A Wedding, A Mimosa Tree, and Kinley - Adventures with the Bokina

For the past two weeks, I have been carrying this Tokina 90mm f/2.5 AT-X around where ever I go in an attempt to really get a feel for how it handles on a day-to-day basis.

Just as the title suggests, it has traveled across a good range of subjects and even went to a friend's wedding. For those who are new to the blog, Ashley (Sometimes referred to as "Girl") is my girlfriend and is the redhead seen throughout these images. Megan, the Bride, is her friend from college.

The Wedding

Above image made with Nikon AF-S 17-35mm f/2.8 and corrected for perspective.

The wedding was held in a gorgeous and rustic little winery called the "Casa de Loco". It was originally a mental hospital which burned down and has since been restored. Located in the woods of the Ozarks, it sits on a precipice overlooking the Niangua River where many take float trips and cruise along on jet-skis.

Megan (The Bride) with Ashley

Ash signing the Newlywed's Platter

She has great eyes!

Mimosa Tree

Last year we planted a small mimosa tree. This year it has already doubled in size and has twice the pink fuzzy blooms to photograph. These are beautiful subjects! Almost all of these images were made at either f/2.5 or f/4.

Below is a crop from the above image.

The Little Neighborgirl - Kinley

Whenever I am outside enjoying the sun or working in the yard, I tend to acquire an audience. The neighbor kids love coming over and getting in my way, haha. This is little Kinley. She just had her bath and was ready for "beh-tie" (bedtime). She defines photogenic.



Wrap-up

The Tokina 90mm f/2.5 AT-X is an unbelievable lens. It has surpassed my love for the Vivitar Series 1 90mm due to its utility and newer better coatings. Both are equally sharp wide open but the Tokina fairs much better under every light condition I have put this thing through (strobe, sunset, bright and sunny days, etc.). The bokeh produced by this lens is aesthetic and ethereal. It is a joy to shoot with. I am actually finding I appreciate the slight weight reduction as well as the larger grip and more loose throw focus. Everything they say about this lens is true!

I have a few more images I want to post so those will be coming!