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Capture movement
A 50mm lens gives you a great starting
point to be able to capture movement.
Unlike a telephoto lens, with a
50mm you can capture more of the
environment, thus giving you more
room in your frame to capture a
spontaneous movement from your
subject. It is also easier to frame your
shot without accidentally cropping out
limbs if you’re asking your subject to
move around or walk towards you.Embrace versatility
Whether you are a beginner or a
working professional, every camera
manufacturer has its own version of the
50mm lens to suit your needs. If you’re
after a budget 50mm for your personal
work, a high-end 50mm, a cine 50mm
or a 50mm with creative effects, the
options are vast.Keep it tight
The 50mm focal length is perfect
when I’m working in a location
without much space. While tighter
prime lenses such as the 85mm
or 135mm produce a beautiful,
compressed look, I don’t often
have enough room in my locations
to move around and capture a full
body shot. The 50mm gives that
compressed look with wonderful
background bokeh without having
to sacrifice the composition for it.Shoot in low light
For wedding photography, the 50mm is my
go-to lens to capture shots of the guests
mingling during the reception. One of the
main reasons for this is the focal length – I
can stay just far enough to capture natural
photos of people talking and laughing
without guests becoming self-conscious that
I’m photographing them. The second reason
is that 50mm prime lenses are usually great
in low light owing to their fast apertures. By
using a wide aperture of, say, f/1.2 or f/1.8, I
am able to use the available natural light in a
low-light reception venue instead of relying
on my flash, which can be quite distracting
and cause guests to become aware that I
am photographing them.