After using my 35mm f2 lens from Canon for about a year now, I’m seriously wondering how I managed without it. I loved my 50mm f1.8 lens, but I found that photographing in small apartments was way easier with a 35mm. Sometimes, the spaces I need to shoot in are too tight for a 50mm even if I back up to the wall. Since I travel to my clients homes, instead of using a large studio, I need to work with the space available. So, the 35mm is perfect for the city dweller who wants lifestyle portraits in their home and I rarely take it off my camera now.
The fstop goes down to f2 and I do use it wide open sometimes to get maximum light and blur and been happy with the results. But, I usually prefer a higher fstop from 3.5 to 5 that will show off the shooting environment, whether it’s a lovely landscape or a beautiful home. Distortion can happen with the 35mm at the edges since it is a wide angle lens. To avoid this, I recommend shooting a little wider and then crop in or keep your subjects a bit more centered.
I know 35mm is not normally considered a portrait lens. Many photographers prefer the 50mm and 85mm and I’ll admit to being tempted to buy the 85mm 1.8. The price is very budget friendly and I do love me some prime lenses! I also love how active photography can be when moving around to get the composition when using a prime lens. It forces you to get creative with your compositions and 35mm forces you to get up close to your subject. Since I’m very hands-on when it comes to posing my newborns and families, this focal length works with the way I interact with my subjects. My families and newborns are not expected to perform like fashion models, and it’s my job to guide everyone into the most flattering positions.
Gear definitely helps you take better photos, especially if you have very specific needs and I’m very satisfied with my purchase of this lens. However, it’s important to remember that gear doesn’t make you a professional photographer and it doesn’t automatically mean you will create professionally looking images if you have professional equipment.
Photographing different subjects requires different sets of knowledge and experience, which in my subjective opinion, is more valuable than gear. A food photographer should be knowledgeable about cooking, a landscape photographer should be experienced with hiking outdoors, a fashion photographer should know about clothes and makeup, and newborn photographers should be knowledgable about babies. Knowing how to calm them down, how to safely position them, and even how to style them comes with experience.
I saw this amazing quote on a photography Facebook group that is relevant to anybody who considers themselves an artist in their field, “A photographer went to a socialite party in New York. As he entered the front door, the host said ‘I love your pictures – they’re wonderful; you must have fantastic camera.’ He said nothing until dinner was finished, then: ‘That was a wonderful dinner; you must have a terrific stove.” – Sam Haskins