For photographer Brendan De Clercq, taking someone’s picture isn’t just about seeing their face. “As you can see in my pictures, I have to tell a story. I have to see the person,” he explains. Recently, Brendan has been using the new Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM II lens for his work, enabling him to shoot his portraits with the latest optical technology.

A typical shoot with Brendan is an interactive experience. “I don’t just put a person in front of my camera and start shooting. I’m often talking to the person and getting them to move around, they don’t stand still.” As a result, Brendan demands that his camera and lens work in harmony to focus quickly and reliably.

Thankfully, Brendan’s combination of the Alpha 7R V and 85mm f/1.4 GM II lens is fast enough to keep up. “When I first put the 85mm on my Alpha 7R V, the speed was unbelievable. It was so quick and sharp.”

Having been a portrait photographer for many years, some of Brendan’s tactics have carried over from shooting portraits on medium format film cameras. “I always ask my subject, ‘Can you find me in the lens?’”, reveals Brendan. “You used to be able to see the eye of the photographer through the lens, especially when shooting medium format. But nowadays, with mirrorless cameras, you can’t. Yet, I still ask anyway, as it creates a contact between me and the model and gets them to look directly into the lens. That interaction is the most important thing.”

From the interaction, Brendan looks to create the perfect composition and the ideal moment to fire the shutter, relying on the Eye AF system of his Alpha 7R V to focus the 85mm lens on his subject. “It’s all about trust,” he explains. “I don’t have to worry about constantly checking my focus. I can focus on the light or the composition and interact with my model. I can be more creative, and the camera just becomes an extension of my creative mind.”

When asked what he looks for in a portrait shot, he replies that it depends. “If I am working with a client, it is a different process from shooting for myself. The fashion designer may want to highlight a certain part of clothing they have created, which will change how I shoot.” But it’s really the personal projects where Brendan can be most creative. “I always ask, ‘What do I want to see? What do I want to show my viewers?’”

Brendan loves the 85mm focal length for shooting portraits. “85mm is my middle name!” he even jokes. “Many people think that 85mm is only for shooting tight headshots, but that’s not true. I also shoot full-body portraits with it. I like the depth of field. With the 85mm, I’m shooting at f/1.4 most of the time and that’s what I like about this prime lens. The depth of field is very important for me.”

Going hand in hand with the depth of field, is the bokeh, the out-of-focus look in areas in the foreground and background. “There is a big difference in the bokeh between the original 85mm G Master lens and this updated version. The 85mm GM II bokeh is softer, with excellent transition between focus areas. Some photographers asked why Sony didn’t create an 85mm f/1.2 lens, but an f/1.2 lens would be heavier and have larger glass elements. Looking at the result, shooting at f/1.4 with the new lens looks like you are shooting with an f/1.2 lens.”

The weight is important to Brendan as he may hold the camera to his eye for a long time during a shoot. “It’s lighter than the previous lens” says Brendan. “It feels great in my hands. You can even put it on smaller cameras such as the Alpha 7C II or the Alpha 6700.”

One shot illustrates how Brendan likes to use his 85mm. “It’s a shot of one guy standing in a big hall taken at f/1.4. It has a shallow depth of field, and it was shot using Eye AF at that distance. It’s perfectly sharp.” he explains.

“I want to tell photographers that if you have an 85mm, be creative. Don’t use an 85mm lens just for a headshot. Take a few steps back and make a full body shot.”

The combination of the Alpha 7R V and 85mm GM II gives Brendan freedom to play, and he encourages all photographers to do the same, “Feel free to be creative. That’s the greatest thing.”