade. She has a pretty serious phobia against pigeons which I didn’t always understand.

Then I remembered that I saw the eighth season of American Horror Story. This season is kinda about many phobias, phobias I’d never heard anything about, like Trypophobia, which is a fear of holes. I got more and more fascinated by the whole topic, so I told my professor about it, and she said that it would be such a great idea and that she was curious about my final result.

The Phoblographer: How long did the project take to complete? How complex or not was it to do?

Anna Hoormann: The time I had to finish this work was three months, and I needed two months. It should also have something enlightening about it, so it was pretty much research. It was not that complex to take the pictures; it was more complex to find the motives and “build” the artist book.

The Phoblographer: Why black and white for these phobia images when we still fear things that are colorful in real life?

Anna Hoormann: In my opinion, black and white is more focused on everything. Colors can be distracting sometimes, and I wanted people who look at these pictures to focus on the texture and detail.

For some sho...

“My intention is to get the viewer interested in what the model is thinking,” says Dorota Gorecka of Poland when I ask her what gets people so engrossed in her portraits of women. She began playing with photography equipment in the unused studio at the advertising agency she worked at. Spending more and more time here led to her getting hooked on photography. She specializes in working under natural light conditions and working with models to produce moody photographs.

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Conceptualizing a solid idea behind a photo series is something not a lot of us do. We tend to get inspired and try to somehow recreate the mood or look of a photo we’ve seen somewhere. But how many of us sketch down ideas that come to us and then experiment with different lighting and various lenses to create that vision we had? Dorota Gorecka gets some of her inspiration from Dutch painters of the Golden Age period. She looks out for places that appeal to her and then tries to work with available light at a visually striking time of the day. Some of these portraits had me staring in awe.

The Essential Photo Gear Used by Dorota Gorecka

Dorota told us

Canon 5D mark IV

Sigma 24-70 mm Art lens

Canon 70-200mm F2.8

4 Polaroid cameras

My first camera was given to me by my husband, as were all the others, and it was a Canon amateur SLR. This brand is actually with me until today.

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

Dorota Gorecka: I live in Poland. I started to take pictures when I was a mature woman in my forties. At first, I thought it was too late to start something new, but soon I found out that it was just wrong thinking. I met many fantastic middle-aged people who started their adventure with a new hobby with great enthusiasm and joy. It charged me with good energy, and I no longer thought about how old I was but about the fact that I wanted to take pictures. My husband, who is a photographer himself, got me interested in photography. From the very beginning, I knew that the subject of my photos would be a human being. At that time, I worked in an advertising agency which had a photographic studio. It was standing empty; nobody was using it. I thought it was a great opportunity to start playing with photography there. I started inviting friends over to take pictures. The meetings were lovely, and we all had a great time.

After a year, I knew I would always do this, that I needed it and that it made me happy.

The Phoblographer: A lot of your work focuses on the female physique. Please, tell us more about this.

Dorota Gorecka: I like a certain type of silhouette. Petite, young women with virtually no strongly defined gender features. Androgynous even. I don’t want to show their bodies in a sensual way. I prefer to emphasize their femininity with a delicate pose.

As for lenses. today I prefer zooms. My favourite lens is Sigma 24-70 mm from Art series. I actually do not take it off the body. This lens gives me a lot of freedom of shooting. I often find myself in places which do not allow me to take a step forward or backward. Standing in a very cramped, cluttered room or, for example, on a stone in the middle of a rushing stream, thanks to the variable focal length of the lens I have a chance to get a frame that I have just thought of.

The Phoblographer: Tell us how you approach a shoot. How do you collect the ideas needed for it, and what kind of preparation (emotionally and otherwise) goes into an on location shoot.

Dorota Gorecka: I usually start by finding an interesting place. Once I find one, I think about how to use it in an interesting way. By place, I mean a place in a particular light (at a particular time of day). And this is the moment when I decide which model I’m going to invite to the session, what outfits or props I’m going to use. I arrange the outline of several frames in my head. I...

“When you dedicate passion and consistency to what you do, the rewards will come by themselves,” reveals Paolo Pettignani of Italy about his commitment to his craft. Known as one of the leading photographers in the contemporary field of infrared photography, in person, he’s reserved and prefers to let his work speak for itself.

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An exciting way of seeing our planet’s diverse landscapes is through aerial / drone photography. In the last 5-8 years, advancements in drone technology have really helped photographers excel in this field. I still don’t know pan from tilt sometimes when trying to fly my Mavic Pro 2. But I do enjoy seeing the work of expert drone photographers on my social media feeds. Aerial perspectives fascinate me, especially those showcasing natural vistas from lesser-known places around the world. We’d featured Paolo a few years ago when he used a DSLR to capture infrared images of the Dolomites. After investing in a drone, Paolo decided he didn’t want to do what every other drone photographer was doing, instead deciding to tweak his drone’s sensor.

The Essential Photo Gear Used by Paolo Pettignani

Paolo told us:.

Canon EOS R converted to Full Spectrum

Infrared filters (590nm, 720nm, IR Chrome)

Canon 17-40mm f/4

Canon 24-70mm f/2.8

DJI Mavic 2 Pro converted to Full-Spectrum

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

Paolo Pettignani: My home town is Avigliana in the Piedmont region, where I experimented with the first images on Avigliana’s lake in 2015. Now I live in Torino, but every weekend I escape to the mountains. I’m lucky because the Alpes are very close to Torino. Since I was a child, I love to spend time in nature, do some hiking, climbing, and in winter, I am also a snowboard instructor. For me, photography has always been a great passion, and I started taking my first photographs during a trip with my family in Argentina. I was 11 years old, and I used an old analogic camera. Growing up, after a degree in “Design and Visual Communication” at Politecnico in Turin, I started doing some research to visually combine photography and graphic design into a unique image with a particular focus on colors. I started exploring new techniques and new themes to see the unseen.

I found the way to express my personal vision of the world using infrared photography: a fusion of science and creativity, playing with colors, shapes and contrasts in order to create a visual mood to get the viewer lost into a new and unseen world that question reality as we see it.

The Phoblographer: Where did the inspiration for doing the Infraland project come from? Why do you feel that viewing the world through an IR perspective will “highlight the beauty that surrounds us and that is too often forgotten“

Paolo Pettignani: I find inspiration from nature, architecture, graphics, film, painting and everything new I see during my travels and my ordinary life. I think that every kind of suggestion can be useful to improve own creative ideas. Talking about digital tools and platforms, I also used to find inspiration for my projects on Behance and Instagram contents, but I really love to read magazines and art books where I use to find different kinds of tips, information and visual styles. Infraland is a long-term project I started in 2015 that explores the themes of seeing the unseen capturing the invisible electromagnetic radiation of the infrared light.

Infraland projects show a series of surreal landscapes unbound by human perception and space, capturing the invisible electromagnetic radiation of the infrared light with a converted camera to the full spectrum: a fusion of science and creativity in order to question reality as we see it. Since 2015, the various publications and awards have managed to identify my style and my photographic signature with the infrared technique charact...

“This photo almost wasn’t taken at all,” the photographer Dominik Schulze tells me. Three years ago, he was on his way home to Dresden, Germany, after a trip to Hamburg, when two young women entered his six-seater train compartment in Berlin. They’d picked up some food, and after they ate, they rested sleepily in each other’s laps, daylight streaming in through the window to illuminate their faces.

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“As I was sitting directly opposite them, I thought about taking a picture, but, unfortunately, I couldn’t reach my camera in the backpack above me, so I had to use my smartphone,” Schulze remembers now. “I didn’t want to take it at first because I was worried about what the others in the compartment might think, but, in the end, I decided to take several photos.”

He didn’t get the chance to meet the pair. He’s taken countless pictures since, but that moment of intimacy–an instant where time stood still, even in a crowded, public space–remains a favorite. “They never saw the photo or knew I took it, but I don’t think they would be angry with me for taking it,” the photographer says. “This picture taught me to go ahead take pictures of these fleeting moments, rather than waste time thinking about whether I should do it.”

Titled All I want is you, this photo also convinced Schulze that the best pictures can happen in an instant. In those rare cases, the choice of camera and the search for the “perfect” composition falls by the wayside, and all that matters is the scene in front of him. All I want is you recently won the People & Portrait category at the Mobiography Awards. We took the opportunity to ask the artist about his career thus far, the photographers who’ve inspired him, and the beauty of “mistakes” in street photography.

The Essential Gear of Dominik Schulze

Google Pixel 4a phone

Nokia 8 phone

Ricoh GR III camera

28mm lens

Schulze tells us,

“I currently use a Ricoh GR III and a Google Pixel 4a. All I want is you, my winning photo from the Mobiography Awards, was taken with my old smartphone, a Nokia 8. The compactness of the Ricoh GR is an advantage in the street because you can shoot undetected, and you can always have it with you. The 28mm converted to 35mm is very versatile and forces you to get out of your comfort zone a bit when taking pictures. Still, with time, I see more and more advantages in using a smartphone in street photography, as it allows me to remain unnoticed–especially since I think that, in a few years, we will only see a few ‘real cameras’ in our cities.”

Phoblographer: How did you get started as a photographer, and what drew you to street photography, in particular?

Dominik Schulze: I had a simple film camera as a child, and then I had two digital cameras, but I really started taking photos intensively when I got a Nokia Lumia 920 back in 2013. This smartphone had settings like shutter speed, ISO, and focus directly in the camera app, and I found it interesting to experiment with them.

In 2017, I went from being a casual shooter to a portrait photographer. I then came across Eric Kim’s blog, which mainly covers street photography, and the Ricoh GR, and I found the concept of this camera interesting. The combination of using a smaller camera, traveling, and taking pictures sounded very tempting.

Phoblographer: You describe your photos as “candid moments.” How do you ensure you stay inconspicuous when capturing these fleeting, ephemeral scenes?

Dominik Schulze: As I mentioned, I think the choice of camera is an important point. If you have the smallest possible camera or a smartphone, you look much less like a “photographer” to other people than a tourist or someone who only takes holiday photos.

It’s also important how you behave. In general, I tend to dress in dark clothing so as not to attract unnecessary attention; I even have the inconspicuous logo on my Ricoh covered with black tape. I also...