Capturing the Electrifying Energy of Major League Soccer with Connor Pickett and the Petzval 55 Art Lens

Connor Pickett recently came on our radar for his photographic adventures utilizing our color negative film as well as his dedication to sports-related videography.

Previously working for Cal Basketball, Atlanta United FC, Georgia Men’s Basketball and the Colorado Rapids, the Washington-based social media producer now works alongside the Seattle Sounders, creating captivating videos and imagery that illustrate the dynamic energy in the stadium.

After testing out the New Petzval 55 f/1.7 MKII Art Lens, Connor is here with us today to share some video reels and talk about his process working with the lens in a live, unpredictable setting.

Hi Connor, welcome to Lomography Magazine! Can you start off by telling us a bit about yourself and your work?

Hi! Thank you for having me. I'm a photographer and videographer living in Seattle, but originally from Atlanta, GA. My full time job is working as a video producer for the Major League Soccer team the Seattle Sounders where I create mostly video and motion graphic work for our social media channels. My personal work I am really passionate about is shooting 120 and 35 mm film, mostly hiking or traveling to cool places (often on Lomography film!)

What made you decide to try out the Petzval 55 lens?

The Petzval lens looked like it had a super unique look to it. I am also a big movie and television guy, and had heard of Petzval or similar lenses being used in Poor Things, Dune Part II, and Shogun. The swirly bokeh and falloff effect was definitely something I wanted to try to bring a unique and different feel to my work.

Can you tell us about what you shot with the lens?

I used the lens at two different matches at work. One away and one home. It was great for shooting a lot of pregame buildup to the match.

Many stadiums shoot off fireworks at various moments of pre game processions and it was awesome to focus on players, but have the circular blur effect on the fireworks.

It also just added a look that I haven't seen across sports teams video content. I am always looking for any way I can make my club's stuff stand out from the rest and the lens was great for that. It definitely added an extra "cinematic" feel to the footage I shot during those moments.

In addition to using the lens for my video work, I shot some photos on hikes at two different waterfalls in Washington. This is pretty typically how I like to shoot photography in my free time, so it was fun to test out the lens in those situations.

What were your first impressions of the Petzval 55 lens?

My first impressions were just that it was super fun and achieved the look I was hoping for. It felt like a photography tool that immediately got me excited and inspired to shoot and try some new things which is super important when you shoot some of the same things each week.

Who would you recommend the lens to?

I would recommend this lens the most to portrait photographers and videographers/cinematographers trying to isolate their subject in an uncommon way. I found it best for this or when people are your subject. I feel like it could be fun for concert photographers as well, but wasn't able to try that myself.

Do you have any tips or tricks for shooting with the Petzval 55 lens?

I would say finding a subject that will be isolated in front of an interesting background! If there are lights, trees, or just different textures like those behind your subject it will create a really fun image!

Anything else you'd like to share?

Definitely a side note from this conversation, but I love Lomography 800 film. It is one of my favorites in both 120 and 35 mm and I've captured some of my favorite photos on it.

This experience overall was fun to learn more about Lomography's products outside of film which I was most familiar with. Wish I had the lens for even longer. The Petzval 55 is something I definitely would love to have in my gear set! I'd be reaching for it on a ton of different projects.

If you're interested in keeping up with Connor and his work make sure to check out his Instagram, Twitter, and website.

written by eloffreno on 2024-06-13 #gear #culture #people #places #videos #cinema #historical #video #lens #vintage #historic #lens-test #videography #first-impressions