SEEING THE WORLD THROUGH A NORMAL LENS

It’s been a long time since I’ve used a fixed focal length normal lens for stills (the first time was when I bought a Canon AE-1 in 1976). I have a 50mm f2 Summicron for my Leica M rangefinder, though I use it more for personal work. As a cineamatographer, I also use several fast fixed focal length lenses on my 5D MK II DSLR for motion filming.

Now it’s time to use a 50mm for an assignment. My goal with every story I’ve done is to shoot each one differently – to give it a unique look. In the past, this has been accomplished by using wide-angle and telephotos lenses. I’m now going to attempt to complete an entire shoot using only a Canon 50mm f1.4 lens. “What?” I hear you say. Yes, it will probably be a challenge, but that’s what I need now. I’ll keep you posted on how it goes.