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The New Laowa 35mm Tilt-Shift Macro Lens

Venus Optics has introduced one of its more unusual but very on-brand creations, the Laowa 35mm f/2.8 Zero-D Tilt-Shift 0.5x Macro, a lens that tries to combine just about every specialty trick into one package. It tilts, it shifts, it focuses extremely close, and it is built around the company’s “Zero-D” promise of minimal distortion. The goal is to give photographers as much control as possible over focus plane, lines, and perspective in a single lens rather than forcing them to pick one specialty tool (or have them all individually).

Although it is designed primarily for full-frame mirrorless systems, the lens’s large image circle also makes it compatible with Fujifilm GFX and Hasselblad XCD medium-format bodies. That is pretty typical for Venus Optics, but the extended coverage does come with a trade-off, while full-frame users get ±10° of tilt and ±12 mm of shift, medium-format users are limited to ±8 mm of shift, though tilt remains the same.

Regardless of the system, the lens gives you the ability to correct converging verticals, control the depth-of-field plane, and create effects such as miniaturisation.

Architectural photographers are the obvious audience. Being able to shift upward to frame a tall building without tilting the camera means straighter lines and cleaner compositions. The movement range also opens the door for easier panoramic stitching, since the lens can shift without altering the camera’s position.

Macro shooters also stand to benefit, tilt-shift lenses are popular for close-up work because they allow users to angle the focus plane to keep more of a subject sharp without stopping down excessively. On that front, the new Laowa focuses down to 22.8 cm, giving 0.5x (1:2) magnification on full frame and making it one of the closest-focusing tilt-shift lenses available.

Inside, the optical design includes 14 elements in 12 groups, and Venus Optics says the lens is apochromatic to reduce chromatic aberration. The “Zero-D” designation means the company has tuned the optics to keep distortion to an absolute minimum, which matters when straight lines are a major part of the subject matter. A 15-blade aperture supports smooth blur and an adjustable range from f/2.8 to f/22.

Physically, this isn’t a compact 35mm prime by any stretch. The lens weighs 1,350 grams (almost three pounds) and measures about 150 mm in length, with a 77mm front filter thread. Venus Optics includes an integrated Arca-Swiss tripod foot, which is a practical addition given the weight and the nature of tilt-shift shooting.

The Laowa 35mm f/2.8 Zero-D Tilt-Shift 0.5x Macro is available now for $1,249, shipping in E, Z, RF, and L-mount for full-frame cameras and GF and XCD for medium-format systems. The listing hasn’t hit all major retailers yet, but it is expected to appear soon.

A few sample shots:

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Interview with Brett Beaudry

This week’s Interview with Brett, a talented street photographer from California. I am truly honoured to have had the opportunity to interview him!

You can find him on Instagram as: @bb_frames

Enjoy the amazing Interview ;)

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

My name’s Brett Beaudry, born and raised in Northern California, and I live up here now with my girlfriend and our dog, Roo (like kanga-“Roo” because she jumps really high) During the week I run an insurance agency, which is not glamorous at all, but it pays the bills and keeps the lights on. Photography is my escape from all of that. On weekends, I basically turn into a caffeine-fueled wanderer with a camera. If I have a long weekend or just feel restless, I love getting on a plane and landing somewhere random. I’ll walk around all day, fill up an SD card or two, drink way too much coffee, and fly home feeling like I lived a different life for a few days. I’m not someone who does anything halfway, when something grabs my attention, it takes over my whole brain. Photography did that for me. It’s the one thing outside of work and relationships that really feels like mine.

How did you first get into photography?

Photography started as a way to keep myself from falling apart, honestly. When the pandemic hit, I was living in L.A. County, stuck in a tiny apartment, and drinking way too much. It was getting bad, like “this could go downhill fast” bad. In early 2021, I decided to get sober. Suddenly I had a ton of time and absolutely zero idea what to do with myself. I’d always wanted to own a camera, but I never made the effort to actually learn/buy one. Once I quit drinking, I didn’t have an excuse anymore, I needed something to fill that space. So I bought some gear, watched a few videos, went outside, and started shooting everything. I was hooked immediately. Something about having a camera in my hand felt natural, and it gave structure to my days. I’m not someone who does well just sitting around. Photography gave me a reason to walk, observe, explore, and stay sober. It sounds dramatic, but picking up a camera genuinely changed the direction of my life.

Why street photography?

I grew up in the suburbs my whole life, so I was always drawn to urban life and big cities I like that friction. I like the speed, the noise, the energy. And I’ve got ADHD, so street photography fits my brain perfectly. It forces you to pay attention to everything light, movement, faces, gestures, patterns. You never know what’s going to happen around the next corner, and that unpredictability is exactly what keeps me engaged.

Your work has this cinematic, sometimes abstract feel. How do you capture that?

Well honestly, half the time I’m just sticking my camera into weird angles and hoping it turns into something interesting. I don’t have a super technical explanation. I’m not someone who walks around thinking, “Let me express the metaphysical layers of urban life.” I’m thinking more like, “Hm, what if I put the lens right up against this reflective thing and see what happens?” There’s also this instinctual part of it. After shooting enough, you start noticing patterns in how you see the world. I think the “cinematic feel” is just me responding to the mood of the moment. If something feels dramatic or weird or “movie-like,” I lean into it. I don’t question it too much.

What does photography mean to you?

Photography is the closest thing I have to a mental reset button. When I’m out shooting, I’m just present. Not thinking about work, not thinking about responsibilities, not worrying about whatever nonsense is happening that week. I’ve always needed creative outlets, I played music for years, tried different forms of art, doodled, wrote, whatever but photography is different. It’s tactile. It’s immediate. You point your camera, you click, and you’ve made something. Your eyes become your instrument essentially.

It also became part of my sobriety journey without me even noticing. It gave me something healthy to obsess over instead of drinking. It helped me build new habits, get out of the house, and see the world in a way I never had. I think that’s why I’ll never stop doing it.

What gear do you use?

I shoot mostly digital because I like the freedom of experimenting and messing up without consequences. But I also have a few old film cameras I break out occasionally. My main workhorse is a Canon R5 with a mix of RF lenses and some Sigma primes. I’m not loyal to any specific setup, I use whatever makes me excited to shoot.

Do you prefer the chaos of busy streets or quiet places?

It depends on the city. In places like New York or Vegas, chaos is the point, you’re surrounded by so many potential scenes happening all at once that it’s almost impossible to run out of ideas. You just walk and let the city do the work for you. But I also love quiet nights in small towns where I can slow down and think more about framing, light, and mood. In those environments, you’re creating atmosphere instead of reacting to it, and that’s a totally different creative challenge.

What are your favourite shooting conditions?

My ideal shooting conditions are suuuuper cold, sunny days, when people are wearing coats and the shadows are long, everything just pops on camera. The light feels cleaner, the colors feel richer, and everyone’s body language is more interesting because they’re bundled up. I do like the results you get from rainy conditions too, like the reflections, the mood but I’m not always thrilled about the actual experience of being out in the rain. I’m not a “let me get soaked for the shot” kind of dude.

Now that I live in the mountains, I’m excited to experiment with snow at night. I’ve never really had that environment at my disposal, and I think it’s going to open up a whole new set of visual possibilities.

How do you decide which moments to capture?

I probably have certain types of people or movements I’m subconsciously drawn to, posture, clothing, silhouettes, body language, but I try not to overthink it. The more I shoot, the less picky I become. I’d rather press the shutter and see what happens than miss something because I was being too selective. Some of my favorite images happened because I shot something half-randomly and later realized there was a tiny detail or gesture that made it special. With street work, you don’t always get time to analyze a scene. You have to trust your instinct and your reaction to whatever’s happening in front of you.

What are some of your favorite photography techniques and why?

Big fan of backlit silhouettes. Something about stripping a person down to pure shape and gesture feels powerful, almost anonymous, but expressive at the same time. It leaves room for interpretation, which I love. Reflections are my other favorites. Windows, puddles, car doors, bus stops, anything that distorts or doubles the world. You never fully know what you’re going to get until you look at the files later, and that unpredictability keeps photography fun for me. It’s like opening a present every time you review your shots.

How did you find your unique style?

I think style is something that sneaks up on you when you’re not really trying to “have” one. In the beginning, I tried all kinds of editing, all kinds of lenses, all kinds of compositions, just throwing everything at the wall to see what stuck. Over time, I noticed patterns in the photos I kept returning to. I like contrast. I like mood. I like mystery. I like scenes where the viewer feels like they’re walking into a moment rather than just looking at a picture. Eventually you start recognizing that you’re consistently framing things a certain way, shooting at certain times of day, gravitating toward certain colors and tones.

How do you see yourself genre-wise? Street? Cinematic? Documentary?

I just see myself as a dude with a camera if I’m being honest. I know that’s a lazy answer, but it’s the truth. I don’t wake up thinking, “Today I will be a cinematic street photographer.” I shoot whatever grabs my attention. If it looks interesting or weird or beautiful or moody, I point the camera and hope it turns into something cool. If other people want to label it, that’s up to them.

What do you do when you hit a creative block?

Travel solves everything. If I’m stuck or everything feels stale, I book a flight or drive somewhere new. Even three days in a totally unfamiliar place can recharge my brain. New streets, new colors, new people, new light it shakes things loose. But even without traveling, sometimes a simple change of routine helps. Different time of day. Different lens. Different direction on a walk. Creativity loves momentum, and sometimes you just need to get moving again.

What’s the most challenging part of photography for you?

I would say longer focal lengths are most challenging for me. I started with an 85mm in the beginning but the more I’ve been doing this the more I leave on my 35mm. It’s hard to throw on a longer lens and do what I want to do from a framing standpoint, but I do see the benefits of compressing images. I’d like to play around with them more often but I have commitment issues and I usually revert to what's comfortable.

What does a typical shooting day look like?

Three cups of coffee. 25,000 steps. Headphones blasting. That’s the formula. I like to start early because there’s a quiet energy in the morning that feels different from the rest of the day. Then I’ll just wander and let the city guide me. By the time I get home, I’m usually exhausted in the best possible way.

What’s your favourite subject to shoot?

People. Always people. Not necessarily faces, more like posture, gestures, movement, and the subtle things people do when they think nobody’s watching. Humans are endlessly interesting, even in the most mundane situations.

Do you listen to music while shooting?

Absolutely. Music helps me zone out of the noise and tap into the moment. What I listen to really depends on my mood, sometimes electronic stuff, sometimes hip-hop, sometimes ambient, sometimes rock. It sets the pace for how I walk, how fast I react, and even how I frame a scene.

Who are some photographers or artists who inspire you?

I get inspired by so many people it’s hard to narrow it down, but a few names always stand out. I love the moodiness of Todd Hido. I admire the cinematic edge of Gregory Crewdson. I also follow a ton of contemporary street photographers, people like Craig Whitehead, Alan Schaller, and Joshua K. Jackson. Outside of photography, filmmakers inspire me a lot. I’ve always loved the way Christopher Nolan uses light and shadow, and Denis Villeneuve’s sense of atmosphere is unreal. Anytime I watch one of their films, I want to go grab my camera immediately.

How do you know you’ve nailed the shot?

It’s a gut feeling. Sometimes you know the second you hit the shutter that something just aligned and you feel a little jolt. Other times you don’t realize you nailed it until you’re going through the files at home. If I stop scrolling and just stare at an image without analyzing it to death, that’s usually how I know it’s something special.

How important is composition?

Important, but not everything. If I had to choose between a flawless composition and a genuine moment, I’d take the moment every time. That being said, composition does help tell the story and give the photo structure. But street work is messy. Things happen fast. Sometimes you get lucky and everything lines up perfectly, and sometimes the moment is strong enough that you don’t even care about the crooked lamppost.

What advice would you give someone starting in street photography?

Shoot constantly. That’s the biggest thing. Learn your camera so well that you don’t have to think about the buttons anymore. Walk a lot, be patient, and stop comparing yourself to everyone on Instagram. Your eye is your voice, and it takes time to find it. Also, don’t be afraid to take “bad” photos. Some of the worst shots I’ve taken taught me the most.

How important is lighting in photography?

The word photo literally means ‘an image created by capturing light’ so yeah it’s pretty important. I don’t think you have to chase perfect light, though. Sometimes harsh light or weird light or even barely-there light can be interesting. You just have to work with what you’ve got and notice how the world changes depending on where the light hits.

Is there a genre you haven’t tried yet that you’d like to explore?

Yes actually, I would love to start doing more long exposure film photography in low light situations. I really enjoy the work of artists like Todd Hido and the way they capture ominous, small-town scenes especially in the winter. Someday, I’d like to do a winter long road trip across the middle of the US and make it into some sort of a series. Could be sooner than I think now that I work remotely!

Do you have any rituals before you start shooting — besides coffee, obviously?

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BenQ’s New 4K Monitor For Creatives

BenQ has added a new model to its Designer series with the PD2770U, a 27-inch 4K monitor that is meant to give independent creators access to the kind of colour management tools usually found in higher-end setups, for example, instead of relying on an external calibration device, this display handles calibration internally.

BenQ is positioning this as a monitor that aims to be accurate enough for print, video, and design work without being overly complicated to maintain. It covers 99% of Adobe RGB and DCI-P3, plus 100% of Rec.709, and BenQ lists DeltaE 1.5. It also carries Pantone Validated, Pantone SkinTone, and Calman Verified certifications, which mostly serve to confirm that the panel behaves predictably across different workflows.

A notable piece of the design is the built-in Light-Adaptive Calibration. This system reads ambient light and adjusts the monitor’s colour behaviour automatically, something that can help when working in a room where lighting conditions shift over the course of a day. There is support for scheduled calibration, too, so the display can recalibrate itself periodically without needing manual input. In multi-monitor setups, studios can sync profiles between different PD2770U units through an RJ45 LAN connection using BenQ’s DMS Local software.

The panel itself is a Nano Matte IPS design with HDR10, 400 nits brightness, and a coating intended to cut down on glare and reflections. BenQ includes a magnetic shading hood, and the Display Pilot 2 software adds tools for ICC syncing, screen partitioning, and general workflow management. The Hotkey Puck G3, which has been part of BenQ’s design-focused lineup for years, returns here for quick access to color modes, brightness, and input switching. Connectivity includes USB-C with 90W PD, a KVM switch, HDMI, DisplayPort, and a USB hub.

On the inside, the PD2770U uses a 27-inch 4K (3840 × 2160) IPS panel with a 178° viewing angle, 5ms GtG response, and the usual 1000:1 contrast ratio found on this class of IPS displays. It supports 1.07 billion colors, runs at 60Hz, and has 163 PPI. Gamma presets range from 1.6 to 2.6, including an sRGB option, and the monitor includes a wide list of colour modes, DCI-P3, Adobe RGB, Display P3, Rec.709, sRGB, HDR, M-Book, three calibration slots, CAD/CAM, Animation, Darkroom, DICOM, and custom slots for user-defined profiles.

The OSD supports a long list of languages, HDCP 2.2 is included for protected content, and BenQ’s AMA (Advanced Motion Acceleration) is enabled to help with motion clarity.

The BenQ PD2770U is priced at $1,700 with retail availability expected in December 2025.

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Photography Tip of the Week

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Photo Analysis

Welcome to the new part of the Magazine Issue where we take a closer look at a photo and analyse it so that you can learn and better your own photography from it ;)

Photo by: @u_cccc0109

Let’s Analyse this Image: 

Composition & Framing

What works well:

• The leading lines are definitely strong, we have the wet street, the striped grooves in the ground and especially the glowing reflection. All of it guides your eye straight toward the cat and beyond.

• The street naturally creates this tunnel effect (with the buildings, signs and trees left and right),which gives the whole photo a strong sense of depth and a nice 3D look.

• The lantern canopy up top frames the scene beautifully and adds a bit of rhythm and repetition that look visually rich.

• The cat is caught basically perfectly, mid-stride, right in the centre in the warm reflection, so it instantly becomes the subject.

• There is a nice general balance between foreground reflection, mid-ground cat, and background (again adding a lot of depth).

What could be better:

• The left side is a bit heavier with more signs, more foliage, and more lantern spill over there, but it is not dramatically unbalanced at all.

• A lower angle could have exaggerated the leading lines even more and strengthened the connection to the cat, though realistically this was probably a very quick capture with no time to really adjust and think about composition (so to be fair with that probable split second we already get an amazing composition).

• The darker corners and background hide a lot of detail, and because the scene is rather narrow, showing more of those surroundings could have added more visual interest.

Light & Atmosphere

What works well:

• The warm lantern light overhead gives the whole photo a very cozy and cinematic vibe/toch. It really shapes the atmosphere and makes the street feel alive even though it’s empty.

• The wet ground adds a lot as well, all those reflections create this glowing, almost liquid-looking path that pulls you right in and the texture is just great.

• If you look carefully you can see little streaks of rain dropping down which just adds another moody/cinematic touch to the photo.

• The cat is pretty dark itself but because of the yellow/orange reflection on the floor it does stand out/separate well enough.

What could be better:

• Some of the lanterns blow out a bit, so you lose detail in the texture here and there.

• As touched on before, the background and sides get pretty dark, which hides a lot of the environment. Lifting those shadows slightly could have revealed more without ruining the mood.

• The lanterns and their reflection is pretty bright compared to the rest of the scene, so the transition into darkness feels a little abrupt (+ some people might argue that the lanterns being that ‘relatively’ bright steals attention away from the cat).

Emotion & Story

What works well:

• The cat walking alone in the middle the empty street instantly gives it a mood, quiet, late, peaceful.

• The general emptiness (so void of people) adds a feeling of solitude that fits well with the rain and the lantern light.

• All the lanterns and signage (and the language on them) give us a sense of place which is always good. For those of you that don’t know was shot in a part of Tokyo’s Chinatown.

What could be better:

• There obviously is no human element here, so the story leans fully on atmosphere rather than some interaction or a specific human character.

• The story is limited in a ‘‘typical’’ storytelling sense, but in a way that also works —> it makes you imagine what time of night it is (probably long after midnight), and it invites that feeling of “everything is closed and only the strays are out.”

Colour & Tone

What works well:

• The warm orange lanterns against the cool, dark blue-grey surroundings create a very strong and appealing colour contrast.

• The reflections boost the colours without oversaturating them, everything feels rich and poppy but still natural.

• Again, the cat stands out nicely because its dark shape is surrounded by the warm reflection.

What could be better:

• The warm tones dominate the top half pretty heavily, a little more tonal variation could have added more complexity.

• Some of the shadows are so deep they flatten out entire areas.

• As mentioned before, the lantern highlights verge on being too strong in a few places, washing out texture.

Balance

• The scene is generally well balanced, even though the left side is a bit heavier with more signs, foliage, and lantern clusters (but again that truly is minimal).

• The main, bright reflection in the middle helps pull everything inward and keeps the frame stable.

• The cat, even though small and dark itself, acts as a strong anchor because of the glowing patch around it.

• The natural symmetry of the street helps a ton with balance.

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Photographer of the Week

Photographer of the week goes to: Justin Love

You can find him on Instagram as: @loves_photographyworld

A few photos of his:

The Rest of this Issue is for Premium Subscribers

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