The 50mm lens is the focal length I have by far the most experience with. When I still shot film, just about every camera I came across had one snapped on, and so I tested at least a hundred cameras with a 50mm lens. I also owned a Sigma 50mm f1.4 EX DG HSM for a time, when I shot Canon. It was my favourite 50mm. I did try using the Nikon version when I made the switch but my workflow priorities have changed, but you will see I have used both versions in my choices here.

The 50mm is my gun-to-my-head, one lens to rule them all choice if I had to pick one, despite feeling like I am too “zoomed” many times. I’ve even resorted to stitching on occasion when it was all I had with me.

The Homestead

Taken just outside the city limits. I love old frontier homes and I couldn’t have asked for better sunset placement. I remember getting eaten alive by bugs and ducking in the car in between exposures.

The Recreation

Shot in the historical village of Fort Steele, this gazebo was beautiful and the backdrop was stunning. Fort Steele is a living, breathing town with people in period clothing, trains, horse & carriage, and those who actually live there and cultivate food and textiles. There’s live stock, farm cats and shops. I’ve been back since but I believe this was from my first visit.

The Look

This was part of a two day shoot where I was tasked to take stills during the production of four “horror vignettes” that would be played during at art exhibit. This gentleman, who played a psycho clown wasn’t an actor as far as I knew, but once the makeup was on he leaned into the role with grace and did an amazing job. Amazing expressions, he really knew how to work the camera. All of this was shot in an abandoned school that would later be turned into art studio spaces by cSpace.

The Performance

A great example of what a lens can do wide open, as I would not have been able to freeze the action quite like this otherwise. Captured at the “Naughty But Nice” show.

The Bartender

One of the portraits used in The Stepping Stone Manor Project.

I consider this my holy grail of photos. Likely still the best shot I have ever taken and here’s why. Those lights were not lit all at once.  They ran in a sequence, and flashed in patterns. So I did make several attempt at this, but when I finally got it, everything else fell into place as well. The couple walking have great posing and foot placement, and the woman at the ticket counter has this interesting pose as well…one of fatigue and defeat. This was shot in Seattle Washington so it’s not a location I could come back to every day to get right, and the movies playing are also a snapshot of its own, that would not be repeated. This image hung on my wall for a decade, as a 13×17, and I have considered having it printed even larger at some point in the future.

The Camp

Taken during my Trans-Canada 2025 trip. I go into much more detail on that blog.

This concludes Focal February. I hope you enjoyed it.