Shooting with a 50mm Lens

AMY (QUESTION): I got a nice canon 50mm for Christmas and it takes great shots.  What I don’t like is I’m not able to take shots up close because there’s no zoom.  So backing up so far from my subject (at a cafe) for example is tricky.  Any tips?

PHILLIP VAN NOSTRAND (ANSWER): Hmm, I think I just accept the limits of the 50mm and shoot close. It takes a different kind of picture..great for portraits or artistic shots of details (like at a wedding reception). You should carry your wide angle lens around if you want to do more group shots.

[Editor’s note: I know Amy has the stock lens that came with her camera, the 18-55mm. Each lens you have serves a different purpose, and some lenses like the 50mm aren’t great for group shots unless you back up a lot, which is tricky indoors. See my other article commenting on the difference between the 50mm 1.4 versus 1.2 HERE]

All photos below taken with a Canon 50mm 1.4 USM lens.

 

Do YOU know what lens to use for a large family photo? How about party pictures at a wedding? Fashion photography?

 

$$$ TIP:

If you have the funds, a great step up from the 50mm lens would be the Canon 24-70mm L series f2.8. It sells for about $850 used on Amazon. If you want something cheaper (around $350) consider the Tamron version of the same lens.