Photography doesn’t always come from inspiration. Many times it comes from pure boredom, discomfort, and those moments when time seems to stop. A blackout changes everything: routine shuts down, noise disappears, and you’re left alone with your thoughts… or with the lack of them.
In the middle of one of those blackouts, with no electricity and not many options, I decided not to waste the moment. I grabbed a flashlight, a few toy cars I had nearby, and a bracelet. Simple objects, nothing special. Just enough to set up a small improvised scene on a table and start playing with light, shadows, and distance.
All the images were taken with my Canon 5D Mark III and the Steinheil München Macro Quinaron 35mm f/2.8. A demanding lens, uncomfortable for many, with razor thin depth of field and an unforgiving focus. That’s exactly why I keep using it. It’s not a lens for easy results; it’s a lens for learning, for training both hand and eye, and for accepting that many frames are lost before one works.
And to be honest, I still need a lot more practice with this lens. It’s still teaching me. It still sets limits. But that’s precisely its value. Every session, even the most improvised one, adds experience and sharpens judgment.
Under these conditions, there are no automatisms and no comfort zone. Every small movement completely changes the outcome. The flashlight becomes a hard, directional, unpredictable light source. Focus turns almost surgical. And framing stops being purely aesthetic and becomes a conscious decision.
There’s no elaborate concept behind these photos. No production, no set, no commercial intent. Just the need to keep photographing even when everything invites you not to. Because the blackout passes, boredom fades, but consistent practice is what builds confidence behind the camera.
This is part of the process. Keep testing, keep failing, keep refining the eye. More results will come, clearer and stronger, as I continue exploring this lens and its limits. Let the blackouts come; the camera stays on.
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