The Velvet 56mm f/1.6... Immediately, I was smitten with any & all images which flaunted those soft, out of focus edges and that dreamy quality which was so beautifully captured in the photographs produced by the Velvet 56. I was intrigued to say the least. So after a little research, a few questions and a good dose of indeciveness, I took the plunge and made my purchase. And after shooting with the Velvet for less than a week, it jumped into the #1 spot as my favorite lens, for a few good reasons:

 

T

1. The Effect:  Did I mention I'm completely mesmerized by images taken with the Velvet 56? I quickly came to the realization that I LOVE INTENTIONAL BLUR...like really, really love it. Not everyone is a fan of the soft focus effect, but I personally love the dreamy, slightly romantic look that this lens produces. It draws me in and makes me feel something, every single time. 

 

2. Versatility:  The Velvet 56 is a fantastically versatile, creative tool. Not only does this lens produce that ethereal look in portrait photography when shooting wide open, but it's also incredibly sharp when stopped down. So the effect can be subtle or very pronounced, you decide. Another feature that sold me on this lens was the 1:2 magnification for macro shooting. And after taking a recent workshop from the extremely talented Tiffany Kelly Photography, I was intrigued to learn more about macro photography. So that pretty much sealed the deal for me on making the Velvet 56 my next lens purchase.

 

3. Price: The price tag isn't exactly inexpensive but it doesn't break the bank either (like many lenses do) as it retails at $499. And BONUS, I snagged mine during a Lensbaby promotional sale which made the price even sweeter!!

 

The Cons: Really the only drawback, for me, is the fact that this lens is strictly a manual focus lens. While I shoot in manual mode, manual focus is a slightly different beast and requires a bit more patience which I sometimes lack. So honestly it's not even really a con, just have patience and practice and you will not only find that you love it but you may even prefer it!!

 

Here, I'm sharing with you some of my favorite images taken with my Velvet 56. From nature to street photography - to macro - to portraits, I really adore the enchanting look the Velvet 56 offers and cannot wait to explore more with it!