Photographer Stuart Pitkin is a visual artist that has been using the SIGMA sd Quattro H + 24-70mm F2.8 DG OS HSM | Art lens for over a year for his commercial and editorial work. He recently made the switch to the new SIGMA fp Camera and agreed to be a regular contributor to SIGMA fp stories feature.
March /April with the SIGMA fp Camera.
My new SIGMA fp Camera arrived three days before the UK went into lock down. Not the best way to start, but then I thought this is a challenge, think about looking for the beauty that surrounds us everyday and is often overlooked.
I am lucky that I have an allotment that’s only a short walk away, this year it has become an essential escape, my little bit of the countryside on my doorstep. The Sigma FP with the SIGMA 45mm F2.8 DG DN | Contemporary lens is a compact set up that is light enough and easy to take with me each time I go.
This April has seen the blossom and fresh green shoots emerging. My favourite time of the day is when the sun is low in the evening sky just an hour before it dips below the tree line. I found a large piece of broken glass on an adjoining abandoned plot, the new grass shoots finding their way through what almost looks like sheets of ice.
I have in the past avoided using cameras without a built in viewfinder but with the SIGMA fp I have found that with focus peaking and auto focus enabled I can frame a shot and manage to capture shots from angles that would be otherwise difficult. The focus peaking reassures me where the focus is and for tricky subjects I switch to manual. The touch screen comes in very useful for when the camera doesn’t quite find exactly the spot I am after.
I love the look I can achieve with the SIGMA 45mm | Contemporary, at the wider apertures it produces a lovely swirly out of focus background, I know its called bokeh, a Japanese word meaning out of focus, its just that it’s such an over used term, I wish there were another word to describe the painterly look you can achieve.
I feel I am just getting started with this camera; it encourages me to try things a little differently. There are still challenging months ahead but I am confident the FP isn’t going to hold me back.
You can view more images by Stuart Pitkin on the following links:
Website: http://stuartpitkin.co.uk/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stuartpitkin/