Disclaimer: If you happen to read the blog written by the incredible Jasmine Star (whom I actually reference in this article) and think that I just ripped her blog post from this morning, I didn’t. I wrote this on Sunday. I’ll just say that I’m delighted to see that Jasmine and I are thinking somewhat along the same lines. . . .

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My collection of lenses is a little bit like the collection of half-empty water bottles on my nightstand: I’m convinced that there’s no such thing as too many. Well, that’s not true with the water bottles. Every few nights I clear them all out to the recycle bin to make room for some new ones. I’m going to be a lot slower to recycle my sweet Nikon lenses.

While Danny and I are still acquiring lenses (and absolutely cannot wait to get a 35 f/ 1.4, which is next on our list of must-haves), I’m pretty much in love with the lenses that already accompany me inside my Shootsac every time we head out to a portrait session or wedding. I thought I’d give you a rundown of the five lenses we currently use most frequently, and what we love about them. So here goes, in order of millimeter range.

1.)  AF-S Nikkor 14-24 f/ 2.8
This wide angle zoom is, in a word, a life saver. Okay, that’s two words, but it’s still true. In tight quarters, this lens comes to the rescue, allowing us to get the shot we need even if there’s no space to back away from our subject. Even more incredible are the panoramic views we get with this sharp lens, and the very minimal distortion at the edges of the pictures. For years, I had dreamed about the freedom and versatility a wide angle would provide, and the creativity it would inspire. It did not disappoint! I love how pictures taken on the wide angle really make you feel like you’re standing right there, because you can see everything the photographer saw from one corner of her peripheral vision to the other. It’s great for tall vertical shots, too.

Here’s one of my recent favorites from the 14-24.
2.) AF-S Nikkor 24-70 f/ 2.8

A true workhorse, the 24-70 offers the most useful range for wedding and portrait photography — but it’s also what wedding photographer extrordinaire Jasmine Star refers to as her “lazy girl lens” because it’s so versatile that any photographer who uses it can pretty much stay planted and zoom in and out to get just the right composition. Which isn’t always a bad thing during a busy wedding! We’ve used our 24-70 extensively, and it used to be my go-to lens before I got fixed on fixed lenses. But I still reach for it when I know versatility is the key, and it has produced some lovely images for us. Zoomed in, it has excellent bokeh; zoomed out, it’s my family portrait lens of choice.

This is one of my favorite pictures we’ve gotten on the 24-70 to date.

3.) AF-D Nikkor 50 f/ 1.4
Currently my favorite lens, the 50 mm is so many things: Dreamy, romantic, even mysterious. One thing it isn’t, though, is super fast-focusing. So while I rarely choose the 50 for action shots, it’s my go-to lens for mid-range portraits, and my absolute favorite for indoor portraits, especially for newborns. Wide open, the 50 has such a shallow depth of field that only a small part of the image will be in focus, which results in some truly beautiful images that pull the viewer’s eye right to the most important part of the picture. The dreaminess of this lens makes it the perfect choice for newborns, as well as couples.

Here are two perfect examples of the 50’s shallow depth of field.

 4.)  AF-S VR Nikkor 70-200 f/ 2.8
Simply put, I don’t know how any photographer can shoot a wedding without this lens. Danny’s favorite lens, the 70-200 offers a great telephoto range, but just as impressively, it offers fantastic bokeh, with a very crisp focal point and a sharp drop-off: Anything not in the focal plane becomes beautifully blurred rapidly, which creates smooth images. Filled with rich coloring, images from the 70-200 truly pop. It’s incredibly flattering as a portrait lens, and also lets us capture tightly-framed shots from a distance when we don’t want to intrude — pictures such as a bride and groom exchanging rings or sharing their first kiss at the altar, or pictures of special, intimate moments that would be ruined if we ran up close to our subjects with a camera. Equally important is Nikon’s VR, vibration reduction, which compensates for hand shake. Danny loves using the 70-200 to “snipe” candid shots during portrait sessions: While I direct the family or couple, he’ll wander around us, finding new angles and capturing genuine moments that frequently become our favorite shots from the session.

This pair of photos were two of Danny’s “sniped” shots, and also two of my favorite pictures that he has ever taken on the the 70-200.
5.) AF-S VR Nikkor 105 f/ 2.8 macro
The 105 is our newest lens, and we’re pretty enamored. A macro lens, this is what gives us the ability to get larger-than-life photographs of wedding rings, flowers, food, and other small objects that are just begging for an extreme closeup. The vibration reduction makes these closeups tack-sharp, like the 70-200, and also like the 70-200, the colors the 105 produces are rich and saturated. It also has uses beyond macro photography: As a portrait lens, the 105 is incredible, and so good that it’s close to becoming my favorite portrait lens and Danny’s favorite portrait lens. In fact, as far as I’m concerned, the 50 and the 105 are neck-and-neck in the running for my favorite.

Here’s one of the incredible macro shots this lens produces.
And here’s one of the super-creamy portraits we’ve taken recently with the 105 — yes, it’s a picture of me. Isn’t Danny good at making me turn out presentably?!
I’m curious to see how my lens-love changes over time — which lenses I’ll use more infrequently, which new lenses I’ll adore. There was a time when I couldn’t see myself ever choosing any lens without a zoom, and now they’re the first lenses I reach for. What’s next?

I have a feeling I’ll be checking back in for an update in a year or two. . . .

~ Laura