This image itself wasn’t necessarily a challenge. But it symbolizes a couple of self-inflicted creative challenges in regards to my photography. First, when I got rid of my Sony a6000, I also got rid of my only zoom lens. That lens was an 18-105mm, so it provided me with tons of versatility to capture a lot of images with just one lens. Now I’m shooting everything with prime lenses. This forces me to move around more to compose my shots. While I miss the versatility and ability to capture more with the zoom lens, I’m enjoying the shallower depth of field provided by the wider apertures as well as the physicality of moving around more to capture an image.

Second, when I go on a photowalk, I try to take only one lens. It’s usually one of two lenses — either a macro lens or a 24mm lens. I’m more accustomed to shooting with longer focal lengths in order to isolate my subject. So, the 24mm lens challenges me to think differently when composing my shot. It also means that I can’t take all the photos I would normally capture with a zoom lens unless I crop the heck out of the image. Since my camera has so many megapixels, I still find myself using this method as a crutch. But, I’m hoping continual use of this lens will eventually break me from that habit.

While I may not be able to capture everything I want by using only one prime lens, especially a wide-angle lens, I’m really enjoying these challenges. While photography continues to teach me how to pause and see what is around me, these challenges now force me to be more creative in capturing an image.