Would you use this lens for this shot? c/c please

I apologize in advance if this is not the right forum but this is more a gear question in a low lit church than it is a photo question.

I do our Parish photography and I would like to improve on my technique for these baptism shots. I shoot with a 5D3, and for this day I rent a 50mm 1.2 lens. To a fault, I tend to shoot a bit narrow with longer than necessary glass. But I'm trying to emphasize the individual and the moment.

Is that what I'm doing here? How would you shoot it? What about from a slightly lower vantage point, and wider, showing more background? I recently purchased a Tamron 24-70 2.8 VC, but I'm not sure it's fast enough for this shot. This shot was at iso 4000, f1.8, 1/200 with the fast prime in case my exif data doesn't show. I'm wondering about trying something wider, maybe the new 35 1.4II.

Interested in your thoughts.

c/c please

Heya,

Depends on the final look you want.

If I were going to do it, I would drop down low so that I'm nearly at the same surface as the water, and use a telephoto with fast aperture, instead of a wide lens, so that I could crush the background and not see a bunch of pants. Instead, just framing up the subject's face coming up from the water. From the side (profile) it would look interesting to me. From the front, it could also be interesting but perhaps odd with the water. I'd probably go for a profile shot. And try to capture the first gasp for air as the water is falling off. I'd probably use an 85mm F1.4 for this, or a 200mm at F2.8 depending on how close/far you can or cannot be and depending on light. Obviously you need fast shutter or you'd get a blurry mess, but the speed at which the person will move is probably going to easily be frozen around 1/400s or so. 1/200s works, and 1/100s works, if you want more action in the water. If you want everything stopped, 1/400s or 1/640s would probably do it here. At F1.4, you could get that at around ISO 6400 perhaps based on your light. At F2.8 it would need ISO 10,000~12,800 and 1/200s to get the same light. So I'd probably favor the 85mm F1.4 here. Or 85mm F1.8 if that's not available and just play around ISO 6400 or so, 1/320s or 1/400s depending on overall exposure.

Then I'd go black and white and push a low key image with dramatic highlights.

Very best,

so...........maybe....​...... time to try a 135 2.0 ? Wasn't thinking about going narrower. I'd worry about DOF with the movement. I'll have to check out the font and see what other angles I have to work with. Thanks very much

mpstan wrote in post #17862410
so...........maybe....​...... time to try a 135 2.0 ? Wasn't thinking about going narrower. I'd worry about DOF with the movement. I'll have to check out the font and see what other angles I have to work with. Thanks very much

Heya,

This is why I was saying from the side, profile. As the movement is planar, and always in your depth of field.

Very best,

I would point an off-camera flash with snoot at them. I think this would isolate them nicely and add some drama.

And just me, but I would lower the red on the minister/pastor's face a bit. He would probably thank you. And then tell him to go and get his blood pressure checked. Should not be that red from a simple dunk.

Great shots! Like all the other wonderful people here have said, I think getting on the same plane as the action can really make a difference in these kinds of shots.

Also, I personally, find the Tamron 24-70 to be quite good for baptism shots, thats what I have here. Russian Orthodox Baptism.

Gkphotos wrote in post #17916583
Great shots! Like all the other wonderful people here have said, I think getting on the same plane as the action can really make a difference in these kinds of shots.

Also, I personally, find the Tamron 24-70 to be quite good for baptism shots, thats what I have here. Russian Orthodox Baptism.

Hosted photo: posted by Gkphotos in
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forum: Weddings & Other Family Events

Stunning photo sir. What are your thoughts on a lens in my situation? At 1/200, 1.8 and ISO 4000, not sure I could get enough light without a prime in the baptism scenario...... I'm thinking about an 85mm 1.2L rather than a 50 this year......

When I shoot in a church, I've found 24mm to be the best focal length. Second choice after that is my EF 70-200mm f/4 L IS.

You see, one of the problems with church scenes is that the people and/or the background are way to close to send them completely out of focus. In that case, your f/1.8 aperture is a blessing both in terms of light and subject isolation. Some churches are also rather small, and you don't have much room to back out in order to use telephotos. When I use the 70-200m I'm usually in the choir loft.

I'd experiment with the 24-70mm you just bought. Your mileage might vary.

to be honest its more about the lighting and the composition than lens selection. what makes gkphotos image is the lighting not the lens. his 24-105 would have given nearly identical results.

you are shooting with a 5d3 and f2.8 will be more than acceptable. the only reason i would not use it is if i had something that focused faster, the tamron can be a slug compared to certain primes. With the dunking and nailing focus you may wish to try out a 85/1.8 not the 1.2.