Back home from a short trip to the motherland, I’m reflecting on the photographs I took while I was away. Mostly, they were for fun. On two occasions I got serious: the photographs of my brother at work, and a series of photographs that I’m keeping up my sleeve as a surprise.
In all cases, they were taken with a 50mm lens.
Regular readers will know that I generally favour a wider field of view. However, the 24mm lens I own is fairly big and heavy. I didn’t feel like bringing it along to the Netherlands. Besides, this year I’ve been shooting more with the 50mm anyway.
Eight days with just the 50mm has made me realize just how versatile a lens it is. Just take a peek at the pictures I posted over the last week. In some instances it feels like a telephoto lens; in others like a wide angle. Quite remarkable.
I’m not going to say that only having a single focal length takes a bunch of decision making out of the equation, allowing you to concentrate on the photograph… Ah… I just did. Sorry. It is true though.
The main point I want to make in this short post is this: spending time with only a single focal length is a great training exercise. Thoroughly liberating, it also forces you to get to know the focal length intimately – its strengths, its weaknesses and, most importantly, its possibilities.
My only complaint? That I have to gaffer tape on the lens hood to stop if from dropping off. How is it that lens manufacturers can design and produce such wonderfully advanced optics, but not a lens hood that will stay put?
