BPG Weekly Update

Mini Clinic – Thursday, October 16, 2025

Speaker: Megan Heinen
Topic: Let’s talk Lensbaby

Time: 7:00 pm

• Zoom info: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87222296040?pwd=OmgP1blLdo51OcSoZPfEI9Lgset5Jk.1
• Meeting ID: 872 2229 6040
• Passcode: 281091

Lensbaby was born in 2004, based on the creative vision of photographer and co-founder Craig Strong. With a simple yet groundbreaking idea, Lensbaby aims to bring the art of creative and free-thinking photography to every photographer, regardless of their skill level or equipment. This concept sparked a transformative movement in photography, empowering artists to explore new realms of expression and storytelling through their lenses. Beginning with an old lens and vacuum tube, Lensbaby was born.
As Lensbaby continues to push the boundaries of photographic innovation, join us on a journey through the lens—a journey where creativity knows no limits, and every image is an opportunity to tell a story unlike any other.
Shoot Extraordinary means to step outside the box, create what calls you, and to break down any limitations in the way of your creative expression – That’s Lensbaby.
Lensbaby

Creative Effects

• Velvet Effect – These lenses are designed to produce images with a uniquely soft and velvety appearance, reminiscent of classic portrait lenses from the past. It adds a sense of depth and emotion to the image, enhancing its storytelling potential and evoking a sense of nostalgia. With its distinctive rendering and dreamy aesthetic, the Velvet effect allows photographers to create images that are both visually stunning and emotionally compelling.
• Sweet Effect – This effect creates a “sweet spot” of sharp focus in the center of the image, surrounded by gradually increasing blur. The size and location of the sweet spot can be adjusted by changing the optics aperture or tilting the optic when in the Composer Pro II. This effect is great for drawing the viewer’s eye to the subject and creating a dreamy, ethereal look.
• Edge Effect – hese optics create a sharp slice of focus that runs through the image, with a smooth gradient blur on either side. By tilting the lens or adjusting the aperture, photographers can adjust the orientation of the focus plane, giving them control over which parts of the image are sharp and which are blurred. This effect is ideal for creating miniaturization effects or emphasizing specific scene parts.
• Twist Effect – The Twist effect is achieved using the Lensbaby Twist 60 lens. It creates a distinctive swirling bokeh in the background, drawing attention to the subject in the center. This effect mimics the look of vintage Petzval lenses, with sharp central focus and a twisty, artistic blur around the edges. It’s particularly effective for portraits, adding a dramatic and whimsical feel to the image.
• Omni Creative Filters – The Lensbaby Omni Creative Filter System allows photographers to achieve the truest sense of creative freedom. This system includes various special-effect wands and filters that attach to the front of the lens via a magnetic ring. These wands can add reflections, color shifts, and other optical effects to the image. The Omni system allows for endless creativity, enabling photographers to introduce prismatic effects, flares, and other unique distortions to their photos.