Best lens for cake smash photos

J

Jenndoh

New member
Hello!
I am brand new here and trying to get any advice on which lens would be best for my D3200 when I shoot a birthday cake smash this weekend for a one-year-old. I am going to rent from borrowlenses.com, but I'd love to hear any suggestions as to which lens would help me get the crisp sharp shots of the baby & cake with bokeh (of the wall decor) I do have a fixed lens, but it's not a wide-angle, and I think a wide-angle would work best. Just looking for any suggestions! Thanks so much!

Jenn
 
Scott Murray

Scott Murray

Senior Member
Jenndoh said:
Hello!
I am brand new here and trying to get any advice on which lens would be best for my D3200 when I shoot a birthday cake smash this weekend for a one-year-old. I am going to rent from borrowlenses.com, but I'd love to hear any suggestions as to which lens would help me get the crisp sharp shots of the baby & cake with bokeh (of the wall decor) I do have a fixed lens, but it's not a wide-angle, and I think a wide-angle would work best. Just looking for any suggestions! Thanks so much!

Jenn
Click to expand...
Welcome Jenn,

I think a wide angle would get you too close to the action (think flying cake). Maybe a portrait lens like a 85mm f1.4 or equivalent. You do not state what fixed lenses you have so we are just guessing. Also the room size/layout will play a big part in the lens focal length.

Edit - have a read through this it may help. I have never tried this before.

Pullback: A behind the Scenes look of a DIY Cake Smash | Chrissy Martin Photography
 
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Horoscope Fish

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
Jenndoh said:
Hello!
I am brand new here and trying to get any advice on which lens would be best for my D3200 when I shoot a birthday cake smash this weekend for a one-year-old. I am going to rent from borrowlenses.com, but I'd love to hear any suggestions as to which lens would help me get the crisp sharp shots of the baby & cake with bokeh (of the wall decor) I do have a fixed lens, but it's not a wide-angle, and I think a wide-angle would work best. Just looking for any suggestions! Thanks so much!

Jenn
Click to expand...
I'm going to suggest the 85mm f/1.8G for you. It will get you close to the action without you having to be all up in the kid's business. It's a light, fast and incredibly sharp shooting lens.

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P

Panza

Senior Member
85 is not very wide at all! On that crop sensor will she be able to take photos of the cake indoors D;? Rent a 24-70mm f/2.8 ? It's wide, sharp, and has bokeh + it zooms. Only downside is that it is large and heavy and would be on the more expensive rental side.

Set it to A mode and aperture f/2.8 and worry about taking pictures of the right moments, not camera settings or walking back and forth : )


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wud

wud

Senior Member
Panza said:
Set it to A mode and aperture f/2.8 and worry about taking pictures of the right moments, not camera settings or walking back and forth : )


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Click to expand...


No.... If she is inside, the shutter could easily be to slow. Who wants blurry cake smash pictures?
 
Horoscope Fish

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
I personally wouldn't shoot people indoors at close range with a wide angle because of the distortion. The focus is going to be on a relatively smallish subject, the baby at "room distances"; using a DX body like the 3200 I'd be fine with a fast 50mm or 85mm, with my personal preference leaning toward the 85mm.

Bokeh, really, is not too much of a consideration here because to get good bokeh you need more distance between the subject and background than a typical living room is going to provide. Not to get overly technical here but for good bokeh the distance from subject to background needs to be (roughly speaking) ten times what the distance between the camera and subject is. For example: If baby is 8 feet away from you, the background will need to be (roughly) 80 feet behind baby to get good bokeh.
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