July is Travel month at Lensbaby so we wanted to share some of the images and stories from our Traveling Burnside Project. Since May, several Burnside 35 lenses have been traveling around the world, spending a few weeks with a photographer, and then visiting the next. Below are some of their images and stories.
From Sarah: Because it is all manual, I had to think more: I had to think about composing, I had to think about the light. It made me a more thoughtful photographer. I think that made me a better photographer. I feel that after the 2 weeks, my little creative spark, is a little brighter. It pushed me to try something new and I will use what I learned to advance my style. =I created so many shots that I love and that I am very proud of. I also got incredibly wonderful feedback from my social friends and followers. I love the vignette. That surprised me. It's more natural and subtle when created in the camera. In the shots where I wanted light at the edges, I used the slider. I love the versatility of that. I had to do very few edits. That really surprised me. I love colorful images, and the color on my images was amazing. I was expecting to like it, but after I had some time to experiment and play with it, I never took if off the camera...I LOVE this lens.
From Marcia: It's very easy to use and get the special look of it. I'm not used to shooting a 35mm without a zoom range. My feet had to do the walking. It was fun - in a way it was getting back to basics and then finessing the effects. Very cool project.
From Laura: I had never shot with a Lensbaby before so I really didn't know what to expect. When I first started shooting with the Burnside I struggled a bit - mainly with its features and the fact that it wasn't autofocus (yes, I rely heavily on autofocus.) I am glad that I struggled on with it as it helped me to grow on my own personal photography journey and definitely added something extra to my photographs. When I first shot with it honestly I wanted to send it back the the previous shooter with a note saying 'I just don't get it'. Now, today I feel sad to see it go. I have had lots of positive feedback about the images that I have shown on social media. It does add an arty dimension to an image.
From Joan: I would say that my anticipation didn't even come close to what I was able to do once I had the Burnside on my camera. The colors were richer and the opportunity to be able to manipulate swirl and vignette made every shoot even more exciting. I think it was a wonderful experience and a wonderful way to get the word out about this fun lens.
From Birgit: Shooting with Burnside 35 forced me to become more aware of which aperture I was using, more so than with any other Lensbaby (or regular) lens I have. With this in mind, I didnt have to change my photography habits at all. I was able to shoot so many types of images: macros of flowers and insects, velvety patterns of flower beds, bubbly evening sun bokeh, landscapes with lovely depth and warm contrast, starry city lights at night, and of course portraits with the lens signature effect: gorgeous twisty bokeh. My experience with the lens didnt curb my enthusiasm one bit, and my own personal copy will be on its way to Norway before long!