Monday 31 May 2010

Exercise 7: Focal Length & Character

Exercise 7: Focal Length & Character

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
From Exercise_7


Photo 2. 27mm
From Exercise_7


Photo 3. 35mm
From Exercise_7


Photo 4. 51mm
From Exercise_7


Photo 5. 70mm
From Exercise_7


Photo 6. 200mm
From Exercise_7

Wednesday 19 May 2010

Spring is Here

and is beautiful indeed. Here are some shots from nearby Harrison park taken late one evening last week when I managed to sneak out of the house when the wee one was asleep... photography of anything other than him has rather taken a back-seat lately! Hope to be back onto it soon though...


Sunday 16 May 2010

Project 66: Juxtaposition

This project has a simple aim - to use juxtaposition to make a photograph interesting and suggest a connection between two things - in this case a person and his hobby (birdwatching, so binoculars). I chose to use a very wide angle lens and posed my subject with his hands more outstretched than would be usual for bringing the lenses up to the face for use. However this meant that the binoculars were larger in the photo and thus more prominent. This adds drama to the photo and I think it works really well.


24mm, f/11, 1/250s, -1EV, on-camera-flash,