Life in 85mm : Zoom in-n-out with your feet!

I had some extra time to process some personal photos because I’ve had some engagement sessions that had to be rescheduled due to rain.

Thankfully we had beautiful weather this past weekend so I took full advantage of spending time with family and friends and I got to take some nice photos! Of course with the 85mm!

Whenever I get asked questions about using a prime lens one of my answer is, “You have to learn to zoom in-n-out with your feet.”

The 85mm lens is not a wide angle lens. You have to step back pretty far from the subject you’re taking a picture of if you want to get a wide view. Since I started this “Life in 85″ project I’m freshly reminded of how true that statement is I am fully aware of the challenges that come along with “zooming in-n-out with your feet”. But that’s part of the reason why this project is fun for me. Here are couple challenges that I’ve faced so far.

Challenge #1: Getting what you want in tight spaces.

My solution: Look at the world with a different view. Look to capture it with a different perspective that you are able to capture with the 85mm or whatever lens you have. Capture things that you see in the view finder.

Scenario: Wifey wanted pics of all three kids taking a bath. I knew the bathroom will be really tight to get a wide shot of all three kids with the 85mm lens but I was up for the challenge. I moved back as much as I could for some shots and also got on top of the toilet to give myself more room and for a different point of view.

Challenge #2: Being aware of your surroundings just as much as what you’re capturing.

My solution: Look where you are then look around and see what’s around you. If not, you might knock over something or almost get run over by a car:)

Scenario: We went out for ice cream with friends and out two little ones were playing on a bench. To get the best angle I had to be in the middle of the drive thru lane. I got a dirty look from one drive who had to stop for me. I also have plenty of examples of bumping into people or almost knocking down important things at weddings as I’m walking backwards as I’m taking photos;)
Here’s the shot I got while standing on the drive thru lane.

Whatever camera or lens you have just go out take pictures and have fun! At the end of the day you’re the one who clicked on the shutter to capture memories because it meant something to you. So I always tell wifey too this but I don’t think you need to worry about how good or bad the photo is as long as you captured what you wanted.

But if you want to get better at taking photos then learn some basic tips and keep practicing by taking pictures! Before I started taking photos for a living I simply was just a dad who took pictures to document my life! But I kept learning and practicing cause I loved it! So keep shooting!

Here are some photos from the weekend.

Poor kid wants to play with his older brother and sister but can’t run around with them yet:)

She loves pink so she had the idea to chalk the flower to make a pink flower! Problem solved!

My friends daughter. One of my favorites from that day.

I’m really enjoying this project because it’s giving me a opportunity to capture my life in a unique way and I know I’m gonna enjoy looking back on these photos.

More of “Life in 85″ photos can be found on flickr.