In a moment of insanity, I set myself the goal of using only the Sony 50mm prime lens last weekend, starting on Friday. I knew this would be a challenge, because I generally use the telephoto lens, so I can get close to wildlife.
At first I was at a loss. How should I start? I even “cheated” by capturing a wonderfully stormy sky in a pano of four photos instead of capturing it all in one frame. I didn’t want to step that far back, plus stuff would have been in the way of that view.
I’m not sorry, because look at that sky! There was a tornado warning just north of us (I found out later), which explains the dramatic clouds. I promise the rest of the photos were only cropped and edited, as usual.
This is still Friday: a purple queen plant, part of the landscaping at the nearby college. That lens takes really nice closeup pics!
This huge piece of art is next to the Florida Museum of Culture and Art. I had to step back quite a bit to get the whole thing in the photo. With a telephoto, I can zoom in and out for shots, but using the 50mm, I have to walk around a lot to better frame the subject.
While I was on campus, a car pulled up and two kids got out. I snapped a couple of pics. I liked her hair, I liked his hair, I was fascinated by all the stuff hanging off his shoulders. What’s in all those bags? She had a backpack, too, and in her hands, mostly hidden by the car, was a blue ball. I don’t think it was used for soccer, but it wasn’t a basketball either. I never did figure it out.
I went out again Sunday and got this pic of two guys meeting while walking their dogs and stopping for a chat. The pups were bored. 🙂 But mostly they waited patiently.
Also on Sunday: This is a Southern Magnolia flower. Damn, they smell good. The entire woods was drenched in a rich, luscious scent I kept inhaling over and over. If a smell could make you drunk, I’d have been staggering around and giggling. I really like how the 50mm lens handled this shot, which was in shade, in the woods. The petals look as creamy as they are in real life.
Lastly, today (Monday, if you’re reading this on a different day), another experiment in street/urban photography. This one came out a lot better than the two students. I didn’t get what I wanted in that picture, probably because I wasn’t sure what that was. In street photography, you have to have a plan, however loose, and frame the photo before you take it.
I got quite a bit from the next pic. It makes me feel sad and aware of the passage of time. The place has seen better days, and even the cat looks a bit mangy. It has an overall dejected air. It doesn’t look like a happy place. 😦
I edited to emphasize those feelings.
See you next time.
Theo Fenraven 