Recently I’ve been asked this question quite a bit. It seems everyone wants to know what gear other photographers like using. What’s your favorite camera, your favorite lens, your favorite light, these days?
Over the years I’ve had many favorite lenses, but at this very moment, I have one lens that stands out above the rest and it keeps blowing me away every time I use it. The Nikkor 105 f/1.4 lens is one incredible lens.
Yesterday, I went to Kamakura, Japan for the Yabusame ceremony (horseback archery), which is a traditional Japanese archery where an archer shoots arrows at three wooden targets while riding horseback. It was my first time attending this ceremony and I arrived later than I should have to get a good spot to take pictures. I took my new Nikon D850 camera and my Nikkor 105 f/1.4 lens. Before I left home, I decided to shoot at f/2.8 for the entire day. The bokeh (quality of blur) on this lens is insane and I wanted to test it in this situation.
For this ceremony, archers are dressed in beautiful Samurai attire and compete for the top honor. It is an amazing ceremony to see in person and even better to photograph.
After the event, I looked over my images as I took the train home. With the Nikon SnapBridge app, my images are transferred instantly to my smart-phone so I can share high-quality photographs instantly on social media or send to friends and family. I was blown away by the sharpness I was able to achieve as the archers flew by at lightning speed. The D850 camera and the 105 lens makes for a powerful combination.
For more info on photography check out the webinar this week.
Always dream big,
Matthew