One Lens Challenge

Choosing a single prime lens forces commitment: to a field of view, to a perspective, to being inside the scene rather than hovering around its edges with options. It transforms the act of photographing into something more immersive and mindful.

It also speaks to how deeply you’ve internalized your craft. With just one lens, your compositional muscle gets sharper, your feet become your zoom, and your eye learns to anticipate the world in that focal length’s unique geometry. Over time, your images start to carry that signature fluency—frames that feel cohesive not because of variety, but because of trust in limitation.

20mm for immersion, 85mm for intimacy, and the nifty 50 as the quiet mediator between the two. Each one asks something different of you: the 20mm demands that you get close, that you collapse the distance both physically and emotionally. The 85mm lets you step back, give space, but still draw out presence. And the 50mm? It sees in a language that often feels the most human—neither wide nor tight, just grounded.

A lens challenge isn’t just about limiting gear; it’s about expanding vision. By committing to a single focal length, you’re essentially saying: “Let me see the world through this one voice, and listen to what it teaches me.”

Whether it’s the immersive honesty of the 20mm, the contemplative distance of the 85mm, or the balanced neutrality of the 50mm, each lens becomes a kind of philosophical constraint. It shapes not just composition, but emotion, proximity, and even the kinds of stories you’re drawn to.