Okay, so I’ve been messing around with my camera and lenses lately, and I wanted to share some stuff I learned about shooting with a 50mm lens. It’s, like, a super popular lens, also called a “nifty fifty,” so I figured I’d give it a shot and document how it went.
Getting Started
First things first, I grabbed my camera and slapped on the 50mm lens. I have a Canon, but this should work with any brand, really. The whole point of a 50mm is that it’s supposed to be pretty close to what the human eye sees. Sounds simple, right?
Framing and Composition
This is where it got interesting. I walked around my backyard trying to find stuff to shoot. Initially, I kept trying to get everything in the frame, like I would with a wider lens. Big mistake! The 50mm forces you to be more selective. It’s all about isolating your subject.
- I started focusing on smaller details: a single flower instead of the whole bush, a cool-looking brick on the wall instead of the entire wall.
- I played around with getting closer to things. Like, really close. The 50mm can get some pretty decent close-ups.
- I also tried stepping back and using the natural lines in my yard (like the fence or the edge of the patio) to lead the eye to my subject.
Dealing with Light
Light is always important, but I noticed it even more with the 50mm. Because you’re often shooting with a wider aperture (like f/1.8 or f/2.8), you get that blurry background (bokeh, if I must use the fancy word). But that also means you need to pay attention to your light source.
- I found that shooting during the “golden hour” (early morning or late afternoon) gave me the best results. The light was softer and warmer.
- I experimented with shooting in the shade to avoid harsh shadows.
- I even tried using a reflector (just a piece of white cardboard) to bounce some light back onto my subject.
Practice, Practice, Practice
After shooting, I uploaded the photos into computer. And I found the photos taken in “golden hour” are greate!
Honestly, the best way to learn is to just go out and shoot. I spent a couple of hours just messing around, taking tons of pictures. Most of them were crap, but I learned something from each one. I looked at them on my computer, figured out what I liked and didn’t like, and went back out and tried again.
So, that’s my little journey with the 50mm lens so far. It’s definitely a lens that takes some getting used to, but it’s also super rewarding when you get it right. Keep snapping!
