Restrictions will set you free

Those of you with keen eye for details probably noticed that I do a lot of my shoots with the same 2 lenses recently. I've been asked a number of times as to what camera and light gear do I use to do my photography. It's always been the same answer to date, I primarily use a Canon 5D MKII body with the Canon EF24mm f/1.4L II USM. The Canon EF85mm f/1.2L II USM and my trusty eBay reflector (white + silver combo) do come into play every now and then. I have a Sirui tripod + ball head that I've not used to date but will eventually do when I get back onto landscape photography.

My current gear choice was born out of the necessity to be as mobile as possible when I am shooting at conventions or outdoors in a public area. And to be honest, it's out of laziness too. I don't like the heft and bulk of a Speedlite on my camera and any off camera lighting will require at least a light stand as well. Troubling friends to hold onto a lighting gear can get old rather quickly (and probably frustrates them too if it takes too long). Having a set of fast prime lens took out the additional lighting problem out of the equation. Not to mention less hassle from security since I look like the odd tourist/ pedestrian with just a camera in hand. There are definitely limitations as I've found out with this set of gear (mostly to do with noise and image quality) and I am in the process of learning more about off camera lighting as we speak.

I had a 35L and 50L in the past (not altogether at once though, they are expensive ), both of which are stellar lenses but just not suited to my style of photography. The 35L and 85L II are pretty much the bread and butter combo for many wedding photographers out there and I had this set for a while. I did love the 35L but I found myself eventually wanting more of the background/ environment in my shots. People swear by the 50mm focal length because it has a similar viewpoint to your human eye (on a full frame sensor) but I am not one of them. Two of my good photographer friends take cracking shots with the 50mm - Beethy (www.facebook.com/BeethyPhotogr…) and Ecky (www.facebook.com/ecks.photogra…). Beethy also shoots with just a Canon 1000D and 50mm lens, he's living proof that it's not always about the gear at the end of the day.

So what's the upside to all of these restrictions? I found that I HAVE to get creative to bring out the best out of my shots. To bring out that point of difference to the other photographers, and to set my own signature look to my photos. The restrictions that I've set to myself did set my photography mindset free over time (not overnight, old habits are hard to break).

Derek Sivers (founder of CDbaby.com) said it best regarding restrictions in any creative work:

I say to you "Write me a piece of music.  Anything at all. Go."  
"Umm…anything?" you say.  
"What kind of mood are you looking for? What genre?"
There are too many possibilities. The blank page problem. How do you begin with infinity?

Now imagine I say, "Write me a piece of music, using only a xylophone, a flute, and a shoe box. You can only use four notes: B, C, E, F, and only two notes at a time. It has to be in ¾ time, start quiet, get loud, then get quiet by the end. Make it sound like a ladybug dancing with an acorn. Go."
Ah…your imagination has already begun writing the music as soon as it hears the limitations. This is easy!
Those of us in developed countries have a blank page. We can do anything. Anything we want. And that's the problem. We're paralyzed by the infinite possibilities.

In my case, these are how I've overcome some of the restrictions of my gear choice.

*No zoom lens meant I gotta zoom with my legs. You'd be surprised how much more you see when you move in, out and around your subject a lot more.
*Wide angle fixed lens meant I've got to compose my shots a lot more carefully. Distortion when shooting up close is my number one problem with the 24L II.
*Medium telephoto fixed lens meant space between me and the subject is critical. I usually have to be anywhere between 1-5 metres away when I use the 85 LII.
*No additional light meant I've got to pick the time of day and spots carefully. I always try to shoot early in the morning or late afternoon to avoid the harsh natural sunlight.
*When I do have to shoot with harsh light (i.e. the Ada Wong shoot), I picked an area with light coloured ground and metal surfaces to reflect light onto the subject. The reflector is super valuable too in this type of scenario.

The rest of the 'ingredients' in my photo are in planning and post processing. This is where I correct colours, add colours, clean the shots, add the drama and tell the story. You gotta plan your shots (even on the day itself is fine). Failing to plan is planning to fail in photography. So there you go, a little bit of insight into my photography. Hope you enjoy the read and do leave comments below. I do read them and reply to them when I get the chance to do so.