Create a light show with a Lensbaby

Dan Mold shows you how to use a Lensbaby to shoot creative Christmas ornament close-ups with brilliant bokeh effects…

- Dan Mold

THE MISSION

Get creative with freelensing for cool bokeh effects

Time needed 30 minutes

Skill level Beginner

Kit needed

• Lensbaby Spark or prime lens

• A Christmassyscene

QUICK TIP

Focusing with the Lensbaby Spark 2.0 does take a little getting used to… We’d recommend playing around with the lens for a while to get used to its moving sweet spot, and bellows-like design, before embarking on a specific project. The focus and aperture are set manually, so it’s best to shoot in the Manual mode.

We have a feeling Santa will be delivering his fair share of Lensbaby Spark 2.0 lenses this Christmas. The successor to the massively popular Lensbaby Spark isn’t your normal lens, as it gives you the ability to tilt your focal plane for incredible results. We’ve seen them at around the £150 price point, which could make it the perfect Christmas present for the photography-lover in your life – or yourself of course!

This mini tiltable lens is manual focus only and features a flexible bellows-like design. You squeeze the lens in and out to adjust the focus, while tilting and rotating the optic moves the position of its sweet spot. Its aperture range is f/2.5 to f/22 and the included Lensbaby Sweet 50 (50mm) optic can be swapped out and replaced by any of the brand’s 15 Optic Swap glass.