How Much Less, is More?

Lately I have been challenging myself to use my Nikon 50mm 1.8 lens more and more.  It is becoming my favorite lens to carry on my camera.  Its super light and small and doesn't bang into things as I walk through stores or by people.  It is one of the sharpest, if not the sharpest lenses I own as well as one of the least expensive. 

I used to think that when taking pictures I needed to get everything I saw in real life into the picture I was taking.  Sometimes this is true but my 50mm has taught me to narrow my focus and more intimately tell the story of what I am seeing.  I'm still a sucker for wide angle shots that get as much of my surroundings into one picture, but I have enjoyed the challenge that the 50mm has presented to me.  It forces you to think harder about the subject and the composition.  For some reason it helps me to see the colors better and parts of a scene that have complementary colors and contrast that I crave.

It engages me with photos in ways a zoom can't.  I have to move forward or backwards, closer or further away from my subject instead of lazily spinning the zoom ring from lock to lock.  When you move closer or further away from your subject it also changes the perspective from which the photo will be taken.  So I have found interesting perspectives that I never would have with my zoom lens.

As with yesterdays post some of these photos work for me because of how simple they are.  Simple large shapes and bold contrasting colors catch my eye even when these pictures are small thumbnails on my computer. 

 

 This is an example of too little.  This sign is highly ineffective.