Hoboken Photoshoot
Starting off November with a cold weather shoot with Ali (@alisorr), we decided to head to Hoboken for a sunset photoshoot. We missed the sunset due to traffic and me mistakenly thinking sunset was later, but we made it work out anyway.
I decided to take my trusty Sigma 50mm f/1.4 ART lens and a vintage Pentax M42 lens: 85mm f/1.8 SMC (Super-Multi-Coated). I haven’t shot with my vintage lenses in a while so figured it would be a good time to take them for a walk. The cold air did not help with the manual focusing, though.
Gear Used
Canon EOS R
Sigma 50mm f/1.4 ART
Pentax 85mm f/1.8 SMC
Flashpoint AD200
Matthews Mini Extendable Reverse Stand
MagMod MagShoe
Model: Ali Sorrentino (@alisorr)
Sigma 50mm f/1.4 ART with natural lighting
Sigma 50mm f/1.4 ART with natural lighting
We were losing light fast so we tried to get some poses quickly. I started with the Sigma 50mm, so I didn’t have to waste too much time with manually focusing. Now that these shots went well, it was time for an outfit change.
Since we lost the light at this point, it was time to switch to the manual lenses. Up first was the SMC Pentax 85mm f/1.8. I’ve spoken about this before, but I think this has to be my favorite vintage lens I own. It’s very sharp and the bokeh is nice and pleasing. Plus, 85mm - 135mm is my preferred focal length to shoot portraits. I own the SMC Pentax 135mm f/2.5 (6 element) but chose not to use it this session.
One of the main advantages of vintage lenses are their size. They are very small compared to their modern counterparts. The other advantage is each lens has its own characteristic and charm, which is the main reason why I use them.
Sigma 50mm f/1.4 ART with natural lighting
The light was gone and it was now a night shoot. As Ali (@alisorr) changed outfits I switched to the 85mm. I brought my Flashpoint AD200 but didn’t want to use it unless necessary since I like to play with the lighting around us, if there was any. We hit up the bike path and used the streetlights for lighting up the scene.
Pentax 85mm f/1.8 SMC with streetlight
Pentax 85mm f/1.8 SMC with streetlight
Next up, we took a walk to the pier with a nice backdrop of New York City. I was still trying to use the available light before having to take out the AD200 (it was cold and I was feeling lazy) or jack up the ISO too much.
Pentax 85mm f/1.8 SMC with rail lighting
The walkway to the pier had some nice lighting similar to my DUMBO photoshoot. At dusk, the backdrop of NYC offers some stunning views. The sun sets behind you when facing New York from Hoboken so even though the sky becomes a dark blue, the buildings stay lit and reflect the setting sun and sunset sky.
I had Ali (@alisorr) sit down under the railing to get the lights on her. This was the only lighting here and the only way to use it. You can see how it adds a nice key light and still be soft enough for portraits.
We continued walking to the pier and there were some lights set up we tried to use. This spot had a clear view of the city as we were further over the water with no obstructions.
The Pentax 85mm really shined here. The lit-up buildings provided some great lighting for a nice bokeh.
This was the last shot using the available lighting. I knew I had to pull out the AD200 for some key lighting at this point. Still, this shot came out great with only the pier’s lighting.
Pentax 85mm f/1.8 SMC with pier lighting
Now that I pulled out the AD200, we didn’t have to worry about finding the right light. We did a few more shots then started walking back to the car because weather was getting colder.
Pentax 85mm f/1.8 SMC with Flashpoint AD200
Pentax 85mm f/1.8 SMC with Flashpoint AD200
As we walked back, I switch to the Sigma 50mm so I wouldn’t have to deal with manually focusing. We hit up 2 more spots, one using the available lighting and then back to the bike path for another try.
Sigma 50mm f/1.4 ART with restaurant lighting
The lighting from the restaurant was pretty good and the glow around her head from the string lights looked really good.
Sigma 50mm f/1.4 ART with restaurant lighting
Sigma 50mm f/1.4 ART with restaurant lighting
The last shots we did were on the bike path using the Sigma 50mm and AD200 for lighting. The ground was really cold so we did this quick then got out of Dodge.
Sigma 50mm f/1.4 ART with Flashpoint AD200
Sigma 50mm f/1.4 ART with Flashpoint AD200
That concludes the Hoboken photoshoot. Although it didn’t go as originally planned, I think we did pretty well for the circumstances. Don’t forget to follow Ali Sorrentino (@alisorr) on Instagram and you should already be following me (@danny_hults).