| A new digital camera comes with a multitude of | | | | wicket-keeper is standing about ten meters |
| features, but one of the first things we consider | | | | behind the batsman, and of course we know that |
| is the quality and power of the lens. But how | | | | the grandstand is a good 60 meters or so further |
| many of us really understand what can be | | | | back. So what's going on? |
| acheived by creative use of lenses? | | | | The answer is simple. The very large telephoto |
| The difference between a wide angle lens and a | | | | lens used for the close-up shot tends to make |
| telephoto lens is about more than just | | | | objects at different distances seem much closer |
| magnification. To get the most out of your lenses, | | | | to each other than they really are. In short, it |
| you also need to understand how they affect | | | | compresses the natural perspective, making |
| depth of field and perspective. | | | | people separated by some distance appear to be |
| You already know that the telephoto lens | | | | quite close to each other. |
| enlarges everything in the picture. But did you also | | | | This principle also applies to landscape |
| know that when you zoom in, or attach your | | | | photography. Imagine a scene with a tree in the |
| large telephoto lens, you also reduce the depth of | | | | foreground and a mountain range in the distance. |
| field around the subject? This is a great method | | | | By standing a long way from the tree and |
| for eliminating a distracting background from your | | | | shooting it with a telephoto lens, you will also |
| photo. The result is twofold: the narrow field of | | | | enlarge the mountains in the background. As a |
| view minimizes how much of the background we | | | | result, they will appear much closer to the tree |
| can see, and the small depth of field ensures it will | | | | than they really are. |
| be completely out of focus. | | | | Now imagine taking the same scene with a |
| So when photographing subjects like people and | | | | wide-angle lens. By standing a lot closer to the |
| animals, using your telephoto lens (or zooming in | | | | tree, you can photograph it in such a way that it |
| with your zoom lens) is often the best approach. | | | | takes up the same amount of space in the |
| The result will be a very three dimensional effect, | | | | composition. However, by reducing the scene to |
| with the subject appearing to emerge sharp and | | | | fit the tree in the frame, you also reduce the |
| clear from the blurry background. | | | | background...making it appear much further away |
| On the other hand, your wide-angle lens does just | | | | than it really is. |
| the opposite. It certainly does a lot more than | | | | In this way, the wide-angle lens does the opposite |
| just make everything appear smaller. The wide | | | | of the telephoto lens. It exaggerates the |
| angle lens takes in (as the name suggests) a | | | | perspective, making objects at different distances |
| much wider angle of view, and it has a much | | | | appear much further apart than they really are. |
| stronger depth of field than a standard or | | | | Put simply, the end result of these two |
| telephoto lens. That means that not only will you | | | | approaches is this; the telephoto lens adds |
| see a lot more of the background in your photo, | | | | prominence to the background, which will appear |
| but it will also be much more focused. | | | | relatively large in your photos (albeit with depth of |
| Consequently the wide-angle lens is not so good | | | | field issues in some cases). The wide-angle lens |
| for portrait style photos, because the background | | | | adds prominence to the foreground, making the |
| is too distracting. On the other hand, it is excellent | | | | background appear much smaller and more |
| for landscape pictures, especially when you have | | | | distant. |
| objects both in the foreground and background | | | | Thus by simply changing your choice of lenses, |
| that you need to keep in focus. | | | | you can dramatically alter the impact of your |
| The other aspect of your choice of lens is | | | | photos. Imagine the creative possibilities; you have |
| perspective, which is a lot harder to explain | | | | the power to control how the viewer sees not |
| without pictures, but I will give it a go. | | | | only your subject, but how it relates to the |
| Have you ever watched a cricket match on | | | | surroundings at the same time. |
| television? (If you are from the United States | | | | This is a tough subject to explain without pictures, |
| substitute baseball here). When you see a close-up | | | | but hey - you have a digital camera. Why not |
| image of the batsman, you may notice that the | | | | step outside right now and try out a few of |
| wicket keeper (shortstop) seems to be standing | | | | these ideas. Or if you are feeling lazy, sit down |
| right behind him, and the crowd is only a short | | | | and watch some sport on telly. It may actually |
| distance further back. When you see a side-on | | | | teach you something about photography. |
| view, you may be surprised to see that the | | | | |