The aim of this exercise is to explore the differences between various focal lengths on a portrait. I have set up a simple background and a mains flash indoors. My father is visiting and agreed to be photographed. I thought it would be interesting for him not to look at the camera, so he is reading a book and looking down through his glasses. I have used focal lengths from 17mm (x 1.6 conversion factor) to 200mm (x 1.6). The wide angle emphasises the front of his face and makes his nose unflatteringly large. I was also very very close to him which would have been slightly uncomfortable. As the focal lengths increase, his features flatten and begin to look more like we are used to seeing. I found the optimum distance to be somewhere around the 70mm (x 1.6) mark. Any focal length longer than this didn't seem to change the photo much, but it was not so practical to be so far away from the subject.
Photo 1. 17mm
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Photo 2. 27mm
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Photo 3. 35mm
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Photo 4. 51mm
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Photo 5. 70mm
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Photo 6. 200mm
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