Recently I bought a new lens, the Voigtlander 40mm F2 SLII.

For my documentary photography I used to use auto focus lenses, an obvious choice because the photographer can react faster since the lens focuses automatically. I have changed my mind.

The digital camera gives us the opportunity to review our shots instantly and redo them if necessary. The result of this advantage could be that one may become less attentive.

The photographer can shoot as many images as he likes with his fully automatic camera and autofocus lense, review them directly and select the best picture from the tens of shots of the same scene.

In my opinion a photograph is a moment when the energy of the subject(s) and the photographer comes together and is captured in an engaging style.

Therefore I have decided to work with the manual focus Voigtlander lense which obliges me to choose my moments more actively. It obliges me to be genuinely connected to the story I want to tell and to be very “present” in general. I need to try even more to predict what will happen next so that I do not miss the important moments and will be better prepared for capturing them attractively .

This way of working helps me to better intertwine the energy of the subject(s) and the situation: the photographer and the moment must connect because the photographer cannot just click and hope.

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