Category: Street

A night on the Town with Aaron Pegg, the Nikon Z f & Plena Lens

Post author By Diane Berkenfeld
Post date July 29, 2024

Aaron Pegg photo of a model at night, in low light — A Night Out In little Italy there were lots of lights on the street and building. “I wanted it to feel like she was on the go. I waited for a car to appear on the left side of Jada to add more depth to the image and I also feathered the strobe to add some light to Jada’s face,” notes Aaron.

Aaron Pegg photo of a model at night, looking off camera — Evening Beauty. “This was one of the first shots of the evening. I placed Jada between a store front window (on her right side) and a food cart (which is to her left) and I was able to get enough light on her face and clothing to produce this shot. I just placed her closer or farther away from these two ambient light sources until I achieved the desired look you see here. Knowing that I could achieve this at night, with no additional strobes made me very happy,” explains Aaron.

New York City–based Aaron Pegg recently had the opportunity to photograph a model using the retro-styled Nikon full-frame/FX format Z f mirrorless camera and the NIKKOR Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena lens. Wanting to challenge himself, Aaron came up with a scenario that would test the camera’s low-light capabilities while utilizing the stunning bokeh the Plena is known for.

This was my first night shoot and I wanted to challenge myself to photograph a dark-haired subject with the quintessential New York all black outfit.

The story behind the imagery is about a young lady headed out for the evening in NYC. Aaron notes: “I knew the Plena’s circular bokeh and the Z f’s low-light capabilities would be perfect to capture these moments!”

The Z f with its retro design has been Aaron’s go-to camera choice as of late. The Eye-detection autofocus has been quite beneficial for Aaron, who often shoots in low-light conditions. “I feel like it’s very rare now that I am missing focus on a portrait,” he explains, adding, “The low-light capabilities have made it so much easier to photograph subjects in the subway and at night!”

Aaron Pegg photo of a model at night, on the street, partly lit by pink neon — Gotham Pink. “While we were walking around Soho, I noticed a restaurant with a neon pink sign casting pink light. I thought this could be a great way to add some fun and pop of color in the image while adding to the story of Jada’s night out in NYC. So, I placed Jada under the light but it washed over her entire face, but I loved the pink lighting on her leather jacket, so I decided to place the strobe on the right side of her face so that the pink neon acted more like a side light while leaving her natural skin tone,” notes Aaron.

A Touch of Light

“Knowing that the 135mm Plena lens was going to produce some beautiful big circular bokeh, I needed to find a location in NYC that had a lot of lights in the scene and some great ‘available light’ or ambient light that I could use to light my subject,” Aaron explains. So, he searched out locations where he’d be able to use available light from a store front or food cart along with one strobe that he used to shape the lighting.

In a few of the images from the shoot, I used ambient lighting. However, for most of the images, I used a strobe with a larger softbox. The key to these images was to make the lighting feel more natural and make it feel like Jada (the model) was lit by more practical lighting in the scene, like the car headlights or lights from a store front. In order to achieve these, I had my assistant feather the light, so only part of it was hitting the subject.

Aaron Pegg photo of a model at night, sitting on a bench, looking off camera — Waiting for a Friend. The car lights were reflecting against the fence. “I knew that it would add some separation with Jada sitting in front of it. I feathered the off-camera flash on the left side of Jada to add some fill light and to add detail to her face and body. I love the subtle subdued result,” notes Aaron.

One Model, Many Options

Aaron often wants to tell a story with his shoots, especially when on location—it sets the tone for both him and his models.

I think the key to getting a variety of great shots on any shoot is to be intentional. Why is the subject wearing this outfit? Where are they going? What are they doing? How do they feel? The answer to these questions will help craft how I want to capture a scene and what shots I need to tell the story fully.

But one tip Aaron suggests is to not just stick to a plan but leave room to adjust on the fly. “I like to leave room for improvisation because those candid moments can lead to new ideas and that’s where the magic lies at times,” he adds.

The Results are In

Aaron has pretty much used all of the Nikon Z series mirrorless lenses and found the 135mm Plena to be an amazing piece of glass. He concludes: “I think the compression and bokeh that I was able to achieve with this lens is like no other!”

Landscape Street

Reinvention: Pushing Creativity

Post author By Diane Berkenfeld
Post date July 5, 2022

Manny Khan photo of a park bench covered in cherry blossom petals — The fallen blossoms beautifying the empty bench. Roosevelt Island, NY.

Manny Khan photo of a park bench with autumn leaves on it — The beauty of the fallen leaves saying goodbye. Flushing Meadows Corona Park, N.Y.

Manny Khan’s photographic journey began with the camera in his smartphone, and after a couple years of sharing images socially and generating positive feedback, Manny wondered about the possibilities that lie with a real camera. His first camera was a Nikon DSLR. Manny used that camera to teach himself about exposure, settings, and by watching how-to videos on YouTube and experimenting he found his niche and style. He’s since upgraded to a Nikon Z 7II mirrorless camera that fits his “evolved style of shooting”, as he notes.

His inspiration comes from the endless picturesque streets, waterfronts and skyline of NYC—year-round, being able to photograph these familiar subjects under different weather and lighting conditions.

Manny defines his work as storytelling through his compositions: “combining available light, shadows, color and textures that evoke emotion and drama in my photos.”

Manny Khan photo of a park bench and streetlamp in the snow — Winter wonderland in Roosevelt Island N.Y.

Challenge Yourself

When you’re photographing a similar subject often, you end up challenging yourself to make each image uniquely different from the last. The perspectives in the city are unlimited, lending to the myriad ways of photographing one subject so differently each time.

“The layout of NYC park benches is very intriguing to the eye. Pairing that with city views and lamp posts provides me opportunities to experiment with depth of field to frame my shots with the NYC skyline.”

He’ll often use low-angled perspectives or experiment with different points of view to draw the viewer into the image. Manny explains, “[With] Park benches in particular I look for foreground and any elements such as wooden textures and leading lines that may add to the dynamics of the shot.”

The Beauty of Cherry Blossoms

“Cherry blossoms are signs of new life. Their life cycle is short lived, yet they are so symbolic. I have always loved the unique beauty of cherry blossoms and the positive energy they evoke in people. During the month of April every year, it is an absolute delight to capture the cherry blossoms in NYC, particularly on Roosevelt Island.”

Photographing cherry blossoms on park benches allowed Manny to capture two of his favorite subjects—the blossoms and the park bench. He explains, “In the image of the cherry blossoms looking through the arm rest (above), the drizzle and gray skies helped achieve the moody tones for that image.” The image of the bench at night with the city in the background (below) used the same technique, but at a different time of day. Manny was able to use the light from the lamp post in the scene to provide additional lighting, to showcase the rich texture of the bench and compose the image with deep colors.

Manny Khan photo of a park bench at night with the NYC skyline in the background — Escaping into the blue hour. Gantry Plaza State Park, N.Y.

The Scene Makes the Image

Choosing how to photograph a landscape or cityscape can be subjective. Do you go out to shoot in bright sunshine or wait for gloomy, stormy days? Each of those images will give the viewer a different message. Manny says, “I generally compose my images of the locations I visit based on the weather conditions, surroundings and available light.”

“During cloudy and rainy days, I’m captivated with the gray skies, fog and soft light of the atmosphere—incorporating that with shadows and reflections to compose a dark and moody image, sometimes incorporating people with umbrellas which I feel adds to the storytelling of that particular image.”

Manny Khan photo of a park bench and cherry blossom tree — The fallen blossoms under the gloomy skies. Roosevelt Island, N.Y.

“On bright and sunny days, I love to capture the crisp blue skies and glow of sunlight. Those bright and colorful days are also perfect for nature walks and capturing the deep greens, yellows, and oranges.”

The next time you’ve got the urge to go out to shoot but don’t really have a subject in mind, don’t be afraid to challenge yourself to take a new look at an old, familiar subject.

Photographic Portrait Street

Mighty Little Snapshooter

Post author By Diane Berkenfeld
Post date December 7, 2021

Bobby Kenny III photo of a couple in low light — Self-portrait using the headlight of Bobby’s motorcycle to backlight himself and his fiancé. The camera was set with a 10 second self-timer and the couple were on their needs to position the light exactly where it was wanted.

Portrait and wedding photographer Bobby Kenney III recently had the opportunity to use the compact and lightweight NIKKOR Z 28mm f/2.8 lens and shares some of the images he created as well as his thoughts about this compact prime mirrorless lens.

“The NIKKOR Z 28mm f/2.8 lens is an absolutely wonderful lens, and to be honest one of my favorite lenses for portraits.”

He explains that the lens is wide enough to make it versatile in shooting portraits—both close-up and full length. Having previously used a 20mm prime for portrait photography, Bobby says the 28 is a perfect middle ground: “to capture the unique wide angle look that I want for my portraits and while still looking natural.”

Another great benefit of this lens is its size, how small and lightweight it is. This lens gives a powerfully unique perspective and really aids in the capturing of eye-catching portraits.

Both prime lenses and zoom lenses have their place in a photographer’s camera bag, and while Bobby has used zooms, he says he really loves prime lenses.

“Prime lenses have a clean, crisp look to them. They also inspire and enable more creativity with angles, as they lead you to move around more and test out your range of different perspectives.”

Bobby Kenny III photo of a girl and her reflection outdoors — Shooting portraits with mirrors and reflections has a powerful effect on photos. Bobby explains that he loves the aesthetic look of symmetry, which would have been unachievable in this portrait without the reflection. Note that its Bobby’s shadow that creates the ability to see the model clearly on the other side of the glass, as it blocks the reflection of what’s behind him.

Benefits of Z Mirrorless

“The Nikon Z system is the greatest camera system I’ve ever used. It produces extremely high quality and high-resolution images, and has such a clean, natural look to them that I haven’t seen with other systems.”

Bobby says using the Z system has also made shooting much simpler. With the electronic viewfinder, shooting has never been so easy and precise. As you change the ISO, aperture, and shutter speed, you can see how the picture is going to look before you take it, unlike the constant back and forth of checking pictures taken on a DSLR to make sure they’ll turn out okay.

He notes that the autofocus is also extremely quick, which is a huge help when photographing weddings. Other features he can’t live without include the low light shooting capabilities and the high quality of the NIKKOR Z lenses, which he says, “are phenomenal, and far surpass any lenses I’ve used with a DSLR.”

Bobby Kenny III photo of a girl and reflections from behind glass — Shooting through glass can be a little bit of a challenge, since the model on the other side can’t really hear Bobby’s directions. He’ll pose as an example for the model to replicate.

Beautiful Beautiful Bokeh

Bokeh is something that Bobby utilizes often in his images.

“The bokeh from a wide aperture lens is absolutely beautiful. It really helps to draw the focus to the subject, and really makes portraits pop. There is so much you can do with creating an aesthetic background using bokeh, as shapes, colors and lights blurred out in the background really add to the artfulness of the picture.“

“The same is true with the foreground, whether it’s subtle circles from lights, blurred colors from leaves, or anything else you can use in between you and the subject to add a creative touch to portraits, the wide aperture really extends your horizon for the composition and feel of a photo.”

Bobby Kenny III photo of a guy looking at the camera with long dreadlocks — I had to really duck down to capture this one of Keem! The round multi-floor architecture and the glass rotunda of the Cleveland Arcade was absolutely gorgeous, and with the wideness of the 28mm I was able to really capture its beauty for the backdrop!

Getting into the Picture

As a photographer, it also helps that Bobby himself is a model, so self-portraits are often the norm in his imagery.

“I love taking self-portraits.” To execute this, he’ll place his camera on a tripod, set the self-timer to 10 seconds (sometimes 20), and run into the scene. I really enjoy being able to insert myself into my work, and I would encourage all photographers to do it from time to time.”

Bobby Kenny III photo of a girl in sunlight with trees in the background — “For this shoot with Cassady, we had a lot of fun just simply walking through downtown Dayton, Ohio, looking for random patches of direct sunlight. Unlike most photographers, I love direct sunlight. When you place a model in a small patch of it with shadows surrounding, it creates a beautifully intense contrast. It really helps background colors to pop and the model to be the dramatic center of focus.”

Augmenting Reality

Along with props (check out this previous article) which can add to a photographer’s creativity, Bobby also utilizes shooting through glass windows often as well as using prisms to create a unique look.

“I really enjoy shooting through glass, as you never know how the reflections are going to look. It adds an abstract artsiness of shapes and lines to portraits. You can move ever so slightly to the right or left, and both the lights from inside and the background outside all move, which is really fun to explore.”

Using prisms can really add to a composition, Bobby notes. It can turn “a simple portrait with lights in the background into a unique artsy conceptual photo with an interesting depth of field.”

Bobby Kenny III photo of girl with lights and reflections from a prism — From the last set of images shot that day, Bobby spotted the lights and knew he had to photograph them. Alli was game. He says he had her stand under the lights and grabbed a prism. “My goal was to just surround her with the lights, using the prism to add a foreground of the lights that were behind her and above her.”

Photographic Street

Flip the Narrative

Post author By Diane Berkenfeld
Post date April 9, 2021

Jesus Presinal breakdancing upside down with the river in the background

Jesus Presinal (JP) is a breakdancer turned creator (photographer, director, editor) who often turns the camera on himself. You’ll find his gravity defying images at Instagram/officialjpnyc and Instagram/jmpproductions.

I was always used to being in front of the camera and showcasing my skills with dance. Getting behind the camera is a fairly new experience for me, but I’m loving this new artistic outlet.

JP’s always had an interest for photography and the magic made behind the camera. Photography allows him to showcase his artistry while video allows him to showcase his strongest moves. Instareels and TikTok are two platforms that he’ll share these videos on regularly. Instagram has been an important avenue for JP, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. With the live entertainment industry on hold, he’s been able to connect with brands who saw his gravity-defying skills as a way to showcase their products. Some of these include Denizen by Levi’s, ONE Bars, 1800 Tequila, Ultimate Ears, Starbucks and of course Nikon.

Jesus Presinal in air, on the phone, in front of a building

Performing the Trick

When you are both the talent and photographer you’ve got to accomplish more than just photography, you also have to satisfy your talent-self. JP is pretty specific as to how he wants to be photographed since he’s visualized a specific image in his head. And depending upon what the focus of the image is or the product he’s showcasing.

The vision is always different depending on what I am showcasing—whether it is an outfit, sneakers, a certain location, or a stationary product … angles can get tricky when you’re flipping or standing on your hands.

Most of the time, I’ll set up the camera how I want, set up a timer, give myself 10 seconds, and go perform the trick for the shot. If I can’t get the specific angle i want, I’ll give a friend (or my girlfriend) my camera and show them exactly how i want them to shoot.

With the camera set to continuous shooting, JP’s going to have plenty of frames to choose from. Lighting, location and whether JP’s photographing himself, it could take up to 20 takes to get the ideal shot. With an assistant, it’s easier and usually only takes 1 – 5 takes to get what he’s looking for.

Into the night

JP’s gone from turning the camera on himself, to turning his camera on others with his own photography/videography business (@jmpproductions).

I’m very excited to start shooting other people more and really growing my experience behind the camera. I love to capture my style of “levitating” shots and candid movement in my work with other creatives!

Prior to the pandemic, JP had begun performing on Celebrity Cruise Lines’ luxery ships, taking him to incredible port cities like Ibiza, Naples, Monaco, and Barcelona. JP’s looking forward to the future when travel starts back up again, and taking his Nikon camera gear with him.

JP says he’s inspired by the support and encouragement he gets from those around him.

It means the world to me to hear that my work impacted someone in a positive way. it is an absolute pleasure to leave people staring at a photo and wondering “Wow how is he doing that?” or “How did he manage to capture the shot?”

JP marries his love for movement and photography with gravity-defying photos captured in urban landscapes. Ask JP to define his work and he’ll say it’s an “artistic experience.”

I want [people] to really see the art in my photography and how beautifully you can capture movement in still photos. I use lighting, shapes, and camera angles to turn each photo into a true work of art.