Most photographers reach for reach.

That makes sense.

But I chose to work with a 50mm.

Not because it is unusual, but because it is how I naturally see. A 50mm keeps me close enough to feel part of the moment, while still giving room for context, movement, and atmosphere. It helps me make photographs that feel present rather than distant.

And that matters to me.

Always be ready to capture something, even if it isn’t within the theme of the day.

A day like this is never only about the main subject. It is also about the people waiting, the flags, the phones, the glances, the children lifted for a better view, and the feeling in the street. The 50mm lets me include those details without losing focus. Not different from doing street or travel photography. Actually, I work the same way in most situations, from weddings to family situations or a walk in nature.

I don’t want my pictures to look like everyone else’s

That does not mean I reject the classic approach. It just means I want my photographs to feel personal. I want them to reflect how I experience a scene, not only the most efficient way to cover it. I take the risk of missing a shot wide open. A choice comes with consequences.

Shooting with f8 and adding multiple layers sharp risks cluttering up the image. So it’s about choosing. Something I teach in my workshops, too.

That is also why I often work wide open.

When photographers talk about layers, they often mean deep focus, f/8, and several sharp planes in the frame. I understand that way of working, and I admire it. But I do not think layers disappear just because the depth of field becomes shallow.

To me, layers are not only about sharpness. They are also about presence.

A blurred foreground can be a layer. A passing shoulder can be a layer. A flag at the edge of the frame can be a layer. A face in focus, surrounded by softness and colour, can still create depth.

At f/8, layers often describe space. Wide open, layers can describe attention.

That difference is important to me.

When I work at f/1.4 or f/2, I am not trying to make every part of the frame equally clear. I am trying to guide the eye. One part of the image carries the emotional weight, while other parts stay softer and more suggestive. They are still there, still contributing, but in a quieter way.

That is my way of thinking about layers. I lead the viewer to the most important part of the picture, and let the other parts still be present. It is close to how we see it. We rarely will have a focus on many people in one sharp, all-inclusive view. Our brain will mostly focus on one specific item or person, with the other parts included but “blurred”. I hope that makes sense.

It also makes photography more intentional. Working with a 50mm wide open asks you to move carefully, pay attention, and decide what really matters. You cannot stand back and let the lens do all the work. You have to be present.

That is one of the reasons I enjoy teaching workshops.

Many photographers think they need more gear, more reach, or more technical perfection before they are ready to make stronger images. But often the opposite is true. Often it helps more to slow down, use one lens, and learn how small changes in position, timing, and framing can transform a photograph.

Shooting in Berlin with the 50mm. Photo: Stefan Lakovski

That is something I explore in my photoworkshops.

Not how to photograph like a professional. Not how to copy a formula. But how to see more clearly in your own way. Wide open or with a richer depth of field (DOF).

For street photographers especially, working with one lens can be freeing. It simplifies the process and makes you more aware of what is happening around you. You stop thinking so much about options and start paying more attention to the scene itself.

For me, on June 1 in Odense, 50mm was the right choice.

This one photo was shot at f4 because I wanted the person in the back, the Mayor of Odense,  to be clearly seen, as the Queen of Denmark walked to the car. There’s a choice in every scene.

It kept me close to the atmosphere of the day. It let me work wide open without giving up complexity. And it helped me make photographs that felt like mine.

If that way of working speaks to you, it is exactly the kind of thing I love exploring in my workshops: how to work with one lens, how to use a shallow depth of field with intention, or how to work with layers all sharp. It is about how to make images that feel more personal and more alive.

I will look forward to meeting you at a workshop. Check out the dates here: https://www.mortenalbek.com/photo-workshops-with-morten-albek/

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