When I started this personal space, I wanted everything to be perfect. I researched hosting, themes, plugins and more. I watched countless tutorials on how to build my own website. It took me more than three months to design and build it, and yet, it is still far from what I expected. Similarly, when I wanted to start photography and videography, I researched tons of gear. Cameras, lenses, filters, mics, you name it. Yet somehow, it never felt like enough. I wanted it all. That camera bag looked professional. I wanted three lenses, just in case for different situations. I felt the urge to keep looking for new gear that was bigger and sleeker. Whereby right, I should have started with minimal equipment, but I did not. I guess I have what they call ‘ gear acquisition syndrome’. I never felt I had enough to start, always looking for better gear to lead to better work. I thought that with more lenses, I would not need to move to capture the shot. I could stand in one spot. Seeing other creators with those setups made me want that “god lens” too.

How Carry Less Helped Me See More – When Less Became More

I added many gear to my cart, the lenses, filters, and accessories. Part of me believed I needed all of them to be taken seriously.

But I never hit the checkout button. Deep down, I probably knew I was chasing something I did not actually need. The idea of having more felt more comforting but also overwhelming. Was I really planning, or was I avoiding something? I noticed this pattern not just in my creative work but also in life. This usually happens when I feel uninspired or doubt myself, I start browsing, hoping to find the thing that can give me the spark, the momentum to continue. But I knew buying more would not solve it. It would just drain my bank account and give me more things to manage, clean, maintain, carry or overthink.

So one day, I left the house with what I had, one camera and one lens. My wide 24mm lens, one walk at a time. Determined to try out this lens, I faced many challenges.

1. No Zoom
With this 24mm, whenever I saw a subject I wanted to capture from afar, I had no zoom to rely on. This forced me to walk and move closer to the subject. It was uncomfortable at first because I had to constantly move to fit the right composition and focus. I could not hide and shoot. Shooting with a 24mm lens makes you visible and integrates you into the scene, not just someone behind the camera. Over time, this built a kind of intimacy in my work. Every frame requires me to walk closer or adjust, not just point the camera. Walking with this wide prime lens allows me to be more engaged not just with the amazing shots but also with life itself. I am not watching moments pass by; I am participating.

2. Distortion Demands Respect
This was my first time using a 24mm wide-angle lens. If I stood too close, faces would stretch, buildings would warp, and lines would bend at the edges. There is no hiding poor composition. It frustrated me at first. But slowly, I began to like how the shots turned out. It felt special. I started to be intentional with the space and shots, especially in how I approached a subject. I did not rush to capture and became more intentional. Sometimes having more lenses might offer convenience, but this lens taught me that intention matters.

3. Think Before Chasing
This is not the best lens for everything, not for wildlife or even every indoor scene. This 24mm forced me to stop chasing every possible shot. I allowed the lens to show me its perspective, layered depth, natural light, and environmental scenes that breathe. When you stop chasing everything, you also stop needing to do everything yourself. Allow yourself to see a bigger picture to discern what is worth chasing. If you are constantly working towards something without intention, you might miss out on other important aspects of your life.

4. Master with One Lens
Sometimes, using the same lens does feel a bit boring. But it is like walking the same trail every evening. When you are familiar, you are more confident especially if you have only one lens, you can focus without needing to obsess over settings or decide which lens to use. Though this lens does not fit all situations, once you get used to it, you begin to like it. Especially in tight spaces, I still have room to capture. In larger areas, this wide-angle lens allows me to capture wide shots and crop in post-processing. With one lens, I can fully focus on the moment.

5. Trust Yourself
With only one lens, I have no safety net, no second guesses, and no backup plan. We constantly worry about “what ifs”. What if it does not look good? What if no one cares what I share? Sometimes we convince ourselves we need something more before starting something. For example, if you want to set up your own legal firm, you might think you need more experience, more backup, more partners, a strategic and popular location, and more permission or validation. We delay our progress, our goal, and our direction in the name of preparation. But this 24mm taught me otherwise. It showed me that this lens is already enough. With every step you take, it takes you closer to where you want to go or how you want to live. You start experimenting, doing, filling and figuring out what to do next. Every setback teaches you a lesson. You trust yourself, accept the limits, and you start doing. The limitations do not restrict you. They trained you to focus. It is uncomfortable, especially when everyone tells you need this and you need that before you act. But what I found is that trust grows when you start creating.

Slow Life with 24mm

In my pursuit of creative work and my journey toward a slower life, using a wide-angle lens taught me something unexpected that shares the same values. Sometimes we need to step back and see the bigger picture, not just when trying to take a shot, but in our decisions, our routine, our spending, and our relationships. When we are constantly rushing, chasing and consuming without direction, we might miss out on what is in front of us. We don’t need more things to feel enough. Walking became one of my routines, simple and focused on being present. When you are not rushing, you notice more on across empty sidewalks, the beauty of the scenery. You start to realise how much you are missing when you are rushing behind the lens or in your life. Pause, and take a step back if you may need to. To see, evaluate, and see the bigger picture and decide. Try, try, try and fail to see what you can improve on.

Wide Angle Teacher

When I decided to buy this prime lens, let’s be honest, I wished I could afford more. I imagined the creative freedom that variety could offer. But the reality is, that I had a limited budget and had to choose one. After working with this lens for quite some time, I found out that its limitations were not restrictions on my ability to create more. It actually changed the way I think and use whatever I have. That single choice became one of the best decisions I have made because the limitation was actually the mental barrier I had set upon myself by not doing it. Therefore, I thought I needed more, but instead, I should have been creating. Trying out different approaches helps to produce unexpected results. With no zoom lens or multiple lenses of different focal lengths, I had to move and create with intention. It is also about how I want to live, to stop chasing unnecessary, start noticing and be content and creative with simplicity.
Along with walking, I observed more, feeling less rushed to capture and appreciate what was in front of me. There is less worry when you carry less, and your mind is freed up.
Joy is not about accumulating more; it lies in the moment, a quiet moment where you notice and you SNAP. While it is difficult to spot such moments in a rushing and anxious state.
Let the quiet become your teacher.
Let your limit become the extension of your potential self.

And ask yourself, what if this is already enough?