My Day Out with the 50mm
So, I decided to finally give the 50mm lens a proper go for street photography. You hear all sorts, right? Some folks swear by it, others say it’s too tight, too boring, or just not the ‘ideal’ street lens like a 35mm or 28mm. I figured, what the heck, let’s see for myself. I’ve been using zooms for a bit, and honestly, I was getting lazy. Just standing there, twisting a ring. Not really feeling it, you know?
Getting Ready and Heading Out
I grabbed my usual camera body, and then I specifically chose the 50mm. It felt kinda weird at first, a bit lighter and more compact than the big zooms I sometimes lug around. I just started walking from my place, no real plan, no specific destination in mind. That’s usually how I roll for street stuff. Just wander and wait for something to catch my eye. The weather was okay, a bit overcast, which is actually pretty good – no harsh shadows, no blown-out highlights to worry too much about.
The Actual Shooting – The Good and The Not-So-Good
Right off the bat, I noticed the biggest thing: you gotta use your feet. A lot. There’s no cheating with a prime lens, especially a 50mm. Saw a cool scene across the street? Too bad, you either hoof it over there, risking the moment vanishing, or you try to frame it from where you are. And that’s where the 50mm can be a bit… particular. It’s not wide enough to just gobble up the whole scene, and it’s not long enough to really zoom in and isolate tiny details from a comfortable distance.
- I tried to get some candid shots of people. This was definitely a challenge. With a 50mm, you’re not exactly invisible like you might be with a longer lens. You have to get reasonably close for a decent framing, and yeah, people notice. Some folks don’t mind, give you a nod, others give you that classic side-eye. You just learn to read the room, or the street, rather.
- Then there were those frustrating moments where I saw something unfolding, a perfect little story, but by the time I moved myself into the right spot, changed my angle, the moment was just… gone. Poof. That’s street photography for ya, always fleeting, but the 50mm definitely makes you work harder and faster for those keepers.
- On the plus side, when you do nail a shot with the 50mm, it feels pretty rewarding. Because you had to consciously think about your composition, your distance, your positioning. The images tend to have this really natural perspective, kinda like how your own eyes see the world, which I actually quite like.
Why I Stuck With It – A Bit of a Story
You know, I almost gave up about an hour in. I was thinking, man, this is way harder than I remembered. My trusty zoom lens would have made capturing some of those scenes a total breeze. But then I remembered this one time, years and years ago, when I was just starting out. I had this super cheap, basic kit lens, and I was moaning to an old photographer friend that I couldn’t get any good shots, blaming the gear. He just looked at me, deadpan, and said, “It’s not the gear, it’s your eye and your brain. Learn to see with what you have, learn its limits, and then push them.” That kinda stuck with me. So I told myself to just push on with the 50mm for the rest of the afternoon.
It’s a bit like when I decided I wanted to learn how to cook something beyond instant noodles. Everyone was raving about these complicated recipes. I tried one, got all the fancy ingredients, and it was a disaster. Tasted like cardboard. I almost threw in the towel. But then I went back to basics, just trying to fry an egg perfectly, then make a simple sauce. The 50mm feels like that basic, fundamental tool. It forces you to really understand the core ingredients of a good photo: composition, light, and timing, because it doesn’t offer you any shortcuts.
Final Thoughts From the Day
So, after a good few hours, my feet were definitely tired, but I actually felt pretty good about the whole experience. The 50mm isn’t some kind of magic lens that’ll instantly make your photos amazing. It’s got its clear limitations for street work, for sure. But it makes you a much more active photographer. You’re not just a passive observer sniping from afar; you’re more in the scene, thinking, moving.
I got some shots I was happy with, and plenty that were just meh. But the process itself, that was the valuable part. More deliberate, more mindful.
Will I use it again for street?
Yeah, I definitely think I will. It’s a great way to shake things up, to get out of a creative rut, and to challenge myself. It’s not going to be my go-to lens for every single street outing, especially if I need versatility. But it’s certainly re-earned its place in my bag for those days when I want to get back to basics. It makes you honest, that 50mm. No frills, no zoom to hide behind, just you, the lens, and the street. And sometimes, that’s exactly what you need to kickstart your vision again.
