Mastering the 35mm Lens

Summary

Photographer Sean Dalton offers six practical techniques for effectively using a 35mm lens, drawing from eight years and hundreds of thousands of frames. He emphasizes including context in portraits, utilizing negative space and framing to manage busy compositions, and adding depth with foreground elements. Dalton also discusses techniques like 'unfocusing your eyes' to read scenes, getting closer than comfortable, and moving feet for varied shots, often using the Fujifilm X100VI for everyday documentation.

Key points

• 35mm lenses excel at capturing context, making portraits tell a story.
• Use negative space and framing to manage busy compositions and isolate subjects.
• Add depth to 35mm shots with foreground elements and shallow depth of field.
• Techniques include 'unfocusing eyes' for composition, getting closer, and varied movement.