How to Shoot with One Lens (and Still Feel Free)
Believe it or not, I really only shoot with one lens. I know many photographers have bags full of gear, switching between lenses depending on the scene, but for me, and the style of photography I love most (lifestyle, travel, and landscape), one lens is almost always enough.
Of course, this depends on your genre of photography. A wildlife or wedding photographer might need a broader kit with a range of focal lengths. But for my work, mostly lifestyle, travel, and everyday storytelling, I really only need three lenses: a 24–70mm, a 50mm, and a 35mm. I’ve considered getting an 85mm, but since I don’t do a lot of portrait work, it would likely just gather dust.
My tried and true go-to? The f 2.8 24–70mm. It’s incredibly versatile and lets me capture everything from wide landscapes and busy street scenes to intimate portraits. It’s the one lens I always take when I travel. I like to keep my kit small and light, especially when I’m traveling. I err on the side of leaving something behind rather than toying with the thought that maybe I’ll need it. More often than not, I don’t, and I use what I’ve got. I much prefer having a lighter kit than heaving around a heavy bag when I’m just trying to explore a place. Simplicity is key for me. This, of course, isn’t always the case because some client briefs need more range, but for my personal work, this lens more than meets my needs and suits the kind of photography I love. That said, if my style or the genre I shoot ever shifts, my gear choices might evolve too.
And here’s the surprising part: having just one lens feels like freedom.
It might seem counterintuitive, but limiting myself to one lens actually opens up my creativity. It’s a concept that runs parallel with discipline: the more disciplined you are, the more freedom you have. As Kenyan marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge says, the disciplined ones are the free ones. Why is that? Discipline empowers you to say no, stay true to your values, and say no to distractions, to say no to whatever doesn’t serve you, whether they’re those fleeting urges or enticing offers that don’t align with your deeper aspirations or intentions. For me, this concept beautifully ties into the experience of shooting with just one lens. What might initially seem like a limitation is actually a gateway to creative freedom. Fewer options mean less time spent deciding, no lens paralysis, and no second-guessing. With a streamlined kit, I’m less bogged down by gear (literally and mentally) and more in tune with the moment. Using one lens allows me to be more present and focused. I’ve found that it cultivates awareness and presence with my subjects because my mind, energy, and creativity have space to express and flow. That so-called “restriction” turns into an opportunity to see things differently: How can I make this composition work with what I have? It encourages me to move my body, shift my perspective, look closer, reframe, and really engage with the scene until I uncover something interesting or beautiful. That limitation hones my eye and deepens my presence, two things far more valuable than any piece of camera gear in my opinion.
Tips for Shooting With Just One Lens:
1. Know Your Focal Length’s Strengths
Each lens has its sweet spot. A 24–70mm is incredibly versatile as it’s a zoom lens. You can capture sweeping landscapes or an intimate portrait. Even a prime lens like a 35mm or 50mm provides a remarkable amount of latitude in composition, allowing for both intimate details and wider contextual frames. Each lens also has what’s often called a “sweet spot, ”an aperture range where it delivers the sharpest, most optimal results. This sweet spot is typically somewhere in the middle of the lens’s aperture range, often between f/5.6 and f/8, though it varies slightly depending on the lens. It is generally between two to three stops down from the widest aperture of your lens. Wide open apertures (like f/1.4 or f/2.8) can be beautiful for creating that creamy, shallow depth of field, but they may not always be the sharpest across the frame. On the other end, stopping down too far (like f/22) can introduce diffraction, which tends to soften the image.
I won’t go too deep into the technical weeds here, but if you’re curious, it’s worth doing a little research or even some simple tests at home to find out where your lens performs best. Just look up the sharpest aperture for your specific lens model, or take the same photo at different apertures and compare them. Zoom lenses are a bit different, but it’s easy enough to find what your specific focal length is by a Google search. It's a fun and eye-opening experiment that can subtly improve your image quality with almost no extra effort.
2. Move Your Feet & Body
If you’re using a prime lens, such as a 35mm or 50mm, you have to move! This is why I recommend a prime lens to any new photographer as their first lens purchase, because it teaches you to move your feet. You may be thinking, didn’t you just say you use a 24-70mm zoom as your primary lens? Yes, but for years I only had a 50mm. In fact, I shot both of my books with only a 50mm lens, and gosh, was I moving around, up, down, sideways…every direction. I think that if I began with a zoom lens, I’d be a much less adaptable photographer, maybe even lazy, because I wouldn’t have had that foundational period where I had to physically move, shift my perspective, and really engage with my subject or scene. Whatever lens you have, be mindful of your own movement and don’t solely rely on your lens to do the work for you. Changing your distance to the subject changes your perspective, and sometimes, getting closer or stepping back gives a much more interesting composition than switching lenses ever could. If you have just one lens, it’s even more important to move your feet and vantage point. You’ve got to work for it sometimes!
3. Shoot With Intention
When you’re not switching between focal lengths, you’re more focused on the moment and the emotion of the scene. You become more intentional with your framing, your timing, and your light. I find that when I’m shooting with just one lens, it makes me be more intentional with my composition, especially if it’s a fixed prime. With just one lens, I find that I’m focused on the story and all of the elements at play even more so because I am limited. Of course, sometimes we may want more focal range, and we simply don’t have it, but that’s just how it is sometimes. Sometimes I think, gosh, I wish I had my zoom for this when all I’ve got is my 50mm prime. You just take these things in stride, learn, and move forward. With that said, shooting with just one lens sharpens my visual storytelling eye because I have to be more intentional with my compositions and the shots I take.
4. Embrace Constraints as Creative Fuel
Continuing on the previous point, working within limitations forces you to see more creatively. You might notice light, angles, and lines you’d otherwise overlook. Limitations often lead to unexpected magic because you have more creative and maybe emotional bandwidth to be more open. What happens when most humans are limited by certain restrictions, and they have a desired result? We have to think outside the box. We have to use what’s available and get creative. When you are limited in your lens choice, you open the door to compositions or technical adjustments that you may not have thought of if you were spoiled for choice. Sometimes, just using one lens for the appropriate subject matter allows you to break your own creative barriers and see beyond the “surface level.” A fantastic practice is to assign yourself a concept or a theme and limit yourself to just one focal length and capture it in a series of, say, 5-7 images. You will have to get creative and most definitely move around! It helps you think outside of the box and look at other angles or perspectives you may not have otherwise considered.
5. Focus on Composition and Light
With fewer gear decisions to make, you can dive deeper into the components of your frame: how it’s composed, the light, the supporting elements, the emotion, the colors, the message or story. When you are limited in your focal length, it’s even more crucial to consider the traditional “guidelines” of what makes a strong photo: leading lines, symmetry, negative space, framing, the rule of thirds, rule of odds, etc. When you're limited to one lens, you're naturally pushed to be more intentional with your creative decisions, and that’s not a bad thing. It encourages you to slow down and thoughtfully consider the essential components of your frame. For me, light and composition are always the most important elements. With a single lens, I find myself working with it, not against it, using its strengths to respond to the light and shape the composition, rather than relying on gear to do the work for me.
6. Be Patient With Yourself
If you're used to shooting with a variety of lenses, simplifying down to just one might feel awkward at first. You might even feel frustrated or miss the shot entirely, and trust me, I've been there and I get it. But the beauty of sticking with one lens is that, over time, you become fluent in what’s possible with it. You almost start to see the world through that focal length. You can visualize the frame even before lifting the camera to your eye. To be clear, I’m not suggesting you always shoot at a specific focal length. But when it comes to personal work, I make an intentional decision before I walk out the door about which lens I’ll use. With client work, I plan more carefully and bring what’s needed to get the job done right, but for personal projects, I embrace the creative challenge of working with just one lens. And yes, sometimes I realize a different lens might have been better, but I don’t get discouraged. Instead, I adapt and respond to what I have with me. That limitation often opens a new creative door, a different perspective I may not have seen otherwise. It’s a practice in patience, presence, and creative flexibility. I find that it stretches me as a photographer and helps me creatively evolve.
7. Pack Light, Stay Present
Especially when traveling, a lighter bag means less bulk, hassle, more joy, and more freedom. You're not constantly switching things around, second-guessing, fiddling with your lens in the middle of a dusty street; you’re simply present, ready, and engaged with the scene unfolding around you. It truly feels like a weight off my shoulders—literally and figuratively. With a lighter setup, I have more freedom to enjoy the moment and stay open to what’s unfolding around me. I’m not lugging around a heavy bag bouncing against my hip, and honestly, that alone feels incredibly liberating. Sometimes I even feel a little envious of people who wander without a camera or couldn't care less about taking a photo of something, be it a lovely scene or subject; it must feel so free. But on the other hand, there’s no way I’d ever want to miss a photographic opportunity and not have it with me, especially when I’m traveling or just out and about! That’s exactly why packing light is so essential for me; it allows me to stay present, creative, and unburdened. It’s also less obvious and allows you to blend in more with the scene. For me, being present matters far more than scrambling to switch lenses just to get the shot. That’s why my 24–70mm is my go-to travel gem; it lets me stay in the present moment while still giving me the versatility and freedom I need. I must be honest, though, it can be a bit weighty after a while, but I don’t mind. Otherwise, I’d opt for a 35mm prime, which is much lighter and still gives me some range to work with.
So yes, you can shoot with just one lens and still feel completely free. In fact, you might just discover that the simplicity is exactly what opens the door to your most meaningful work.
