Portrait photographer Niah Aldrich specializes in colorful portraits (check out one of her latest shoots in Seeing Red: Inside A Bold Portrait Session for a solid example.) Many of her portrait sessions take place outdoors, and in her kit for an on-location session she likes to use her Sony Alpha 7 IV with the Sony VG-C4EM Vertical Grip so she can easily interact with her clients. Paired with three sharp G Master primes, including the new Sony 85mm f/1.4 G Master II, she’s able to capture outdoor portraits that make a statement. Watch the video and read the breakdown below as she takes a deeper dive into what’s in her bag.

Product Preview – In This Article You’ll Find:
–Sony Alpha 7 IV
–Sony 85mm f/1.4 G Master II
–Sony 50mm f/1.2 G Master
–Sony 35mm f/1.4 G Master
–Sony VG-C4EM Vertical Grip

“I’ve Never Had A Lens As Sharp As This…”

Aldrich calls the Sony 50mm f/1.2 G Master her favorite lens, and one you’ll find a lot on her Sony Alpha 7 IV. "It’s like the 35mm and 85mm kind of had a baby," she explains. "35mm is kind of that wide and kind of gets the environment. The 85mm, is oh, I’m getting close-up. I have that nice, creamy bokeh. Beautiful, beautiful headshots. But you know you have to really step back if you want a full body. With the Sony 50mm f/1.2 G Master, I can be somewhat close, but still have that low aperture, that lower number, that f/1.2, and still have that nice, creamy blurred background. And I’m not losing sharpness at f/1.2 which is amazing."

She continues, "Paired with my Sony Alpha 7 IV, the focus and how it just tracks and locks on the eyes. I’ve never had a lens as sharp as this...until I met my 85mm."

“...Until I Met My 85mm"

The new Sony 85mm f/1.4 G Master II is the latest addition to Aldrich's portrait photography kit, and it's one she's already created a number of absolutely beautiful portrait images with, like the one below. "It is sharp from edge-to-edge," she says, "and I'm really excited for you guys all to get this in your hands."

Photo by Niah Aldrich. Sony Alpha 7 IV. Sony 85mm f/1.4 G Master. 1/1600-sec., f/1.4, ISO 100

The third sharp prime you'll find in her kit is the Sony 35mm f/1.4 G Master. "What I love about the Sony 35mm f/1.4 G Master, is that it’s a really wide focal length. I’m able to really capture a lot more of my environment. So for my full body shots or something like whenever I’m shooting outside, and the location is really cool, I’m going to pick up my 35mm so I can show where I’m at. I can’t use something like an 85mm or else it’s going to be something like a headshot or it’s going to be just super, super tight.”

An Essential Accessory

Attached to her Sony Alpha 7 IV is the Sony VG-C4EM Vertical Grip. Aldrich considers this a necessity in her kit, because it allows her to better grip the camera and show her face to the client. “I love my battery grip just because I do primarily shoot portraits. Just having my hand here, I’m able to interact and talk with my clients more than having to hide my face.”

Photo by Niah Aldrich. Sony Alpha 7 IV. Sony 85mm f/1.4 G Master. 1/8000-sec., f/1.4, ISO 160

See more of Niah Aldrich's work on Instagram @niahrosephoto.

See more videos like this one on the Alpha Universe YouTube Channel.