Photographer: Alexander Souetre. SIGMA 50mm F1.2 DG DN | Art

I have been familiar with the SIGMA Art line lens for quite a while now, as I was already using them before shooting with the SIGMA fp L. Each one of them is carefully made, with specific purpose and features. Though I wouldn’t consider myself a technical photographer, I have learned to appreciate the subtleties of fine glass. Prime lenses offer an edge you wouldn’t otherwise get with zoom lenses. And I have learned that when one was gifted to me early on in my career.

Photographer: Alexander Souetre. SIGMA 50mm F1.2 DG DN | Art

Photographer: Alexander Souetre. SIGMA 50mm F1.2 DG DN | Art

Photographer: Alexander Souetre. SIGMA 50mm F1.2 DG DN | Art

Photographer: Alexander Souetre. SIGMA 50mm F1.2 DG DN | Art

Photographer: Alexander Souetre. SIGMA 50mm F1.2 DG DN | Art

Every photographer learns to understand their own style and approach as they shoot. It isn’t something you can predict, as much as one would like to. It took me a few years, but I found myself in photography: not rushed, not overly prepared, but also not entirely left without control; a fine line between improvised and scripted. As for the subject of my photographs, I find myself having a passionate eye for architecture, art objects, abstract textures, and most of all, people. Often combining my favorite subjects becomes a fulfilling challenge.

Photographer: Alexander Souetre. SIGMA 50mm F1.2 DG DN | Art

Photographer: Alexander Souetre. SIGMA 50mm F1.2 DG DN | Art

When I had a chance to shoot with the new SIGMA 50mm F1.2 DG DN | Art, I took it upon myself to meet halfway between a common denominator, and a new approach to my style. The lens falls right in the center of my favorite focal range in between 35 and 65mm. Additionally, it offers a F1.2 wide aperture, which is ideal for a dimmed natural light studio environment, and it happens to be a favorite of mine. 

Photographer: Alexander Souetre. SIGMA 50mm F1.2 DG DN | Art

Photographer: Alexander Souetre. SIGMA 50mm F1.2 DG DN | Art

I shot with two subjects (Iona Catherine & Kaya Noteboom) as a way to capture individual talents, but also combine them in the frame to play with foreground, background, and the visually pleasing result of these features when shooting at a wide aperture. A mix of natural light and constantly controlled lighting allowed me to explore both situations within the same environmental parameters. Iona Catherine explored a styling concept & art direction, matched with backdrops and production design responding sometimes directly to the garment and its tones and patterns as a way to create a matching environment, which also contrasts with subjects when shot wide open.

Photographer: Alexander Souetre. SIGMA 50mm F1.2 DG DN | Art

The lightweight and compact combination of the SIGMA fp L and the SIGMA 50mm F1.2 DG DN | Art allows me to move freely and find new angles quickly. I sometimes switch between manual focus and autofocus to capture moments in movement. Both offer advantages, but I found myself more often working in autofocus, as it was fast enough for me to still find desired moments in a combination of two subjects in constant motion.  Since there was a great deal of comfort and familiarity for me, in the combination of subject and environment, I was expecting to focus more-so on the way the lens (which was new to me as of a few hours) would serve me. I was not disappointed; in that I didn’t even think about it. It came all naturally, and I worked with the lens as if I had owned it for years. It was fast, precise, and offered beautiful results when I had the chance to play them back on a large screen. The beautiful bokeh left me wanting to find more opportunities to show it when playing with foreground and background. Getting to shoot with such high optical performance is a luxury I find with few lenses, but the SIGMA Art line consistently delivers.

Photographer: Alexander Souetre. SIGMA 50mm F1.2 DG DN | Art

Photographer: Alexander Souetre. SIGMA 50mm F1.2 DG DN | Art

A photographer never has enough experience to avoid experimenting with new lenses. Though I tend to gravitate toward a preferred focal range, I find myself constantly interested in new glass, in or out of my comfort zone. One piece of advice I would give photographers time and time again: never stop experimenting, never assume you’ve tried it all. Brands keep producing new glass and pushing the boundaries; use that to your advantage and expand your technical kit as you grow as a photographer.

Photographer: Alexander Souetre. SIGMA 50mm F1.2 DG DN | Art

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