Before my vacation, the question came up again: Which lenses do I take along? As a photographer from Dresden, I wanted to travel with my family and still stay flexible photographically. My choice was my 35mm f/1.4, plus the 135mm f/1.8 for subjects farther away.
The 35 was almost always the right choice
At Lake Garda, it quickly became clear that the 35 was the perfect choice for me. Whether family pictures, narrow alleys, interiors or landscapes – for my vacation photography, it was almost always the right focal length. What I especially like is that I can include foregrounds without them looking too distorted for my taste. At the right distance, the 35mm is also excellent for portraits.
The 135 only came into play in a few situations, for example with windsurfers, mountaineers or a rescue helicopter during a mountain rescue. It was ideal for that. Changing lenses only takes a few seconds and, for me, is the better alternative to bringing several zoom lenses.
Prime lenses at work, too
I’ve written several times before that I work more creatively with prime lenses. In reportage photography in particular, I value composing deliberately with perspectives, foregrounds and the surroundings.
As a photographer in Dresden, too, I like to rely on prime lenses for business photography, reportage photography and event photography. The 35mm is often my first choice, complemented by an 85mm lens when I need more distance from the subject.
My conclusion
At Lake Garda, I photographed almost everything with my 35mm f/1.4 on the Nikon Z6 III. For me, this confirms once again: you don’t need as much gear as possible, but the right lens for your own visual language.
You’ll find the pictures from Torbole and Lake Garda in the project Time Out at Lake Garda – Torbole, Italy.