If you could keep only one lens in your bag, which one would you choose?
 

For me, that lens needs to do a little bit of everything, especially because I shoot a lot in cities, and there every meter matters. I want enough background to show where the dog is, but I still want good separation, I want plenty of light, and I don’t want to realize that to get the frame I have in my head, I need to walk another five meters backwards... because sometimes five meters backwards is simply the middle of the road.
 

In this photo, for example, I could have used a 135mm too, but to get the same amount of background into the frame, I would have needed to move a few more steps back. In an urban location, that can completely change what is possible.
 

For about four years now, the lens I almost always take out of my bag first is my 85mm f/1.4. I call it my Swiss Army knife.
 

It gives me enough background to tell the story of the location, natural proportions of the dog, great blur and separation, and a working distance that fits the way I shoot. And for me, f/1.4 isn’t only about a blurry background, it’s also a lot of light. This photo was taken at 1/500, ISO 200, f/1.4.
 

That combination is especially useful in urban photography. A longer lens can give me even stronger compression and separation, but it also forces me farther away from the dog. A wider lens gives me more of the environment, but changes the perspective and usually gives me less separation. The 85mm sits right in the middle, and for the way I photograph, that balance works incredibly well.
 

Is the 85mm the best lens? No. Every photographer has their own style, locations and way of working, and even my own favorite lens has changed over the years.
 

But if you take my whole bag away tomorrow and let me keep only one lens... don’t touch my 85.