Encountering the Beauty of Intangible Cultural Heritage — Jiangnan
Craftsmanship Through a 35mm Perspective

In the world of photographic equipment, there are always certain lenses that can precisely capture the intersection of humanity and craftsmanship.
The 35mm focal length, widely regarded as the “golden focal length for documentary and humanistic photography,” offers a natural perspective close to human vision while balancing environment and detail even in confined spaces.
The Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG II | Art lens elevates the strengths of this classic focal length to a new level.

Living in Jiangnan, bamboo is a common sight everywhere. Paper umbrellas made from bamboo, however, carry a gentleness that has endured for thousands of years, and they appear in many of Hangzhou’s legends and stories.

For this shoot, I brought this lens to the Yuhang Paper Umbrella Workshop to document the entire process of making a traditional paper umbrella. Through the interaction between photographic equipment and subject matter, I sought to experience the expressive power of both traditional craftsmanship and modern optical technology.

Inside the rustic village workshops, the air is filled with the scent of bamboo and paper pulp, while artisans carry out each step of the process at their own workstations. With deft movements of their fingers, strips of bamboo and sheets of handmade paper gradually come together to form exquisite paper umbrellas.

Such compact working environments truly test a lens’s adaptability. A focal length that is too wide can easily introduce excessive visual clutter, while one that is too narrow makes it difficult to fully convey the production process. The perspective of the Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG II | Art is perfectly balanced. When photographing steps such as shaping the bamboo ribs or pasting the umbrella surface, it captures both the artisans’ hand movements and the surrounding environment in a completely yet controlled way. The field of view never feels overly expansive or loose, allowing viewers to feel immersed in the scene and to experience the focus and delicacy of the craftsmanship firsthand.

The large aperture is one of this lens’s most defining strengths. With its maximum F1.4 aperture, the lens demonstrates remarkable expressive power when capturing the fine details of paper umbrella making.

Because the working environment on site was relatively cluttered, I relied almost exclusively on shooting wide open. This allowed me to isolate precise movements of the artisans’ fingertips or highlight the intricate structure of the umbrella ribs. The plane of focus locks accurately onto the subject, while the out-of-focus areas are rendered softly and smoothly, creating a clear yet gentle contrast between sharpness and blur with strong depth and layering.

It is worth noting that the focusing performance of the Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG II | Art at wide apertures far exceeded my expectations. Traditional craftsmanship involves long processes, yet many critical actions occur in an instant. Moments such as splitting the umbrella ribs, wrapping fine threads around them to secure the structure, or making precise cuts along the umbrella edge with scissors all demand a lens that can focus both quickly and accurately.

This lens is equipped with Sigma’s new-generation autofocus system, delivering fast and decisive focusing performance. Even at the wide F1.4 aperture, it is able to lock onto the subject with impressive stability.

Under the dim lighting of a rainy day indoors, I attempted continuous shooting while documenting the process of threading. Despite the rapid back-and-forth movements of the artisan’s hands, the lens consistently tracked the motion of the needle and thread, capturing each detail with clarity and precision.

Beyond its precise focusing, the image quality of this lens is equally impressive. As the aperture is stopped down, resolution improves even further: the distinctive fibrous texture of the paper, the bamboo grain of the umbrella ribs, and the subtle color transitions across the umbrella surface are all rendered with exceptional delicacy. Sharpness remains consistently high from the center to the edges of the frame. In addition, the lens’s resistance to flare is commendable— even when shooting outdoors against backlight, the images remain clean and transparent.

For this project, I not only captured still photographs but also recorded video throughout the shoot. All footage was shot using the Sigma BF camera paired with the Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG II | Art. During focus transitions between foreground and background, it was clearly noticeable that the lens exhibits virtually no focus breathing, demonstrating the thoughtful optimization Sigma has made for video performance.

Both the photos and videos were shot using the Sigma BF camera’s built-in Warm Gold color mode, which I feel perfectly conveys the atmosphere and mood of this project.

The portability of the Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG II | Art also came as a pleasant surprise. Compared with the previous generation, its size and weight are better controlled, allowing for long periods of handheld shooting without causing fatigue.

Inside the narrow workspace of the paper umbrella workshop, I needed to constantly adjust my shooting angles. The lightweight combination of the Sigma camera and lens allowed me to move freely and work with flexibility. When heading outdoors, the setup also fits easily into a bag, making it convenient to carry.

In addition, the focus ring and aperture ring offer well-balanced damping with a smooth, refined feel. When manual adjustments are needed, settings can be changed quickly and precisely, further improving shooting efficiency.

The charm of Jiangnan lies in the crisp serenity of its bamboo groves and the gentle warmth of its paper umbrellas. The Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG II | Art not only captures light and color, but also preserves the traces of craftsmanship and dedication behind them.

For photographers who enjoy documenting humanistic subjects and environmental portraits, this lens is undoubtedly an excellent choice. Its outstanding image quality and reliable autofocus performance provided strong support throughout my shooting process.