16 http://www.digitalcameraworld.com

TOP GEAR #

Canon 50mm fast prime

JP SWITCHES over to his

Canon 50mm f/1.2L prime

when he needs to shoot a

wider composition than he

can get with his 100mm f/2.

macro. This gives him a

natural focal length on his

full-frame that’s similar to

what the human eye sees, so

the food won’t look distorted.

He often uses his 50mm

for overhead shots, looking

straight down onto the plate

while standing on top of his

step ladder. Its super fast

f/1.2 maximum aperture is

perfect for shooting in those

low-light conditions to obtain

fast enough shutter speeds.

SUE’S COMMENT

This
Widbrook’s
Garden Fizz cocktail is
a gin and tonic with a
twist, served in a tall
balloon glass with cucumber, the striped
straw made for a good focal point. I placed
it on the copper top bar to add texture. As
I composed JP helped move some of the
cucumber and ice around in the glass and
propped the straws to make it look more
photogenic. I used one of JP’s flash
triggers and aimed the softbox on the
flash towards the cocktail. I then used an
aperture of f/5.6 to get make sure the
glass was sharp, while blurring the
background and keeping it dark.

HOT

SHOT

Lens Tamron SP 90mm f/2.8 Di VC USD

Exposure 1/5000 sec, f/5.6, ISO

THEAPPRENTICE