Inspiration

I bring out the beauty in nature with discipline.

I bring out the beauty in nature with discipline: SIGMA 20mm F2 DG DN | Contemporary

- Kim Jenssen

SIGMA 20mm F2 DG DN | Contemporary, fp L, ISO 1250, F1, 1/30s

SIGMA 20mm F2 DG DN | Contemporary, fp L, ISO 2500, F11, 1/25s

What photography equipment do you use and how would you describe yourself as a photographer?

I have been working with SIGMA for some years now and I have been lucky to have used many of the SIGMA lenses. The cameras I use normally are Canon R5 and R6 and my favorite lenses are the SIGMA 12-24mm F4 DG HSM | Art, SIGMA 24-105mm F4 DG OS HSM | Art and my night photography lens, the SIGMA 14mm F1.8 DG HSM | Art. The SIGMA 24-105mm F4 DG OS HSM | Art is probably the lens I have used most. I love to shoot wide angle photos and also compress images if it’s necessary, and that I get from the 24-105mm lens. For my wildlife photography I’m using the SIGMA 100-400mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Contemporary because of the weight and then the SIGMA 500mm F4 DG OS HSM | Sports. The image quality in both lenses is amazing.

Describe me as a photographer: well, I guess I would say I’m a photographer who does not give up until I’m satisfied with the result. If I’m planning a picture and the conditions are not there, I will come back until I’m happy. I’m a nonstop photographer who is always on the run.

* The images without photograph data have been created with lenses other than SIGMA 20mm F2 DG DN | Contemporary.

What is your impression of the new SIGMA I series lenses, in particular the 20mm F2 DG DN | Contemporary?

I have used the SIGMA I series before with SIGMA fp and Sony so I knew the build quality of the lenses, and also the image quality. When I had a chance to test the new SIGMA 20mm F2 DG DN | Contemporary I series lens mounted on my SIGMA fp L I was really excited. After spending some weeks with this very interesting and enjoyable optic I was so impressed with it; and the conclusion was that this lens fits perfectly for my landscape photography. When I go out to create an image I have already planned my image in my head—I know what I want—so to pick those lenses I need for my workflow the SIGMA 20mm F2 DG DN | Contemporary was the ideal. With the SIGMA 20mm F2 DG DN | Contemporary I was able to capture enough information in the files to work with because I like to shoot wider as I need, then I can crop it in post-processing as I want. It is better to have more information in the files than less.

Normally I’m working very close to the foreground and I need to focus manually, stack images together “in post” for a sharp image. The focus ring is so smooth and precise on the SIGMA 20mm, just the right amount of resistance, I love it! I’m hiking a lot in the mountains and also walking a lot in areas in search of interesting motifs so for me to have a lightweight and compact camera setup like the I series with SIGMA fp L is very important, it gives me more space for necessary equipment such as extra clothes and food. Being a landscape photographer involves a lot of time out in the field so a trip can quickly take 5 hours or more, so you need to have a backpack that is prepared for a long day in the field. The I series from SIGMA with the low weight, compact and the performance, it’s not only an easy choice in my camera bag for my type of photography, but also a fantastic setup if you want to bring one lens or camera with you on a holiday or vacation. Give it a try—you will be impressed!

SIGMA 20mm F2 DG DN | Contemporary, fp L, ISO 250, F16, 2s

SIGMA 20mm F2 DG DN | Contemporary, fp L, ISO 800, F11, 0.4s

SIGMA 20mm F2 DG DN | Contemporary, fp L, ISO 100, F16, 4s

Can you tell us about your experience as a photographer?
How did you come to be working in this field?

When I first started with photography in 2012 I did lots of macro and photos of my family and friends. After some time I stopped photographing because I didn’t find it as interesting as I was hoping for. But in 2014 I got my first real camera and started to photograph the amazing northern lights, and from that moment when I had edited my first aurora image, I was sold. Since that day I have been a nature and landscape photographer. The biggest reason I chose landscape and nature was to be able to capture the unique landscape we are surrounded with, but at the same time to enjoy many fantastic trips in nature.

SIGMA 20mm F2 DG DN | Contemporary, fp L, ISO 4000, F2, 6s

SIGMA 20mm F2 DG DN | Contemporary, fp L, ISO 4000, F2, 8s

What role does photography play in your life and career?
Being a full-time photographer is hard work but at the same time it gives you so much pleasure and happiness. Traveling around the world to capture memories, helping other photographers to develop their knowledge about photography— it’s so satisfying. I have experienced that small steps in the right direction are smart. I am constantly searching for information to develop myself as a photographer, and that’s a good thing about photography: you are always learning. As a photographer, you have to be very structured, you have to constantly work to create new motifs and that’s the part that takes hours, weeks or months and then all of the material has to be reviewed and edited and then distributed to the wider world but this is the reason why I love it.

SIGMA 20mm F2 DG DN | Contemporary, fp L, ISO 4000, F2.8, 2s

How do you create your own style?

I don’t have a specific style but I have my own rules that I’m trying to follow, like foreground, light, and I have a composition that creates a good balance in the image.
I am always planning my image when I am going to places nearby but of course it’s not possible to do that when I’m traveling. Then I need to deal with the conditions that I get, and it’s good to have challenges in the field.

Why does the I series suit you so well, and which three words would you choose to describe your experience of using these new lenses?
The I series is a perfect lens lineup. Lightweight, high quality and trustworthy. The weight is so low that you don’t feel it in your camera bag when you go for a long walk or hiking and that’s very important. The I series fits for every type of photography and if you are a hiker like me we all know that weight in the bag is important.

SIGMA 20mm F2 DG DN | Contemporary, fp L

SIGMA 20mm F2 DG DN | Contemporary, fp L

SIGMA 20mm F2 DG DN | Contemporary, fp L

SIGMA 20mm F2 DG DN | Contemporary, fp L

SIGMA 20mm F2 DG DN | Contemporary, fp L

Kim Jenssen
Photographer

I’m just a guy that loves exploring the world with my camera. I’m living on the beautiful island Senja that you find in the Northern part of Norway, Troms. Here I’m living with my wife and our kids and have been here almost my entire life. Senja is the second biggest Island in Norway and many people visit this place every year to enjoy the amazing nature we are surrounded by. I’m a big fan of the nature and being outside as much as I can in any kind of weather with my camera.


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