Who is more "prepared": the one going out with one prime - or The Greg with his 16+ lenses?

dezinerd wrote:

As usual Deed posts a compelling question. Then he engenders more introspection by some nudging. For my own part I examine where I am and where I have been. My life is not the same as others, i was paid to "tell the story" with photos and it was all primes but that experience tells you the best lens to tell the story. This was film. So with high resolution you could tell the story, with a single lens, but not as effectively because it would be a single view point to take in the same subject matter.

Case example from deeds photos of some magical eastern gem. The boat photo arriving at the antiquities, The lower left of the photo is the only interest unless you want to show the remoteness of where it is located, a crop would do this, 16x9 but that cuts off the telling story of how he arrived. Single focal length would not matter with various crops of same photo.

The bell has an important detail in a face or animal head that is out of focus, there might be one that includes that but we don't get to see it. or it just is not there?

The buildings, the suspense is killing, What do they look like going up, how about the figures by the portals? I want more. An ultra wide angle would do that, While I am not keen on distortion, I would have gotten low and pointed up. Maybe it was crowded or you don't feel like getting a knee on your pants dirty but now we have tilt screens. Hey I blow shots all the time for just those reasons. Closer to the figures on left means bigger more detail, up more inclusive of farther away scene. Its all worth seeing nothing to crop out or am I wrong and there was a Drink Coca Cola sign out of view or some other defacement.

These all were wonderful mind expanding photos thanks for sharing and my apologies for being so crappy critical and analytical. For travel a zoom allows to go with the flow, get the shot unobtrusively, maybe I would like 3 or 4 of the temple bell to make sure its there. I alway feel bad if holding up the group. As my eyesight failed I could no longer know I had the shot so overcompensated. Post cataract surgery I might kick that habit.

So for me a zoom works best because I cant break free of my earlier comercial restraints. A friend who was a painter said" your earlier comercial work discipline always shows through in your work".

Thanks to Deeds and all who responded with their own thoughts on his ideas.

Thanks for your detailed response! Regarding the building shot:

I had been experimenting - as one does - with wide angle versus the 56/1.2. Decided that the compressed photos I liked better:

versus the I believe 16/1.4 shots:

I felt like the 56 shots provided more intimacy as the 56/1.2 almost always does:

Wide and everything in focus has no focus in my opinion:

You disagree?

Deed