📷 The Long Lens of Intention: Why I Use an 85mm for Street Photography

Most street photographers reach for a 35mm or 50mm lens. They want proximity, spontaneity, immersion. I reach for an 85.

It’s not the obvious choice. The Nikkor 85mm f/1.8 is traditionally a portrait lens—tight, isolating, deliberate. But that’s exactly why I use it. In a world that celebrates immediacy, the 85mm forces me to slow down, to observe from a respectful distance, and to choose my moments with care.

🧭 Distance as Empathy

Street photography often walks a fine line between documentation and intrusion. The 85mm lets me witness without imposing. I’m not in someone’s face—I’m across the street, watching how light falls on a gesture, how a glance becomes a story. It’s a lens that honours space, and in doing so, honours dignity.

This matters especially when photographing people in vulnerable situations. I don’t want pity shots. I want portraits of resilience, of complexity, of quiet strength. The 85mm helps me frame those stories with reverence.

🎯 Selective Seeing

With a wider lens, everything competes for attention. With the 85mm, I choose what to include—and more importantly, what to leave out. It’s a tool of restraint. A way to say: this is the moment that matters. The compression isolates subjects, softens distractions, and creates a kind of visual poetry that feels more like memory than reportage.

I’ve used this lens to photograph street vendors in Phnom Penh, construction workers resting in the shade of unfinished towers, and elders watching the city change around them. Each image feels intentional, not accidental. That’s the power of the 85.

🛠️ Gear as Philosophy

I don’t chase specs. I chase stories. The Nikkor 85mm f/1.8 isn’t flashy, but it’s reliable, characterful, and honest. It doesn’t pretend to be versatile—it asks you to commit. And that commitment mirrors my broader philosophy: that creative freedom comes not from having every option, but from choosing the right constraint.

In a way, this lens has taught me to see differently. Not just through glass, but through time. It reminds me that every frame is a decision, every subject a collaboration, and every photograph a question: What are you really trying to say?

Closing Thought:   Street photography isn’t about capturing everything—it’s about noticing something. The 85mm helps me notice with intention. And in that noticing, I find stories worth telling.