Inspiration

Capturing beautiful chaos with ease: SIGMA 16-28mm F2.8 DG DN | Contemporary

Capturing beautiful chaos with ease: SIGMA 16-28mm F2.8 DG DN | Contemporary

- Meg Loeks

SIGMA 16-28mm F2.8 DG DN | Contemporary, SONY α7C, ISO 800, F4.5, 1/200s

As a mother of five children, I’m in a season of life that’s beautifully chaotic. I know it goes by too quickly. I know it’s fleeting. That’s why it’s important to me to capture not just the milestones, but the in-between moments and everyday mundane. I want to capture my children’s wonder and curiosity while out exploring, but not be weighed down with bulky gear. With the SIGMA 16-28mm F2.8 DG DN | Contemporary and 28-70mm F2.8 DG DN | Contemporary lenses, I’m able to capture our everyday lives with ease.

Like many parents, my day is always jam-packed, and split between bringing my children to school, work, and family events. My mornings begin very early and can be somewhat stressful while trying to get my little ones out the door. But since most of my children are at school during the day, I often need to shoot in the morning or evening when time is limited. Sometimes I make it a point to briefly stop on the way to school if I notice pretty light along the way, or take a walk with my children once they have returned home. It’s therapeutic for them to get outside, and for me to be with my camera, so I try to make it a daily routine. Photographing my children exploring outside is also a great way for me to capture candid images of them simply being kids.

* The images without photograph data have been created with other lenses other than SIGMA 16-28mm F2.8 DG DN | Contemporary.

SIGMA 16-28mm F2.8 DG DN | Contemporary, SONY α7C, ISO 400, F3.5, 1/250s

SIGMA 16-28mm F2.8 DG DN | Contemporary, SONY α7C, ISO 100, F5, 1/2000s

The wide angle of the SIGMA 16-28mm F2.8 DG DN | Contemporary lens makes it perfect for environmental portraiture and landscapes. I’m able to include a lot of important details within my frame, enhancing the overall story of my image. I love to get outside and explore with my children, but don’t have to venture far from them with the 16-28mm F2.8 DG DN | Contemporary on my camera. I can easily capture their inquisitiveness at a safe distance while still being able to include a lot of the beautiful landscape surrounding them. This makes the lens ideal not only in environments where I need to be near my children, but also in confined spaces where I don’t have a lot of room but want to be able to photograph as much of the location as possible.

SIGMA 16-28mm F2.8 DG DN | Contemporary, SONY α7C, ISO 100, F5, 1/4000s

Additionally, the SIGMA 28-70mm F2.8 DG DN | Contemporary works beautifully in similar environments to the 16-28mm F2.8 DG DN | Contemporary. One of the benefits of the 28-70mm F2.8 DG DN | Contemporary focal range is its versatility. I definitely get the best of both worlds with these two lenses together.

One thing that certainly did not go unnoticed, and is probably one of the best features of both lenses, is how compact and lightweight they both are. They paired perfectly with my mirrorless camera. I’m on the go very often with five children in tow, so having gear that isn’t going to weigh me down is essential. I want simple and easy without sacrificing quality, and I get that with the SIGMA 16-28mm F2.8 DG DN | Contemporary and 28-70mm F2.8 DG DN | Contemporary.

SIGMA 16-28mm F2.8 DG DN | Contemporary, SONY α7C, ISO 100, F4.5, 1/800s

SIGMA 16-28mm F2.8 DG DN | Contemporary, SONY α7C, ISO 100, F3.2, 1/800s

SIGMA 16-28mm F2.8 DG DN | Contemporary, SONY α7C, ISO 400, F2.8, 1/200s

SIGMA 16-28mm F2.8 DG DN | Contemporary, SONY α7C, ISO 100, F3.2, 1/640s

SIGMA 16-28mm F2.8 DG DN | Contemporary, SONY α7C, ISO 100, F2.8, 1/400s

SIGMA 16-28mm F2.8 DG DN | Contemporary, SONY α7C, ISO 800, F4.5, 1/200s

It’s also important to me to have gear that is going to work well in low light. Not only is it my favorite type of light for photographing my children, but it’s also something I have to face every day living in a northern climate where strong natural light can be limited. The SIGMA 16-28mm F2.8 DG DN | Contemporary easily grabbed focus on my children indoors and in fading light without any issues. Its high-speed focusing was impressive, and was needed with fast-moving little ones.

I often prefer to set my aperture medium-to-small with wide-angle lenses for environmental portraiture as, the smooth bokeh I’m able to capture at F2.8 is worth noting and ideal for closer portraits. The dreamy effect of shooting wide open with both the SIGMA 16-28mm F2.8 DG DN | Contemporary and 28-70mm F2.8 DG DN | Contemporary is amazing. I’m able to easily isolate my subject from the background while achieving a magical atmosphere with gorgeous background blur.

SIGMA 16-28mm F2.8 DG DN | Contemporary, SONY α7C, ISO 100, F4.5, 1/1000s

As a mother who is constantly on the go and never seems to have quite enough hands, the SIGMA 16-28mm F2.8 DG DN | Contemporary and 28-70mm F2.8 DG DN | Contemporary lenses are my new go-to gear for documenting my children. The lightweight and compact design of these zoom lenses makes it easy for me to take them anywhere. Whether it’s shooting environmental portraits indoors, or outside exploring along the lakeshore, the versatility of this combination allows me to photograph my children with ease in tight spaces and in areas where I need to remain close to my little ones. These lenses are the perfect companions to capture our everyday moments whether it’s at home, or out and about.

Meg Loeks
Photographer / SIGMA America Ambassador

Meg Loeks lives in a remote part of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula with her husband, five young children and several animals. Her photography journey started when she was young, shooting with film and developing her own prints. Drawn to low light and color, she is a portrait and lifestyle photographer. Meg is also a mentor and instructor at Clickin Moms, and a Profoto Legend of Light. She is also a volunteer photographer for The Gold Hope Project, a nonprofit organization that gifts families battling pediatric cancer a free photo session.

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