New Petzval 55 mm f/1.7 MKII Bokeh Control : First Impressions from Louis Dazy

Louis Dazy started photography in 2014. For him, film photography allowed a way out of the everyday monotony, and a means to express himself. Always looking for ways to hone his natural eye for cinematic portraiture, he captured the night with our New Petzval 55 mm f/1.7 MKII Bokeh Control. We had the pleasure of asking him about his initial thoughts about the lens, as well as a chance to view his uncanny talent within his photographs.

Hello Louis, it is with pleasure that we meet again with you for a series with our New Petzval 55 mm f/1.7, how are you since last time?

Hi! Pleasure shared obviously, everything is fine, I came back to Paris definitely since a few months and it's pretty cool!

Can you explain why you like photography?

I like capturing moments of my life, having memories for later, it also allows me to have a creative outlet where I am able to do what I want without asking myself questions.

Why do you have a preference for the night? Is it the lights that inspire you in particular?

The night is calm, there are fewer people, we are free to explore as we want, it's also prettier, there are more shades with the lights of the city, I always had a strange relationship with the night. When I was a kid I was scared of the dark and all the noises coming up from the street made me imagine all kinds of different scenarios, I scared myself but I loved it, my imagination was always much more active as soon as the sun sets.

You mainly shoot in film, how did you feel while doing digital?

It's nice, actually I had a lot of pleasure shooting everything and anything because I'm not limited by the number of frames, so I shot without really paying attention most of time, I have the trigger easier in digital! The feeling is really not the same but it was fun, I already shoot digital from time to time, mainly when I have orders, it allows me to have a margin of error less limited than with the film. There is not one that is better than the other, it just depends on what you prefer.

You had already tested the Petzval 58 Bokeh Control, so you knew a little what kind of style could be obtained with. What did you think of this version for mirrorless cameras?

I loved it, the finishing of the lens is really beautiful, the rings are very precise, and the visual rendering is as usual very cool as you can see in the pictures I took with it. I really loved using it during these 10 days, the control of the bokeh is really amazing, I missed using it, it is very convenient.

What did the New Petzval 55 mm f/1.7 MKII Bokeh Control allowed you to do differently?

Mainly to work on the texture of the bokeh, to see in real time the rendering of the background of my subjects, and also to open at 1.7 which is really convenient for night shootings.

Do you have any advice for photographers who want to do portraits with the New Petzval 55 mm f/1.7 ?

Just use the lens and discover it by taking your time, it's really perfect for portraits and those who already do will instinctively know how to use it.

Check the website of Louis, his LomoHome, his Facebook or his Instagram for a bigger glimpse of his work.

2019-06-24 #gear #news #people #bokeh #artlens #petzval-55
translated by Anna Carestia