A couple months ago I was approached by Sigma South Africa to use and review a selection of their Sigma lenses while out in the field. I am a field guide and have been guiding now for just over four years in some of the most prestigious lodges within the Greater Kruger region in South Africa namely the Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve and the Timbavati Private Game Reserve. Conducting game drives daily in these spectacular regions allows me to encounter some of the most sort after species on safari… read more →
One of my first lenses that I received from Sigma South Africa was the Sigma 8-16mm DC HSM f4.5-5.6. I have been using it almost exclusively for interior and architectural work. Now many photographers out there do not like the ultra wide lenses for interior or architectural use due to extreme effects they tend to have on perspective. That however, is the beauty of these lenses in my opinion. They create space and have the ability to create a feeling of open space in what might otherwise be perceived as… read more →
By Sigma Ambassador Keith Connelly If you missed it, please read Part 1 of this series here. So this post is merely a guideline from my own perspective. I will be using Photoshop and Nik Software as these are the two programs I use mainly in my conversions. Of course there are very effective ways of producing these images in Lightroom as well. So before getting into the detail I want to reiterate some of the points from my last post: Start with a quality raw image Look for Images… read more →
In photography, composition refers to the structure, organization, and visual characteristics of the elements in your photograph. Compositions can be complex, powerful, boring, moody, uplifting, and a plethora of other adjectives. When you hear photographers refer to the composition of a photograph, likely they are talking about things like subject placement, lighting, colour, lines, space, balance, and more. Although composition is one of the most important aspects when it comes to photography it is also one of the most difficult things to master, especially in wildlife photography when your subject… read more →
Personally I have a huge love for monochrome imagery as many people do. Monochrome has the advantage of removing the distraction of colour from an image and allowing you to focus on the content, composition, subjects, tonality and emotion present in that image. When we look at a good monochrome image it draws us into the thought process and mind of the photographer in a much different way than with colour images. We can push our creative boundaries in a myriad of different ways with monochrome photography as opposed to… read more →
Recently I went on a 10 day trip to the famous Kruger National Park, where I saw it as an opportunity to use an unusual setup, the 150-600mm DG OS HSM Sport lens coupled with a Sigma TC-1401 1.4x tele-converter. Now the reason I say it’s an unusual set up is because it gives you an f-stop of f7.1 at the lowest focal length and f9 at the highest, so you would automatically think that you will be limited when it comes to when you would be able to take… read more →
In the beginning of most of our photographic journey’s we strive for the best light from over our shoulders that illuminates our subjects in late afternoon golden loveliness. Which it must be said is truly wonderful and makes great images of course. But…the moment I spun that first & last 10 minutes of glorious light on it’s head and had it over my subject shoulder, my photographic journey changed forever! What is not to love about deep rich reds and oranges dancing across a dusty scene creating moody and wonderful… read more →
By Sigma ambassador Rudi Hulshof As camera enthusiasts, we are bombarded by reviews and spend hours on the internet scrolling through specifications and sample images taken with the lens that we are interested in buying. The “lens haze” descends, and we are sold on the most expensive, out of this world lens, that eventually becomes, just a dream. We promote the incredible capabilities of this lens, rattling off specifications to all those that are willing to listen to our “knowledge”. We defend certain brands, and highlight their advantages, while convincing… read more →
Often when speaking to people about lenses, especially the bigger telephoto lenses, their first question is “How is the quality?”. Now quality is the most important aspect of a photograph, nobody wants an image that isn’t pin sharp or lacking amazing vibrant colors. If we were to just be satisfied with that then there would be no market for high end camera equipment, especially lenses. As I have discussed previously, lenses are where the magic happens and this is where the new range of Sigma Global Vision lenses stands out… read more →
I spent 9 days with the epic 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Contemporary in the Kruger National Park earlier this year and I was blown away. My personal lens I use for wildlife is the beautiful 120-300mm f2.8 Sport. I love this lens and was quite apprehensive about leaving it behind and going away with a lens that is affectively aimed at consumers. I thought I wouldn’t get the sharpness I am used to and thought I’d miss the low light capability I have with my 120-300. How wrong I… read more →