We’re on step four of my ‘one focal length at a time’ exercise, which means this fortnight I’m shooting at only 55mm (which is 35mm on my mirrorless APS-C camera).
I could have skipped this step because I already have a 55mm prime lens, so it’s not like I’ll buy another one if I fall in love with this focal length. But then I’m not doing this exercise just to figure out which prime lens to buy, I’m also doing it for creative-constraint reasons. And that aspect of this was fun.
I didn’t have a very long photo walk, though, so I didn’t get as much time with this focal length as I would have liked. But I do like how I can use it to focus on just one subject in a somewhat crowded location.
When I go out next week I’ll play around with using a shallower depth of field to further isolate my subject from their surroundings. The lens I’m using can go down to f/2, and I’m looking forward to seeing what I can achieve with that. (Given the type of photography I do, and the limitations of my existing lenses, I typically spend most of my time between f/4 and f/5.6.)
Dymocks bookshop in colour
Photo looking down, next to a set of escalators, into a large bookshop.
Dymocks bookshop in texture
Black-and-white photo looking down, next to a set of escalators, into a large bookshop.
Koko Black baristas on Swanston Street
Photo of two baristas wearing black boots and black dresses making coffee at a footpath coffee shop branded Koko Black. Two other women on the footpath are looking at what the baristas are doing as they walk past.
Old baby change room at Melbourne Town Hall
Photo of a sign that reads, in all capital letters, “baby change” affixed below an archway that’s between a dark brown wrought iron fence and a lighter brown stone wall. The wrought iron fence separates the entrance to the baby change facilities from the public footpath that runs alongside the historic building. Just outside this sign is a woman talking on her phone as she walks along the footpath.
Bell tower of St Michael’s Uniting Church
Photo looking up at a tall, square bell tower of a polychrome brickwork church building. There are round Romanesque arches built into the building. Along the left side of photo are the leaves of the trees that grow in front of the church.
Cell tower between taller buildings
Photo of a cell tower installed at the top of a five storey building. There are several thin, vertical, white coloured antennae affixed to the structure at the top of this building. There are much taller buildings on all sides of this shorter building. At the very top of the photo frame you can see a jet passenger airplane in the sky.
Spaghetti Tree sign on Bourke Street
Night-time photo of a neon sign in a window that that reads, in stylised lettering, “Spaghetti Tree Restaurant”. The words “Spaghetti Tree” are lit up in red neon while “Restaurant” is lit up in green neon.