One Year One Lense  – Canon 50mm f/1.8

Who says NY Resolutions don't last? I'm proud to say I've stuck to mine and am still soldiering on into 2016!

When I started this One Year One Lense photography project at the start of the year I didn't have much of an idea as to what photos I would end up with nor an exact plan of execution. My only objective was to use my 50mm f/1.8 lense to take as many photos as possible. The important thing for me was just to get into the habit of taking regular photos.

For a full collection of photographs I took this year with the Canon 50mm f/1.8, check out my Flickr photostream or the album One Year, One Lense!

Top Three Things I Learnt

To see the interesting in the everyday
Before I started this project I used my camera for travel and special occasions because I believed they would provide interesting photographic opportunities. Wrong!

It is not about the occasion or the subject, but rather finding an interesting perspective; your own perspective! As a matter of fact my first photos were taken of everyday kitchen objects and simple acts like pouring the kettle. I soon realised that it is where you put yourself, how you compose the shot that create interest, it is really how you choose to see the world – creatively. Try it!

It is your own journey
Nowadays almost everyone owns a DSLR and as soon as you say "I'm into photography" they will tell you ( not ill-intentioned) what camera, what lense you should buy in order to take good photos. Wrong!

Learning photography is a journey and more importantly it is a personal journey! We all have different methods of learning, so despite what everyone else is telling you, you have to follow your heart and find the best method (and budget) that suits you. Think about it, there is a difference between a good photo and a good quality photo.

Composition
As I look back through all the photos, I'm definitely seeing improvement in terms of composition. Just a simple rule like The Rule of Thirds can make the difference between an okay photo to one that is more dynamic looking. But the most important thing is to practice and you will notice that with time you will develop a natural eye for what looks good and engaging compositionally.

One Year One Lense – Black and White

Final Thoughts and Tips

Practice. Practice. Practice. 
At first what you envisioned may not be what you end up capturing, but don't give up! Also setting up personal projects is a good way to start because you are setting yourself a goal and you will learn valuable techniques along the way. 

What's install for 2016?

I have a few thoughts on my photography goals for 2016, for details check out my post Photography Focus 2016.

What are your photography goals for the year?

The nifty fifty.

Ever since I got my Canon 500D a few years back, I've been using the kit lenses and was quite content with the results (well as content as an occasional camera user can be). But as I mentioned in my 2015-Just Do It, I want to be more involved with photography this year by way of doing a bit of self-learning, setting up personal projects and taking photos for blog content, all in all just taking a more active approach to photography.

After taking some shots for this blog using my kit lenses, I found it wasn't giving me the photographic outcomes I wanted in achieving a shallow depth of field research, bokeh and performance in low lighting conditions.  So after a bit of research, I decided (like many other photographers when they were starting out) to get the The Nifty Fifty.

Canon EOS 50mm, f1.8 II

I was lucky enough to get this as a birthday present, like I said before this prime lense is a popular and affordable choice amongst photography enthusiasts looking to expand on their kit lenses and take their skills up a notch. I won't dwell on its technical specifications as all the information can be found on the Canon website.

For me, it was love at first click, though the manual zoom did take a bit of time to get use to. With this addition, I'm now able to achieve:
- a much shallow depth of field;
- focus on the details;
- great portrait shots; and
- bokeh.

2015 Photography Project | One Year, One Lense

Since I'm so happy with The Nifty Fifty, it only made sense for me keep using it as much as I can, well actually for the whole year! I'm really excited to see the collection of photos I will have by the end of the year, and will certainly keep you guys updated.

In the meantime. here is a first taste of some my photos taken the the 50mm, f1.8:
- Blue Mountains Botanic Gardens, Mt Tomah
- Sydney Fish Market & Festival Surry Hills

Let me know your thoughts on this lense if you are using it, or if you are like me just starting out on your own photography journey, love to hear your thoughts.

As Bill Moyer says "photography is the art of observation".