Creative Constraints: Photography & Focus
Ayup! I’ve recently been shooting absolutely everything with a 50mm lens. It’s often been as frustrating, as it has rewarding. That said, in any artistic pursuit, a creative constraint will (usually) decrease distractions, while increasing focus.
The easiest comparison is Netflix. We’ve all been there. So many options, just keep scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling. There’s too much choice. Wouldn’t you rather have 10 highly regarded films from a specific genre to pick from? This is the ethos we’re working with here. Fewer decisions, higher rewards (or results).
A creative constraint can be in the form of time, budget, gear or technique limitations. It’s purpose, is to explore new ways of thinking, as well as homing in on a specific approach.
How about instead of seeing these things as frustrating roadblocks, we start to frame those constraints as positive influences on our creativity?
The limitations of a prime lens in photography
The most common example of a creative limitation in the world of photography, is a prime lens. These little barrels of joy (and irritation) are usually sharper than a zoom lens. The only catch, you’ve got one fixed focal length to work with.
Unless you’ve got the funds to buy multiple prime lenses (nope), as well as the desire to carry them around with you (nope), then you’ve got yourself a creative constraint. Congratulations!
The focal length that you choose will really depend on what you intend on shooting. Two of the most popular are 35mm and 50mm. Street photographers frequently use a prime lens, with 35mm often being their go-to choice.
Having a single focal length to work with genuinely makes you think more about the composition. It means you have to use your brain and work the composition with the constraints of the focal length you’ve chosen, and not let the lens dictate the focal length by giving you the option to just sit there and zoom in and out.
Prime Vs Zoom Vs Mobile
With most mobile cameras, these days you’re prepared for all sorts of different scenarios. Ultra-wide, wide and telephoto options, all available at the click of a button. I’m a huge fan of the flexibility that an iPhone, Pixel or Galaxy provides.
Additionally, we’ve reached the point where it doesn’t usually matter what camera, lens or phone you use. Nobody’s inspecting the sharpness of your images as they spend a grand total of 1 to 2 seconds looking at in online.
With some types of photography, it’s difficult to tell the difference between a shot taken on a £5000 camera and an £800 smartphone. The divide, it seems, becomes more apparent as you enter the telephoto/dreamy bokeh realm. Our phones still have a little catching up to do here, but they’ll get there.
There is no such thing as a perfect lens for every occasion. The flexibility of zooms is hard to beat with primes; however, the image quality, speed, and sharpness of primes are simply not possible with most zoom lenses.
Ultimately, a zoom lens or mobile phone will present you with more opportunities. Depending on your style, genre or subject, this will often be advantageous. But, circling back to the Netflix analogy, could it also be a distraction, of sorts?
The frustration / The reward
As mentioned, shooting with one fixed focal length isn’t without its moments of dissatisfaction. For example, spotting a beautiful window scene while walking down a canal path in Birmingham.
The light, the timing, the people behind the window, perfection. With a 50mm lens, you’ll often need to zoom out a little with your feet. Except, in this case, there’s a pool of water behind you.
Darn it. One of many missed captures. Once you start to figure out what might work with your chosen focal length, you start to pay even more attention than you normally would with photography. Pure, unfiltered mindfulness.
The act of feeling frustrated is an essential part of the creative process. Before we can find the answer — before we can even know the question — we must be immersed in disappointment, convinced that a solution is beyond our reach. We need to have wrestled with the problem and lost. Because it’s only after we stop searching that an answer may arrive.
The rewarding part, is just the other side of frustration. The creative mind is constantly seeking a solution. Paired with your refined focus, a beautiful flurry of unfolding ideas await.
It adds a whole new level of fun and creativity to your practice. Furthermore, it offers the opportunity to research how other photographers use (or have previously used) your chosen focal length.
Learn from the masters
To stock up on ideas, head over to your search engine of choice and look up your focal length. For example, running a quick search for famous photographers that used 50mm brings up a wealth of inspiration.
Henri Cartier-Bresson, being a prime (see what I did there?) example. As soon as you start to absorb images from some of the true greats, it’s hard not to get excited about the opportunities that your lens offers.
His preferred lens was the 50mm, just like most Leica photographers use one lens more than 95% of the time. Yes, Henri Cartier-Bresson likely did the same.
For better or worse, you’ll also find a plethora of YouTube channels offering tips and advice on your chosen lens or focal length. Some are actually very useful and inspiring. Of course, this is nestled among the unbearable ads and desperate plea for likes, comments and subscribes every two seconds.
Is 50mm the all-rounder that I hoped it would be?
When I decided to get back into shooting with an actual camera, I knew I’d have to make some sacrifices. Following months of research, I decided my one and only lens would be a 50mm.
The hope, was that it would serve as an all-purpose solution. Or, at least, as all-purpose as a prime can be. Initially, I also thought I’d carry on using my mobile for any other required focal lengths. This didn’t work out, as I became instantly obsessed with putting the 50mm through its paces. We’re now in an exclusive relationship.
Sony’s portable/F2.5 primes, that are ideal for their smaller cameras, come in 24mm, 40mm and 50mm. In hindsight, I think I may have chosen the 40mm, but at the same time, I’m loving that little bit of extra detail you can capture with the 50mm.
50mm is about as close as we can get to our eyes field of view. When you shoot at 50mm, the image feels natural and you can make the viewer feel like they’re inside the image looking on at the subject of your photograph. We feel at home in the image.
So far, I’ve easily been able to capture my usual architecture shots. Nature comes a close second, with relative ease. Macro isn’t really an option, but it does focus fairly close to a subject, with some instantly pleasing results.
Portraits are one of the main reasons folks go for a 50mm. While I don’t shoot people regularly, if at all, I have no doubts that this focal length would be the perfect fit.
Pick a constraint, any constraint
Using a fixed focal length is one of hundreds of constraints that can be applied to any artistic practice. Ultimately, limiting your options, enhances your results, despite the frustrations and annoyances along the way.
I always have to remind myself; if I’m getting annoyed with a creative pursuit, it simply means I’m passionate about it. You care about it enough to want to produce your best work.
A self-imposed constraint will open up new avenues. New ways of thinking. In terms of photography, it helps you see a location you’ve visited a million times in a whole new light.
Some restrictions will work out for the best, others not so much. None of them are permanent (unless you want them to be). I guess the main point of this post is, if you don’t impose creative limitations, how will you ever know what could have been?
