I’ve somehow slipped into the habit of shooting my stills in Cinemascope — that classic 2.35:1 ratio. But why?
Well, not all my images, of course. Just the ones I shoot for myself. When I’m off-duty. On a break. Like now, during my summer holiday. Call it street photography, if you like.
But let’s take a step back.
Because honestly, it’s not really about the format. It’s about falling back in love with photography. That feeling of not being able to stop.
There’ve been times where I forgot to shoot. Forgot why I even started in the first place. Because at some point, it became a job. But I started out with passion — that itch in the fingers, that need to make images. And I think every photographer who turns their passion into a profession eventually forgets that feeling… at least for a while.
I’ve always grown the most when I give myself limitations. Challenges that spark something. So this summer, I made a simple rule set for myself:
- Shoot with the simplest setup possible
- No editing – straight out of camera, black & white only
- Shoot in Cinemascope (I needed to get away from that Instagram chokehold format)
Being a Sony Ambassador has its perks, so for rule #1, I borrowed a Sony A7CR and a compact 24mm f/2.8 G lens.
For rule #2, I used the black-and-white Creative Look in-camera — and shot JPEG only. No RAW. No fixing in post. I customized the look with extra contrast and some minor tweaks.
Rule #3 was easy: the A7CR allows you to overlay Cinemascope frame lines and black out everything outside them. So when I looked through the viewfinder, I saw the world in 2.35:1 — and in black and white. All I had to do later was crop the images dead center to match the framelines. What I saw was what I got.
Has it changed how I shoot? Reignited my curiosity? Refined my voice?
Absolutely.
I haven’t shot this much purely for joy in years. From Krakow’s city streets to family moments, quiet walks, and even our visit to Auschwitz — it’s been a gift. And I want to keep going.
In fact, I think I’ve found my format.
I’m committing to it. From now until August 1st, 2026, I’ll shoot all my personal work in 2.35:1 Cinemascope.
Yes. I’m doing it.
