No zoom

This blog, tracing a year in the life of Vilnius from an outsider’s viewpoint, will be entirely shot using a fixed 50mm length. Using a single focal length with a size as high as 50mm (or prime lens) is a glorious challenge. There isn’t an option to zoom out, to get the framing right. Or to sneakily zoom in on an unwitting subject whose knowledge that they’re being framed would ruin the shot. This means a lot of moving around, and plenty of shots that just won’t happen, because the picture doesn’t make sense without a wider angle. But it also feeds the imagination. Moving around to frame the shot builds a relationship with the subject. A recollection of spending the time taking the shot, that can be relived later, creating a more permanent memory of a scene or moment. Being of a fixed nature, the lens also provides the option of shooting with an extremely short focal length. Scenes can be blurred almost at will. And otherwise excellent photos are easily ruined by the focus spot landing a metre away from its intended target. 50mm is excellent for shooting portraits. That is probably how the photos are best thought of. Portraits of scenes, people, buildings and nature. The photo above, of echinacea flowers in bloom, was taken at Sereikiskiu park (also known as Bernardinu sodas), in the old town of Vilnius behind the castle.