23mm is a wider focal length than I’m used to. I typically shoot with my 35mm (50mm in full-frame terms) or tighter because I love that focused, intimate look. Shooting wider felt unnatural at first—there was so much more in the frame, which felt distracting to me.

It took a while, but I started to get more comfortable with the wider field of view. At first, it felt odd and out of place, but the more I pressed the shutter, the more I began to see new possibilities.

I stopped focusing solely on a single subject and let the entire scene unfold. Sure, I still took subject-centric shots, but this lens opened up new opportunities. I could get closer to my subject without it completely filling the frame, which changed how I approached composition.

With me getting closer, I had to be more intentional. Take the duck above: first, we named him Gregory. With Gregory, I couldn't just sit in the bushes hundreds of feet away because I had a wider focal length. I had to get closer to Gregory. I had to make my presence known, and had to wait for Gregory to get comfortable with me being there. I wasn't invisible, and that was a wild feeling to have since I normally shoot from across the street/room.

Shooting wider allowed me to create more establishing shots. Take a look above. I created depth with a blurry foreground element in the bottom left corner. The subject is centered and the scene works around the subject. Despite that, you still get scale due to the hotel in the back, and the tall bank building far off in the distance. All of this shows depth and space, (hopefully) making a viewer feel like they are actually there. The subject is the statue, sure, but the focus is on the place and the story it has, rather than of a statue.

On the other hand, the lens surprised me with its versatility. It can also capture tighter, more atmospheric shots. The stairs above feel ominous, almost like they’re part of a mystery. While still environmental, the photo feels intimate, focusing on the smaller details of light and shadow.

The photos here are more wide, but still focus on more intimate details like the way the light hits the water, and how it reflects to the underside of the bridge.

This lens shines when capturing grand scenes. For instance, the wide angle makes this building feel larger and more impressive than it might look through a tighter lens.

The 23mm even works well for portraits. While it does slightly stretch the subject, it adds a unique character to the image. I only included photos of statues here, but I also tried it with actual people, and I loved the results. I’ll definitely be exploring this more in future portraits.

Enjoy the rest of the photo series without me going on too much more. There will be some more shots of the park these statues were in, a seasonal self-portrait, and some cool detail shots.

See You Next Time!

I hope you enjoyed exploring a different focal length with me. Shooting exclusively with the 23mm for this photo series was a learning experience. At first, I wanted to switch back to my trusty 35mm, but by sticking with it, I discovered a new way to see and capture the world.