LAND & SEA - A Reflection
I recently had the pleasure of being invited to be a part of a group exhibition at a boutique gallery in Woolloomooloo, called 220 | Creative Space and Gallery.
The exhibition was based around the concept of Land & Sea. It was, "An exhibition that endeavours to fascinate and showcase the creative mindsets of artists as they entwine into the mirage of land and sea.
They mark make and create images that we are drawn to by simplicity and complexity, by luminous light and liquid form, by weight of object and the tangible and not so tangible."
I had six pieces in the show, along side 8 other talented artists. The work I exhibited was from a darker, more sombre period and demonstrated that the beauty that surrounds us surpasses the aesthetic.
Land & Sea made its debut with an opening night that flew by in a flurry of people and drinks and from all accounts it was a huge success, with over 140 people passing through the doors in only two hours.
The gallery exhibited our work for the week and it was great to see a variety of people come through its doors - some photographers, industry professionals and the general public. It was great to be a part of, now I just need to start working on some new pieces!
My first Impressions - Tokina AT-X 24-70 F2.8 Pro FX lens
Recently I had the pleasure of giving the Tokina AT-X 24-70 F2.8 Pro FX lens a test run.
First impressions, the lens shows itself to be a decent competitor in this space. On taking it out of the box, the weight and feel of the lens were what instantly struck me. Weighing in at just over 1 kg, it is at the heavier end of the spectrum in comparison to the Nikon & Canon Competitors.
Aside from its weight, it has a very sturdy and solid feel. I think that its durability can be accounted for in its metal body and the rubber focus clutch mechanism ring. I will say that the distinctive push/pull ring is signature to the brand and is generally really easy to use. However, a word of advice, remember to pull it all the way to be effective.
The lens hood is a petal style which also has an interior velvet lining. Again, another signature touch of Tokina.
I have had the lens with my Nikon D610 body for the last three months now. I've been using it for events, still life and landscapes (landscapes being my preferred genre) - it's been my general go to lens throughout. In the time that I've been using it, I haven't been disappointed with it. I've found that the lens produces sharp image quality, good colour and nice bokeh at F2.8.
One thing that I did see was that there was some very mild fringing and vignetting (once I'd uploaded the images to my computer), however I found that this was easily fixed in LightRoom and at no detriment to the image quality.
Overall I've found the lens to be a quality build, producing excellent image quality at a great price point! It's a great option for a walkabout/general use lens. I've really enjoyed using it and have definitely been impressed! It's a lens that I will keep in my camera bag kit!
PROS:
- Sharp Image Quality
- Good Colour Quality
- Sturdy / Solid Build & Feel
- Decent weight to the lens
- Signature AF/MF Focus Clutch Mechanism
- Versatile - a good all rounder
- The focus ring rotates Canon Style (wasn't sure if this was a good or a bad thing! haha)
- Excellent Price Point
CONS:
- If you don't pull/push the AF/MF Focus Clutch ring properly, it doesn't click in and work properly
- There is no inbuilt vibration stabilisation in the lens. This isn't a big concern for this type of lens, but there are other brands that do have this inbuilt.
- Minor Fringing and Vignetting
- Some may find the lens a bit too heavy and may also think that it may look a bit old school, but remember don't let looks deceive you!
SOME IMAGE EXAMPLES THAT I HAVE TAKEN USING THE LENS:
