My favorite gear: Vintage lens Helios 44-2 with stunning swirly bokeh

There is a lens I have been wanting to buy for quite a while—maybe a decade or so. Ironically, I almost feel like I had to move to another continent to finally find the exact variation of my dream lens. The Helios 44-2 (KMZ) is a 35+ year-old Soviet lens that produces instantly recognizable swirly bokeh—the exact look I seek for my dreamy, vintage, and ethereal portrait sessions.

Before buying it, I thought it would produce this swirly bokeh in pretty much all scenarios, assuming you shoot with the aperture wide open. The reality is that you really need a busy background to make it pop. For the most prominent effect, consider positioning your subject right in front of sun-lit bushes. After testing different scenarios, this one seems to create the most intense swirly bokeh.

In comparison to my all-time favorite Minolta Rokkor 58mm f/1.4, the Helios produces images that appear more contrasty, saturated, and generally cooler in tone. Since the widest possible aperture is f/2, I find this lens handy for sessions with two or more people, as there are better odds they’ll both stay in focus.

All in all, if you are looking for a lens that produces bold, artistic, and dramatic images while also retaining that vintage look, the Helios 44-2 is definitely worth checking out. If you’re not frustrated by manual focus (which I looove and shoot exclusively with—it gives me so much freedom and precision), then I can’t think of anything even remotely worth the doubt.

Models: Shantel @shantelvahnizzi and Jocelyn @joce_mcfarland
Location: Royce E. Pollard Japanese Friendship Garden, Vancouver, Washington, USA
Event: “Sakura and Tea” Portrait Meet by Capture Collective PNW and Pro Photo Supply

// photographer Alina Veksler, VEKSALINA photography, creative portrait photographer, vintage lens, manual lens, cinematic portraits, film look, retro, vintage, elegant, cinematic, Pacific Northwest photographer, Portland photographer, California photographer, Washington photographer, Mt. Hood photographer, Helios 44-2, Soviet Union vintage lens, swirly bokeh