For his landscapes, Gary Hart's Top 3 lenses are a pair of zooms and a prime. Like a lot of nature photographers, Gary often works at the wide and of the spectrum which makes the 16-35 and 24-70 workhorses for him. For the 24-70, Hart prefers the lighter weight and smaller size of the 24-70 f/4 to a faster version of the lens. Read on to see more of Gary's thoughts on his Top 3.
Sony Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm f/4 ZA OSS
Front/back relationships are an important aspect of my style. To emphasize my foreground with maximum depth of field, I reach for my 16-35 and move in close. The lens’ minimum focusing distance is 11” which is ideal for creating the look I’m after. Last winter I pulled into Yosemite’s Valley View just as moonlight broke through the diaphanous vestiges of a clearing storm. El Capitan played hide-and-seek with the clouds, and very exposed surface throbbed white. The entire scene was reflected in the Merced River, doubling the magic. My 16-35 allowed me to hold sharpness, from the glistening crystals framing the riverbank through the mirror reflection all the way to cloud-shrouded El Capitan.
Sony Vario-Tessar T* FE 24-70mm f/4 ZA OSS
Lightning photography is as exhilarating as it is dangerous. My 24-70 provides the perfect focal range for my lightning shoots—tight enough to keep me a safe distance from danger, wide enough to provide ample field of view that ensures capturing the next unpredictable bolt. A summer monsoon storm was percolating across the canyon, just opposite my perch on Grand Canyon’s North Rim, firing several bolts per minute. With my Lightning Trigger poised for action atop my Sony a7R II, the 24-70 composed on the area of greatest activity, I could just stand back, enjoy the show, and wait for my camera to click. Reviewing my captures later that afternoon, among my many frames with lightning was this twin strike entwined like a double helix.
Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS
Whether it’s fall color or spring wildflowers, I’m drawn to the beauty of nature’s miniature world. My 90mm macro lens, especially when combined with extension tubes, puts me intimately close, delivering ridiculously sharp images with elegant bokeh. I can lose entire days behind this lens and completely forget the world beyond 12 inches. I recently wandered a quiet trail near Hawaii’s Puna Coast shortly after a short but intense shower had doused the landscape. When I found a single wild orchid with an array of dangling raindrops, I pulled out my 90mm macro and extension tubes and went to work. I used f/11 to ensure sharpness throughout the orchid and in the scene reflected back in each raindrop. Sunlight sifting through the branches overhead blurred beautifully into small decorative ornaments that formed a perfect background.
You can sign up for Gary Hart's workshops at his website, garyhart.com
