28mm

end of the road // shot on the ricoh gr ii, 2023

Some people who exclusively shoot primes will claim to "see" things in that focal length. I’m pretty much onboard with that statement and I also do think those that have put in the time can do that with more than one focal length.

It's been four years since I bought my first camera and started very intently putting in the time to improve my eye as a photographer.

I mained the 35mm focal length for the first three years and then switched to the 40mm which I vibed with even more after. The 35mm was wide enough but lacked the distortion which gave the wideness a sense of movement and character. I can also see how these qualities for others may make the 35mm the perfect focal length. I went to the 40mm as a result of finding myself totally lacking any sense of fluency with the 50mm but wanting a bit more crop than the 35mm for the more subject-oriented abstract photos. However, the 28mm has always been there as a secondary due to the versatility of the focal length and the pocketability of my Ricoh GR ii.

I’d be lying if I said my excitement for the 40mm hasn’t declined this year. This year, I’ve been frequently more satisfied with the frames I’ve captured on the Ricoh than my Fuji setup with the 40mm whenever I take both on a photo session.

More and more, I've been considering actually just maining the 28mm as I'm finding myself unintentionally finding frames by utilizing the key to bringing the 28mm to life: immersing yourself with your environment. As someone that prefers "messy" compositions over a perfectly upright and lined up Wes Anderson composition - finding an approximate balance in the imperfections rather than having everything perfectly composed and clean.

Right now I just wanna jump in the deep end and shoot exclusively 28mm for a bit. Part of this is coming from a personal dislike for having to switch lenses while out & about - possibly a topic for another time.