A Soft Touch with Tom Migot and the Daguerreotype Achromat Art Lens

Tom Migot is a wedding and portrait photographer who also has a youtube channel where he recently reviewed the Daguerreotype Achromat Art Lens. He talked to us about his experience shooting with this lens.

Name: Tom Migot
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
Profession: Artist Photographer
Website/Social Media links: tommigotphotography.com, Instagram @tommigotphotography

Tell us a bit about yourself?

I was born in France but left it at the age of eighteen to travel the world and start a career in a fine dining restaurant. After a while, I realized this life was not for me and I moved to the USA where I met my wife to be. I became a computer engineer and in 2007 we moved to Scotland as I got a job at Adobe. While at Adobe, I launched my company Tom Migot Photography, specializing in wedding & portraiture and teaching photography. In summer 2016, I left Adobe to focus solely on my photography. Since then I strive to live my dream while spending more time with my very understanding wife and my lovely daughter Skye.

Aside from photography, I have a passion for travel, movies, and music. I also kitesurf on the eastern shore of the Firth of Forth when I find the time.

What was your first impression of the Daguerreotype Achromat Art Lens?

What attracted me to the Daguerreotype Achromat Lens was first its appearance. Not many lenses are made of brass nowadays (besides the Petzval of course). I then got to learn about its fascinating history and I said to myself I had to play with it and let my followers know about it.

How did you get on shooting with this lens?

The truth of the matter is, my ego was first hurt. I am a spoiled photographer with fancy DSLRs and professional glass which together focus extremely fast and accurately so I never have to think about it really. Using the Achromat was a learning curve for me. Everybody loves shooting wide open but attempting that with the Daguerreotype was very frustrating for me. I struggled to assess sharpness in the viewfinder. I then analyzed each Waterhouse aperture plate and found out I was more comfortable shooting at f5.6. Better focus accuracy while retaining a soft touch. The lens is naturally soft but can also be sharp. I concluded my video review of the Daguerreotype with "it is a sharp lens with a soft touch".

Any pointers that one should keep in mind when using the lens?

I would be lying if I said this lens has become my go-to lens for my weddings and family portraiture shoot. This lens requires a much slower pace than I am accustomed to. While the owners of mirrorless cameras will have the advantage to use the focus peaking (electronic viewfinder that offers a zoom to focus more accurately and faster), the DSLR users should not be let down nonetheless. The Daguerreotype Achromat is for those who value the mood of a scene over the constant absolute sharpness. For those who take the time to capture the emotions and seek a different but natural look in his/her photography. This lens is an invitation to nostalgia and creativity.

Any upcoming projects?

My schedule is filled with weddings and many photography workshops in Scotland. A big part of my time is also dedicated to producing tutorials on youtube and my blog. I am currently working on the release of a complete online course on Adobe Lightroom and I am preparing a series of photography workshops across Europe, starting with France in early 2018.

2017-07-02 #people #london #uk #scotland #daguerreotype-achromat-2-9-64-art-lens #tom-migot