Mid Life Crisis

I have mentioned before on my journal that the classic 50mm Lens is not my normal vision; my go to optics is 28mm.

That’s just how I see the world through my one good eye; wide and with depth.

This doesn’t mean I don’t or can’t use a 50mm Lens.

I can and do.

Mid Life Crisis attacks us men when we hit the big 5 O.😀

Not me, when I hit 50, it came and went without a second thought. I need humour now then to keep me humble🤣.

In photographic terms, the 50mm Lens to me is a great opportunity to practice creative constraints.

While it is considered a standard focal length, I am more inclined to use my 28mm on my DX body with a crop factor of 1.5. This turns the 28mm in a 40mm. For my eyes, this is a beautiful way to see the world in normal terms with no optical tricks.

The 50mm is a beautiful Lens on a Full Frame, no question. On my Fuji, I use the XF35mm 1.4.

On my D700, I use the Nikkor 50mm 1.4

Maida Vale is a very spacious suburb and this is what is needed to use the 50mm to achieve full impact.

This Lens encourages full participation from me - zooming with my feet, work the scene, change my perspective and if used correctly, many images will have a certain feeling of the classic frame 35mm.

It is very deceptive.

In studying the work of Henri Cartier Breeson, his images possess plenty of breathing space around the edges - they look as if the 35mm Lens was used.

I love the look of The Classic Frame / 35mm - it kind of makes sense.

50mm is tight and yet crops out any detail not required. I think it takes real skill to work the 50mm Lens.

The opening two images at the top were created vertically with an overlap - 5 images and the stitched together to create a wider angle of view. This is a creative application of using a 50mm.

I like to think of the 50 mm as my Singular Theme/Subject Lens. I love Classic Cars like the Aston Martin so a 50mm is perfect.

Standing on the other side of the road is also perfect for a 50mm, especially if the subject is broad and commands space.

Finally,

Some subjects work well with a 50mm, it there is room to navigate the scene then I feel a vast majority of subjects are up for grabs.

Thanks for reading.

“I feel every shot, every camera move, every frame, and the way you frame something and the choice of lens, I see all those things are really important on every shot”.

Roger Deakins