Creative inspirations, equipment selection

How can you make everyday life, extraordinary? By snapping a photo and appreciating all the wonderful, fleeting details that are often so easily missed. My favourite camera and lenses are the Sony Alpha 7C, FE 35mm F1.8 Lens and FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS lens.

Get up close and personal, or ultra-wide, with a zoom lens

My first foray into photography involved daily snaps of still life and small corners. But since I started using my Alpha 7C with the FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS lens zoom lens, a new, ultra-wide world opened to me. Through this lens, I realised the appeal of wide-angle shooting.

I find wide angle shots fascinating because it extends the world in front of us - making the sky bigger, open fields larger and more endless, and roads seem longer and more interesting.

Change your field of view with the FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS lens zoom lens

With a focal length of 16-35MM, the FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS lens allows you to discover a wider field of view. When shooting buildings, the lens adds depth and meaning to lines and outlines - and despite its wider field of view, the FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS lens keeps images focused, while adding layers and richness to the scene.

Most importantly, this zoom lens gives you the ability to capture every detail in the amazing world around you.

Indoor environments with a wide-angle lens

When using a wide-angle lens to shoot indoor environments, you can see how the wide angle elongates the field of view and expands the space. But even in doing so, the lens - and especially with a constant F4 aperture - retains superb clarity and detail in subjects and objects.

Optical Steady Shot (OSS)

A useful feature on the FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS lens is its built-in Optical Steady Shot (OSS), which keeps shots in focus when shooting handheld and with a slow shutter. I've found this to be really convenient for shooting along streets, everyday shots, and snapping in low light conditions.

Shooting from interesting angles

I love using lightweight equipment for my daily snaps, so it's great that the FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS lens is lightweight and simple to maneuver. When shooting, it's easy to crouch low for some really interest shots that are composed of both your subject and part of the environment that's in the foreground - like leaves, the ground, etc.

In the examples below, I've squatted low and shot with an elevation angle - using the flip screen of the Alpha 7C to view my shot - and placed the leaves of a tree in the foreground for some interesting snaps.

And because this camera and lens are so lightweight, it's also great for food shots - since you can easily hold the camera with one hand, even raising it above your head. (If you do so, just use the camera's flip screen to check the framing of your shot.)

In the photo below, you can see how I've managed to capture the mood of an "afternoon coffee break" using one hand to operate the camera, while my other hand is in the shot.

One camera, two lenses. A lifetime of memories.

As photographers, we enjoy capturing moments of our life in snapshots. Over time, our photo albums become a collection of memories - which many times, reveal details and treasures that we missed at the time.

That's the magic of daily snaps, and why some of our simplest photos, can also be the most precious.