How to Use a Lensbaby: A Beginner’s Guide to Creativity

Imagine creating a dreamy, ethereal photos with a soft, selective focus that draws the viewer’s eye exactly where you want. Or, think about the possibilities of a Lensbaby with their mesmerizing bokeh effects. With a Lensbaby, you’re not just taking a picture; you’re crafting a work of art.

In this beginner’s guide, I’ll walk you through how I use and approach a Lensbaby lens, from understanding the different optics to mastering manual focusing techniques. Get ready to unlock a world of creative photography, and let your imagination run wild!

Key Takeaways

Lensbaby allow photographers to create creative blur effects.
Lensbaby intentionally introduce artistic blur and distortion, whereas traditional lenses do not.
Mastering manual focus, aperture and shutter adjustments is crucial for using a Lensbaby effectively.
With practice, Lensbaby lens can unlock a world of creative possibilities and artistic expression.
Creating a Pseudo Lensbaby photo using Photoshop or you’re favorite editing software.

Introduction to Lensbaby

Have you ever felt a little frustrated with the limitations of traditional lenses? As a digital artist, I have. Well! Lensbaby lenses provide a different perspective so you can express your inner artistic vision.

Who and what is a Lensbaby? Well! Lensbaby creates unique lenses to help inspire your creativity. These lenses, are truly unique, enabling you to explore and go beyond traditional photography.

What is Lensbaby?

At its core, Lensbaby is a brand that specializes in creating products that enable selective focus and artistic blur. Unlike conventional lenses, Lensbaby’s are known for their soft focus and Bokeh.

Benefits of Using a Lensbaby Lens

Not everyone is going to like the style of a Lensbaby, and I get that. For the longest time I hated them, swore I’d never use one. However they offers numerous benefits for those seeking to push their creative boundaries. The result can transform ordinary subjects into captivating compositions, infusing them with a dreamy, artistic quality.

Moreover, Lensbaby excels at enabling stunning close-up shots with selective focus.

Many photographers find the experience of working with Lensbaby both challenging and rewarding. It fosters creativity and a unique artistic expression, making it truly extraordinary.

Lens body	Optics	Effect	Ideal For
Composer Pro II	Edge 80	Slice of - surrounded by blur	Portrait, Landscapes
Spark	Sweet 35	Circular soft Blurr	still life
Velevet 56	Double Glass	Dreamy, velvet effect with smooth blur.	Macro photography and portraits can greatly benefit from knowing about Lensbaby and their innovative lenses.

My experience with lensbaby is limited to the Velevet 56 56MM F1.6 1:2 Macro

Bob Wild

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How to Use a Lensbaby Lens

Unleashing the full creative potential of a Lensbaby requires an understanding how a camera works. A complete understanding of shutter, aperture and ISO is required. I cannot say this enough, a complete understanding of the exposure triangle is a must.

Mastering these unique lenses takes patience and lots of practice. They’re manual, which means you’ll need to learn how to focus and adjust the aperture settings by hand. Hands-on learning can be difficult, but the rewards are sweet when you nail that perfect shot. Be prepared to shoot lots and often.

Manual Focusing Techniques

Lensbaby lenses are manual, so mastering manual focusing is critical for achieving tack sharp focus where desired. I prefer to use the camera’s Live View mode and zoom in to precisely focus on my subject. If you prefer the viewfinder, adjusting your camera’s diopter to match your eyesight can make manual focusing easier, particularly when seeking the sweet spot of focus.

Using a tripod and taking your time to carefully focus can also improve your results, especially for macro photography or when working with narrow depths of field. As with any new skill, practice is key to becoming proficient with manual focusing using a Lensbaby lens.

Practicing with Lensbaby Lenses

Practicing with Lensbaby lenses, particularly finding the sweet spot of focus, is essential to unlocking their full creative potential. Start by experimenting with static subjects, like flowers or still-life setups, to get a feel for how the lenses work and how to achieve the desired effects. As you gain confidence, try more challenging subjects like portraits or landscapes. Be patient and embrace the learning curve, as it takes time to develop the ability to pre-visualize and capture the exact area of focus you want. Keep practicing, and you’ll gradually gain a better understanding of how to position your lens and adjust settings to achieve your creative vision.

The Secret to using a Lensbaby

This is what you came for. How can you nail focus every time?

There can be a bit of a learning curve when it comes to using a lenbaby lens. But by following these steps you will be less frustrated, and bring home more keepers.

1) Start with a narrow aperture IE F/ 5.6 or F/ 8.
2) focus and set the distance. Note -you will not see a focus point in the viewfinder.
3) Open the aperture ( F2 – F/1.6 to get the desired effect).
4) Check the focus again.
5) Click the shutter button.

Pro-Tip I always take several photos at both aperture settings (steps 1 & 3), the video explains why.

Bob Wild

Final Thoughts On the Lensbaby

Lensbaby Lens offer a unique and creative approach to photography, allowing for selective focus, and beautiful blur. These lenses require a deeper understanding of camera fundamentals and artistic possibilities. Whether a hobbyist or professional, Lensbaby lenses provide a powerful tool for self-expression and artistic growth. They create dreamy compositions with carefully controlled areas of focus and beautiful blur, and isolating intricate details in your macro photos.

Discover the Magic of Pseudo Lensbaby Effects in Photoshop

If you’ve been eyeing the stunning effects of a Lensbaby but aren’t quite ready to dive in and spent the money, there’s excellent news! You can achieve similar results using Photoshop with a pseudo-Lensbaby effect.

Save Money

Firstly, let’s talk about the cost. Photography can be an expensive hobby, and specialized lenses like the Lensbaby can be pricey. Using Photoshop to create a pseudo-Lensbaby effect can save you a significant amount of money. Here’s why:

Lensbaby lenses are costly. High-quality Lensbaby lenses can cost hundreds of dollars.
Photoshop is versatile. Many of us already have Photoshop for editing, so there’s no need for additional purchases.

Avoid camera confusion.

Next, not everyone is comfortable with the technical aspects of their camera, especially when it comes to using specialized lenses. Lensbaby lenses necessitate a solid understanding of manual focus and aperture settings. For beginners, this can be daunting. Here’s how Photoshop helps:

Simpler controls: Using Photoshop to mimic the Lensbaby effect allows you to bypass the complicated settings.
User-friendly tools: Photoshop offers intuitive tools that make it easier to achieve the desired effect without adjusting your camera.

Skip the learning curve.

Learning how to effectively use a Lensbaby lens can be frustrating. It takes time and practice to master the unique focusing and blurring effects. Many new photographers prefer to avoid this steep learning curve. With Photoshop, you can:

Experiment freely: Test different effects without worrying about camera settings.
Instant results: As you apply the pseudo-Lensbaby effect, you’ll see immediate changes.

Flexibility and control

Another reason to consider the photo editing route is the flexibility and control it offers. With a physical Lensbaby lens, the effect is baked into your shot. In Photoshop, you can adjust and fine-tune the effect until it’s just right. Benefits include:

Undo and redo: Easily correct mistakes without ruining a shot.
Customizable effects: Tailor the blur and focus exactly to your liking.

Convenience and accessibility

Finally, using Photoshop to create a pseudo-Lensbaby effect is incredibly convenient. You can apply the effect to any photo, anytime, without needing to swap lenses or carry extra gear. This is perfect for:

Editing on the go: Apply effects even when you’re away from your camera.
Post-processing ease: Adjust the look of your photos after they’ve been taken.

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This tutorial explains how to create a pseudo-Lensbaby effect in Photoshop.

There are a couple of ways to achieve a pseudo Lensbaby effect in Photoshop, both using blur filters. Here are two methods you can try:

Method 1: Radial Blur with Mask

Duplicate your background layer (Ctrl/Cmd + J). This will give you a working copy to apply effects on.
Add a mask to the duplicated layer. Click the “Add layer mask” button in the Layers panel. This mask will control the blur area.
Define the sharp area. Use the Elliptical Marquee Tool (M) to create an oval selection around the area you want to remain sharp. Invert the selection (Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + I) so the area outside the oval is selected on the mask (black representing blurred area).

Step 2 adding the glow, using an Orton effect

Merge Layers. Create a new layer and merge all the previous layers into a new layer
Apply Image. Go to image > Apply Image leave the setting. Change the blend mode to screen. Adjust the fill to about 75%
Apply Gaussian Blur. Go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur. Play with the “Amount” setting to control the strength of the blur. I normal use at least a radus of 150
Refine the blur (optional):
- You can soften the transition between the sharp and blurred areas by adding a feather to the mask selection (Select > Modify > Feather).
- For a smoother blur, add a Gaussian Blur (Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur) to the masked layer with a low radius.
Enhance the effect (optional):
- Increase Vibrance and Contrast in adjustment layers to create a more dreamlike quality often associated with Lensbaby images.
- You can add a Curves adjustment layer to selectively brighten the blurred area for a more vignette effect.

Conclusion

Embracing the pseudo-Lensbaby effect in Photoshop is can be a smart choice for many. It saves money, avoids camera confusion, skips the learning curve, and offers unmatched flexibility and convenience. So why not give it a try?

I’ve Got One More Way to Get That Lensbaby Look

So you don’t want to spent hundred of dollars on a lens, and sitting behind a computer is not your thing. I get that! Why not get a cheap UV filter and lightly smudge vaseline on the out edge of the filter leaving the center clear and clean. This old technique will get you very close to the look your going for.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Lensbaby?

Designed to create creative blur, tilt-shift, and selective focus effects, the Lensbaby is a unique type of camera lens. It allows photographers to control the area of sharp focus surrounded by beautiful blur, producing ethereal, dreamy, and imaginative images.

What are the benefits of using a Lensbaby lens?

Lensbaby lenses offer precise control over the area of sharp focus, enabling you to direct the viewer’s attention to specific elements within the frame. The surrounding blur creates a dreamy, artistic effect that can transform ordinary subjects into captivating compositions. They also excel at macro photography, allowing close-up shots with stunning bokeh and selective focus.

How do I understand and use Lensbaby equipment?

Lensbaby lenses consist of a lens body and an optic. The lens body attaches to the camera and features a tilting mechanism, while the optic determines the focal length and effect within the optic swap system. Understanding how to tilt the lens and adjust the optic’s aperture is crucial for creating the desired depth of field and artistic blur.

How do I choose the right Lensbaby lens?

How do you choose the right Lensbaby lens? Consider your creative goals, focal length, aperture range, and desired effects. Experiment with different Lensbaby lenses and optics to find the perfect combination for your vision.

How do I master manual focusing with a Lensbaby lens?

How can you master manual focusing with Lensbaby lenses? Use Live View mode and zoom in for precise focus, adjust your camera’s diopter for easier viewfinder focusing, and use a tripod. Practice regularly to improve your skills, especially for macro photography and narrow depths of field.

How can I practice and improve with Lensbaby lenses?

How do you unlock the full potential of Lensbaby lenses? Practice with static subjects like flowers or still-life setups to learn the effects, then move on to portraits and landscapes. Be patient and embrace the learning curve to develop your ability to pre-visualize and capture the desired focus.