Sony Artisan Nancy Borowick is a photojournalist specializing in storytelling around family, relationships and health. After becoming a mother to two young boys, Nancy has refocused her photography, and her lenses, on her own motherhood. She explains, “For years I have encouraged my students to look closer to home, to shoot what’s in their backyard and since having children, I’ve challenged myself to do the same.” The fast pace of newspaper photojournalism helped prepare Nancy for the unpredictable nature of photographing family, especially children, and she has pulled together a list of her go-to gear items she plans to have at the ready for the upcoming holiday season.
Product Preview – In This Article You’ll Find:
–Sony Alpha 1
–Sony Alpha 7S III
–Sony 35mm f/1.4 G Master
–Sony 85mm f/1.4 G Master II
–Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master
Cameras
Sony Alpha 1: This camera is my side kick. Whether it is slung over my shoulder, tucked into my camera bag or situated on the dining room table out of reach of my toddler, it is always with me. Frankly, it does it all, and when photographing family, versatility and convenience are king. I use it mainly for stills but love that I can quickly switch to video. I love to capture normal, everyday life, so I often have it set with the continuous drive speed of medium to high, shutter on silent, and the AF Face detection on. To be honest, I shoot a lot of mediocre frames to get to the one I want. I work the situation not knowing if my kids will do something interesting, or walk into the nice light. As a photographer who is also a mom, it’s hard to not feel guilty about missing moments so having it within arms-reach brings me great comfort.
Photo by Nancy Borowick. Sony Alpha 1. Sony 35mm f/1.4 G Master. 1/125-sec., f/2.2, ISO 800
Sony Alpha 7S III: Although I treat this as my second body, I know it can do all the things I want it to do so I will often toggle between stills and video with this camera. I love that the body is lighter, the image quality insane and it performs SO well in low light. Oh, and its flip out screen makes it super easy to confirm framing and focus when I am actually in the photo (which is a rare occurrence).
Photo by Nancy Borowick. Sony Alpha 7S III. Sony 85mm f/1.4 G Master II. 1/800-sec., f/1.4, ISO 320
Lenses
Sony 35mm f/1.4 G Master: The 35mm is my workhorse. If I could only have 1 lens, this would be the one. If I want to zoom, I move my feet and get closer or farther away. Nothing can beat the sharpness and precision of that glass and the way it performs even in the very low light situations (hello bed time or after sunset silliness).
Photo by Nancy Borowick. Sony Alpha 1. Sony 35mm f/1.4 G Master. 1/50-sec., f/1.4, ISO 400
Sony 85mm f/1.4 G Master II: The new 85mm is the lens of my dreams. I have been waiting for what feels like forever for this new lens to arrive and since I got my hands on it, it’s been giving my 35mm a run for its money. I tend to use this focal length when I am making more controlled portraits because it’s just…perfect. It is sharp, fast, quiet, light and tracks shockingly well.
Photo by Nancy Borowick. Sony Alpha 1. Sony 85mm f/1.4 G Master II. 1/5000-sec., f/2.2, ISO 160
Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master: Last year, after exploring some astro photography with some friends, I immediately went home and ordered the 16-35mm. This is much wider than I usually shoot, but I was so inspired by its capacity to capture my usual POV I had to get my hands on it. What has surprised me even more is how versatile it’s been when photographing children and families. Sometimes things are happening in one part of the frame and before you know it, other things are unfolding on the opposite side and being able to quickly jump wider to 16 has been exciting. I also like to bring it underwater when I am snorkeling, which is a fun new hobby of mine.
Photo by Nancy Borowick. Sony Alpha 1. Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master. 1/800-sec., f/8, ISO 400
Accessories
Sony Portable Speaker: A trick to getting my kids to really let lose in front of the camera is playing some of their favorite songs. This pocket blue tooth speaker is so small and easy I just pop it into my bag and have some fun songs at the ready.
Light: This little hand held light packs a punch. I saw a wedding videographer use it many years ago, attaching to the hotshoe of their camera, and I decided to see if I could hold it in my left hand while I shot with my right. The world is a stage and when my kids see a spotlight, they can’t help but launch themselves into the frame. While I am typically a natural light kind of gal, it’s nice to have some fill or spot light support if I need it.
Photo by Nancy Borowick. Sony Alpha 1. Sony 35mm f/1.4 G Master. 1/125-sec., f/1.4, ISO 500
Memory Cards: With the dual memory card slots in my camera bodies, I rarely run out of memory while shooting BUT it is always good practice to have extra especially if you are shooting 20 frames a second. I do slow down, frame my shots and wait for the moments, but when those moments come at your fast, you don’t want to miss any or hold back.
Lens Wipes: Always good to have these nearby, in case of a sneak attack toddler finger smudge or unsuspecting sneeze lands on the front of your lens.
Snacks: Always good to have, for me or the kids- bars, nuts, edamame bags for protein, bars or something that wont make a mess or leave a face dirty (like anything with chocolate chips I try to avoid).
Photo by Nancy Borowick. Sony Alpha 1. Sony 35mm f/1.4 G Master. 1/640-sec., f/1.4, ISO 400
Bubbles: I have never met a child (or adult) who didn’t love bubbles.
Bandages: Because you know, boo boos.
See more of Nancy Borowick’s work on her Alpha Universe Profile and on Instagram @nancyborowick.
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