w44neg Posted April 7, 2017 Share #1  Posted April 7, 2017 Advertisement (gone after registration) There is of course nothing to state specifically, a 35mm should be used for street photography/reportage, a 135mm for portraits and so on, but obviously these focal lengths are so suitable for certain purposes, it seems almost a given that you will buy a lens for such specific purposes in mind.  So I ask the following as I'm looking for some inspiration with an upcoming trip, where I will take an 18mm, a 35mm and a 50mm.  I like "out of the box" thinking sometimes and wondered, do you always conform to an Ultra Wide for landscapes and a 75+mm for portraits etc, or do you mix it up? A UWA for portraits perhaps? A 75mm for everything you shoot? Do you just take one lens or several when you're out with your camera?  My friend, for example, doesn't own a wide angle so he stitches his 50mm images in Photoshop after the fact to create a more compressed, wide angle effect. Myself, sometimes, I find 50mm too long for the crowded streets of Manchester where I live, but I'll still take just that one lens to teach myself how to use it in scenarios when there's a better option. Of course, for paid work, I may not take such risks, but I'm mainly referring to general usage here. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted April 7, 2017 Posted April 7, 2017 Hi w44neg, Take a look here Do you conform or mix it up? I need some inspiration. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Clactonian Posted April 7, 2017 Share #2 Â Posted April 7, 2017 I generally mix it up but admit that I really enjoy going out with just one lens and then trying to make the best of every opportunity. It is a great way to force oneself to think about composition and is why I much prefer primes to zoom lenses. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LocalHero1953 Posted April 7, 2017 Share #3  Posted April 7, 2017 I think you'd be better off thinking about how different focal lengths affect the image and composition rather than what you "ought" to be using. I often start with thinking about where I wish to stand in relation to my subject, because the pov determines the perspective and where different elements are placed in relation to each other. Once you have got these basic elements of composition sorted, then pick the focal length that includes only those elements and nothing else. That can mean a wide angle for portraits if you're happy to accept a bit of distortion of facial distortion and want some background, or a telephoto for landscapes if you really want a foreshortening effect.  Of course, included in your compositional thoughts should be the artificial effects you can get by using depth of acceptable focus and out of focus areas by using aperture.  There's only one rule in photography: it's all about composition . The rest is just noise. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soden Posted April 7, 2017 Share #4 Â Posted April 7, 2017 Rules are made to be broken, including composition. Follow your vision. What looks good to your eye, is where you should go. Different focal lengths provide different perspectives. Use what you have and you will decide for yourself what direction you should go. Nobody else has your view of the world, trust yourself. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LocalHero1953 Posted April 7, 2017 Share #5 Â Posted April 7, 2017 Rules are made to be broken, including composition. Follow your vision. What looks good to your eye, is where you should go. Different focal lengths provide different perspectives. Use what you have and you will decide for yourself what direction you should go. Nobody else has your view of the world, trust yourself. My bolding. Strictly (in the geometric sense) they don't. Perspective is determined by the position of the camera in relation to the scene. Focal length then determines how much of the scene is included. But this statement is often made because we let focal length decide where we stand, rather than the needs of the composition. But you're right if you mean "perspective" as a way of looking at the world. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soden Posted April 7, 2017 Share #6 Â Posted April 7, 2017 My bolding. Strictly (in the geometric sense) they don't. Perspective is determined by the position of the camera in relation to the scene. Focal length then determines how much of the scene is included. But this statement is often made because we let focal length decide where we stand, rather than the needs of the composition. But you're right if you mean "perspective" as a way of looking at the world. Actually both, your forgetting compression. The relationship between foreground and background. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LocalHero1953 Posted April 7, 2017 Share #7 Â Posted April 7, 2017 Advertisement (gone after registration) Actually both, your forgetting compression. The relationship between foreground and background. I don't think these are changed by focal length. Take two shots of a scene from the same place with different focal lengths. Crop the wide angle to the scene showed by the telephoto and you will have the same image. It's how the Q works: a 28, 35 and 50 in one camera and a prime lens, all achieved by cropping. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soden Posted April 7, 2017 Share #8 Â Posted April 7, 2017 I don't think these are changed by focal length. Take two shots of a scene from the same place with different focal lengths. Crop the wide angle to the scene showed by the telephoto and you will have the same image. It's how the Q works: a 28, 35 and 50 in one camera and a prime lens, all achieved by cropping.It does! Absolutely. Basic photography 101. Modern technology does not change physics. Â Better to fire up your LFI app and download some old issues on this subject. There was an article called "introduction to Leica photography" a long series of articles, one of them was on perspectives with different focal lengths. Compression was the main point. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Exodies Posted April 7, 2017 Share #9 Â Posted April 7, 2017 If you want a picture of a house (not a row of houses, not just a front door) and you have three lenses, wide, medium and tele, you will get three different perspectives. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LocalHero1953 Posted April 7, 2017 Share #10 Â Posted April 7, 2017 It does! Absolutely. Basic photography 101. Modern technology does not change physics. Â Better to fire up your LFI app and download some old issues on this subject. There was an article about the 28mm f/5.6 and its properties. Sorry I don't remember which issue. While I agree that "Modern technology does not change physics." I don't understand your statement "Â your forgetting compression. The relationship between foreground and background."Â If you mean how much of the background is obscured by a foreground object, or how big a foreground object is compared to an identical object in the background, then focal length has no effect on that. If you mean depth of focus, then that is a complex relationship determined by several factors, one of which is focal length. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soden Posted April 7, 2017 Share #11 Â Posted April 7, 2017 While I agree that "Modern technology does not change physics." I don't understand your statement " your forgetting compression. The relationship between foreground and background." If you mean how much of the background is obscured by a foreground object, or how big a foreground object is compared to an identical object in the background, then focal length has no effect on that. If you mean depth of focus, then that is a complex relationship determined by several factors, one of which is focal length. If you take a photo of a person in front of a house with three different focal lengths. The relationship between the person and the house will appear different. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LocalHero1953 Posted April 7, 2017 Share #12 Â Posted April 7, 2017 If you want a picture of a house (not a row of houses, not just a front door) and you have three lenses, wide, medium and tele, you will get three different perspectives. In your example perspective changes if you have to change your position to shoot the whole house and no more than the whole house. Perspective doesn't change if you stay in the same position, whichever lens you use. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pop Posted April 7, 2017 Share #13 Â Posted April 7, 2017 If you take a photo of a person in front of a house with three different focal lengths. The relationship between the person and the house will appear different. The different appearance is not caused by the focal length of the lens. It is caused by where you stand, how far the person and the house are from the lens. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LocalHero1953 Posted April 7, 2017 Share #14 Â Posted April 7, 2017 If you take a photo of a person in front of a house with three different focal lengths. The relationship between the person and the house will appear different. Not if you stay in the same place. Though you will see more or less of the house. Â Exactly how do you think the relationship will appear different? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soden Posted April 7, 2017 Share #15 Â Posted April 7, 2017 In your example perspective changes if you have to change your position to shoot the whole house and no more than the whole house. Perspective doesn't change if you stay in the same position, whichever lens you use. No, you don't move. The difference between the person and house appears to change. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soden Posted April 7, 2017 Share #16 Â Posted April 7, 2017 Not if you stay in the same place. Though you will see more or less of the house. It's the relationship between foreground and background is all I'm talking about. Not how much is in the frame. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pop Posted April 7, 2017 Share #17  Posted April 7, 2017 Most people taking part in the discussion in this thread presumably own digital cameras and at least one working lens.  It's not that difficult to take a picture of something at a fixed distance in front of a house from different distances, always using the same lens. If you don't have access to a person you can put in front of the house, a bike or car will do.  Place bike in front of  house at a distance of ten feet. Take a picture of bike and house, standing ten feet away from the bike. Use a small aperture so that you can recognize both bike and house in the photograph. Now walk ninety feet away from house and bike. Take another photograph of house and bike from 100 feet. Repeat at 1000 feet. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LocalHero1953 Posted April 7, 2017 Share #18  Posted April 7, 2017 No, you don't move. The difference between the person and house appears to change. Well I suggest you try it! By your argument, more or less of the house behind a person will be visible depending on focal length. You could then see behind an obscuring person simply by changing focal length - which doesn't happen!  I'm in my pyjamas at the moment and haven't shaved, but I may take some shots later if I can persuade my wife to stand still while I change lenses. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soden Posted April 7, 2017 Share #19 Â Posted April 7, 2017 Well I suggest you try it! By your argument, more or less of the house behind a person will be visible depending on focal length. You could then see behind an obscuring person simply by changing focal length - which doesn't happen! I have, and I can verify that LFI was correct in its assessment (complete with illustrations). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Exodies Posted April 7, 2017 Share #20 Â Posted April 7, 2017 It's like the question "why does the water in a kettle boil". Some will say it's because the electricity going through the resistant wire in the heating element produces heat. Some will say it's because I want a cup of tea. What causes a change in perspective? A change in position. What causes a change in position? A change of focal length. What causes a change in perspective? A change of focal length. And then there is more than one meaning of the word "perspective". Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.