Portrait Photography
Lens reviews, portrait tips, and camera gear by Xing Liu — based in California.
Canon
85mm vs 105mm for portraits: Canon R6 II + RF 85mm f/1.2 L vs Sony A7 IV + Sigma 105mm f/1.4 Art, side by side at 5900K. A blind test with Andrea.
Nikon
Nikon Z6III and Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.2 S at f/1.2: through-the-window coffee shop portraits, backlit alley and sidewalk poses with Yasmina in downtown Roseville.
Panasonic
Sigma 135mm F1.4 DG Art on the Lumix S5II, wide open at f/1.4: golden hour backlit portraits with Mia in William Land Park, with exact settings for every set.
Fujifilm
Fujifilm X-H2 and XF 56mm f/1.2 R WR wide open at f/1.2: golden hour backlit street portraits with Yasmina in downtown Roseville, full body and half body.
Canon R6 II + RF 50mm f/1.2 L vs Nikon Z6III + Z 50mm f/1.2 S, side by side at f/1.2 and 5900K: a portrait blind test with Mia in William Land Park.
Backlit fall portraits with Rosina in Midtown Sacramento: a black sweater dress shot wide open at f/1.2 on the Nikon Z6III and Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.2 S.
First shoot with the newly arrived Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.2 S on the Nikon Z6III: late afternoon fall-outfit street portraits with Sofia in a small Roseville town complex, all shot wide open at f/1.2 across nine locations, from backlit hair and string-light bokeh to long column shadows.
An urban style portrait session with Andrea on the Canon EOS R6 Mark II and RF 85mm F1.2 L — Tiger Mist outfits against concrete backdrops around the city, shot wide open for creamy bokeh and muted tones.
The Sigma 135mm F1.4 DG Art just won EISA's Portrait Lens 2026-2027 award. To celebrate, I took it out for a late-summer session with Rosina at Sutter's Fort — her summer dress against the season's first hints of fall color, right at that in-between moment before autumn takes over.
