Why the 35mm Lens is Perfect for Engagement Photos: A Photographer's Perspective

Early last month, we headed down to San Diego to take engagement photos for one of my oldest friends. After spending the day at the San Diego Zoo (more on that later!), we wrapped it up with a golden hour session at La Jolla Beach.

Typically, my go-to lenses for shoots like this are the 24-105mm f/4 and the 70-200mm f/2.8. But with the weather working against us—strong gusts of wind and a chilly March evening—I ended up doing something I haven’t done in a while: limiting myself to just one lens.

Shot on: Canon R6ii, Sigma ART 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM (EF)

Creator: Nicholas Endo Photography

The lens in question? The trusty Sigma ART 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM (EF mount). Paired with my Canon R6 II and an EF-R adapter, we made our way down to the beach just as the sun began its descent toward the horizon. There’s always been that ongoing debate (or maybe quiet agreement) that the 35mm and 50mm focal lengths come closest to how the human eye sees the world. Maybe that’s why shooting with the 35mm during this session felt so instinctive—like second nature.

Andy and Brianna were an absolute joy to work with. Being friends definitely helped break the ice, especially when it came to posing and easing any nerves about how the shoot would go. They were playful, relaxed, and total troopers—braving gusty winds and freezing water without missing a beat!

One thing about golden hour—it doesn’t last long. Between jumping from pose to pose and trying to capture the best light, time slips away faster than you think.

Limiting myself to just one lens ended up being a blessing in disguise. I skipped the time I’d normally lose swapping between the 35mm and the 70-200mm I had in my backpack. What I initially thought might be a limitation in terms of composition turned out to work in my favor. I had to think more intentionally about framing, using the environment to tell the story while still locking in on the emotion and energy in Andy and Brianna’s eyes. (It might’ve been excitement to get out of the cold... but still.)

The glass on that Sigma ART lens really came through—being able to crop in and still maintain incredible image quality was a huge win.

I don’t always put myself in these types of creative constraints, but maybe that’s the reminder I needed—even after over a decade of photographing portraits, there’s always room to grow, adapt, and surprise yourself.

Photo by: Karissa Endo (BTS QUEEN)

One thing I’ve been practicing more lately is exposing for the highlights. With today’s modern sensors, we can push things so far and still recover an impressive amount of detail in the shadows. There were moments during this shoot where I was basically shooting “blind”—I couldn’t even see Andy and Brianna’s faces properly in the exposure. But thanks to the R6 II’s eye-tracking and autofocus, every shot came out tack sharp.

Watching that little green square lock onto their faces was a huge help, especially during such a fast-paced shoot where we were constantly running back and forth in the water and under the pier. Trusting that the camera had my back let me focus entirely on composition and keeping the energy flowing smoothly throughout the session.

I’m always learning and evolving through every shoot, and this experience was just another reminder that no lens is perfect—each has its own strengths and ideal use cases.

But for walk-around shots, portraits, and just about any spontaneous moment? If I had to choose only one lens in a pinch... the Sigma 35mm might just be the one.