It's not often in this world of everyone trying to be like everyone else that a unique product shows up on the scene. This "baby"' is it, and the great news is that it's very affordable. The Lensbaby is basically a front element mounted on a slinky! That's not exactly what it is, but the entire element can be bent and turned in almost any fashion to change point of focus and even the amount and location of defocus. This allows the photographer a brand new creative option for around $135. I've got filters that cost more!! The Lensbaby gives you a photoshop effect without the computer time! Pretty cool. I've been messing around with my Lensbaby for a few months and am still really excited about using it.
For those who think that this is not a serious lens, consider that stock agencies love anything different and a 50M file shot with the Lensbaby will be considered as much as an image shot with a very expensive lens.
There's also several attachments that screw into the front of the Lensbaby: wide angle, telephoto, and two close up lenses. I regularly use all of these attachments when called for in the field.
Technique-wise, I hand hold the Lensbaby when shooting wide open because the shutter speed is fast enough to not matter. But, one can also insert f/stop "washers" to create smaller f/stops, giving greater sharpness. As the aperture gets smaller, the shutter speed slows, necessitating the need for a tripod. Actually, using a tripod most of the time will help with the sharpness because it frees both hands to control the lens movement.
So, it's time to stop reading, get your very own Lensbaby, and work on expanding your vision!
Here's the link to my Lensbaby gallery on my Betterphoto Deluxe site:
http://www.tonytsweet.com/-/tonytsweet/gallery.asp?cat=22178
Have fun!!
