For years, I was a lazy photographer. My first few lenses, starting with the compact 18-55mm kit lens on my Canon EOS 500D and eventually upgrading to the 24-105mm and 70-200mm zooms, gave me convenience. They enabled me to capture pretty much anything without moving my feet. But that convenience did nothing for my creativity.
It was then that I purchased a gorgeous second-hand Olympus OM 50mm f/ 1.4. This wasn't just my first manual lens; it was my first prime. I still own it and, if I’m ever falling out of love with photography, I go straight back to it. As far as prime lenses go, it was my first love.
Indulge me a minute as I recall my first experience with it. I was shooting some portraits for a client and I remember the odd feeling of having to move around my subject, rather than simply zooming in. This forced me to do three things – and I believe I’m a better photographer today for it.
1) I interacted with my subject more intentionally
Using zoom lenses so often meant that I found myself becoming disconnected from my subject rather than intertwined with it. Getting familiar with prime lenses forced me to interact with my subject as something with character and depth.
I started to consider composition and depth of field like I never had before, and began engaging with my subject in ways that drew out my feelings and emotions.
2) I learned to pre-visualize what I wanted
Using a prime lens also forced me to consider what I wanted to capture rather than just getting the shot as quickly as possible. Crops and angles that would initially feel too tight or too wide meant that I had to think beyond the immediate and most obvious.
I also found myself making much more use of negative space. Instead of zooming in to fill the frame, I would choose to step back and employ empty space strategically to add context, scale or drama to my shot.
3) I stopped having zoom indecision
Instead of wasting time trying to get the right zoom distance, I learned how to notice shots that suited my fixed lens. Over time I became more accustomed to this, although it felt very unnatural to begin with. Not having the luxury of a zoom simplified my decision-making and forced me to think visually before I even brought the camera to my eye.
Having experienced the beauty of prime lenses, if I ever have a choice between zoom and fixed, I will choose fixed almost every single time. Given that it’s something that has to be experienced rather than taught, why not make shooting with prime lenses your 2026 resolution?
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