A Different Lens. A different approach.
A Different Lens. A different approach.
Lately, I’ve been reflecting on which type of lenses to use for my next project.
In my project Presenze Imminenti (Imminent Presences), every image will be conceived as a single frame from an invisible story, a moment of suspension where time itself seems to hold its breath. There is no action yet, but architecture, light, and shadow suggest that something — small or monumental — is about to happen. This state of “almost” becomes the true subject: the silent tension before an entrance on stage, the trace of a presence that has just vanished or is about to arrive, the emptiness charged with meaning precisely because it is temporary.
The goal is not simply to document space, but to transform it into a mental stage where the viewer, immersed in this suspension, becomes a co-author — imagining what will happen a moment later. In this way, the project works on the threshold between reality and expectation, turning the absence of action into a powerful narrative act.
I already know I won’t choose the usual “perfect” lenses — the ones that render images with surgical sharpness. They’re not the right fit.
I love lenses with character. The ones that are a little rebellious, unafraid to break the rules. I’m drawn to optics that are soft, that lose sharpness in places, maybe even with visible optical aberrations. I love unusual bokeh — swirling, enveloping, sometimes even a bit distorted (the famous twirly bokeh).
That’s why I’m considering working with a single lens, choosing from:
Lensbaby Trio – Three creative looks in one lens: nervous, swirling, or ethereal blur, perfect for making each scene feel like an unstable little dream.
Lensbaby Trio
Lensbaby Velvet 58mm – A soft, velvety rendering that wraps subjects in a hand-painted glow, with that touch of halo that makes everything feel more intimate.
Lensbaby Velvet
Fujian 35mm f/1.7 CCTV – Pure unpredictability: strong vignetting, eccentric bokeh, uneven sharpness. Every shot is a surprise, and no two are ever the same.
Fujian 35mm CCTV f/1.7
PolarPro Lightleak 28mm – The latest arrival: for many, an “imperfect” lens — for me, an exciting discovery. Its intentional flares and light leaks turn light into a narrative element, as if every ray has a story to tell.
Polarpro Lightleak 28mm
These are lenses that reject the idea that a photograph must be all about sharpness and perfection. For me, an image must convey an emotion — and an emotion is never perfect.
Technical perfection can be reassuring, but often sterile. Imperfection, on the other hand, opens cracks where the eye and the mind can enter, breathe, interpret. A lens that smears a bit at the edges, that leaves a trail of light or an unexpected shadow, becomes a collaborator in a more intimate, almost secret narrative. In Presenze Imminenti, these traits are not flaws to be fixed, but defining marks: they are the very language with which I tell stories of waiting, absence, and forewarning.