I’m falling in love with 28mm, here’s why

Street Photography is like jazz, it’s a lot of improvisation—there's a rhythm and flow that’s unpredictable, yet captivating.

I think my favourite way to experience this is via 28mm.

My current Street Photography lens options: 28mm Elmerit, 35mm Summilux & 28mm Simera.

The imperfections in a 28mm street photograph leave more room for context, It’s more raw and real, a snapshot of life as it happens.

When I say imperfections, i mean small details on the floor or random objects, maybe a random branch or someones hand, peoples faces appearing on the edges, details that you might not have intentionally aimed to photograph and details that might mean nothing.

But maybe the composition is naturally clean and there isn’t any obvious imperfections… if that’s the case, great, that can feel even better.

But all together, imperfections or not, seeing the scene come together - it adds something… and I want to try and explain that something.

Sometimes a 35mm lens or tighter can feel more perfect but predictable.

It’s composed with a higher degree of intention, often resulting in images that are technically superior but sometimes lack the spontaneity and energy that make a photograph feel alive.

Don’t get me wrong—every photograph is unique, shaped by its circumstances.

You might be sitting there thinking or looking at a photograph that doesn’t align with what I’m saying. I get it. This whole subject is so subjective, however, this is my website so I get to say whatever I want haha, here’s my thoughts.

Documentary and street photography, in particular, deliver a vast range of images.

What I’m expressing here isn’t a hard-and-fast rule, but rather how these focal lengths make me feel when I use them.

Lately, I’ve been gravitating towards work that doesn’t feel so perfect and clinical.

and I’m reminded of this when I think about cropping my images. And this isn’t me saying - “we shouldn’t crop” I do it all the time, obviously - do whatever you want with your work.

Cropping can be a powerful tool to remove distractions and focus the viewer's attention on the subject, making the image more pleasing to the eye.

However, my concern is the following:

When I think about cropping—I find myself resistant to the idea of achieving perfection.

If an image is too clean, too free of distractions, it may be technically better, but is it at risk of becoming robotic, almost void of the human touch.

When I see an image that’s symmetrical and perfectly composed, I sometimes find it doesn’t even look real, where’s the soul?

I want to feel like I was there, that the moment truly unfolded as it’s being shown.

Here’s a recent favourite of mine from NYC, I love the two subjects in the centre, they were the reason I took the photograph. The flip phone from one women and pure boredom from the other was interesting to me, but what I didn’t expect to capture was the rush of people around them. The women who looks bored contrasts even more so with the energy around her.

I may have once considered the surrounding in this image as distracting. But now, I like to embrace whatever the 28mm caught because it was real. That’s really what NYC looked and felt like.

I’m not suggesting any old rubbish you capture on a 28mm is good, good compositions and the stuff in frame actually being interesting is important - I’m not throwing all the rules out the window here but I’m just leaning towards images feeling more free flowing and c'est la vie

When I see a 28mm photograph I like, it presents a more realistic point of view—one that’s not just about what’s perfect but what’s real.

The best example I can give to illustrate my point is in street skating and the olympics.

The magic of street skating lies in its nuances and atmosphere. A skater ollies up a curb, avoids a bin, brushes past security to clear a stair set—maybe their hat falls off when they land. You see the personality, the risk, the effort, and the style that went into achieving that trick.

Now, imagine taking all that away and placing the skater in a perfect skatepark. The setting becomes predictable, the outcome much more certain. While the tricks themselves are still impressive, the soul of what makes street skating exciting is lost.

Similarly, a great street photography caught on any lens is still a great moment regardless, but how it’s displayed and presented makes all the difference.

For me, the 28mm lens just looks more lifelike.

It’s less about perfection and more about documenting how the moment felt

I made a full video sharing my thoughts on this and why I bought a new lens, check it out below.

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