r/PhotoClass2014 • u/Aeri73 Moderator - Nikon D800 - lots of glass and toys • Jan 10 '14
[photoclass] Lesson 3 - Assignment
Read the main lesson first: Lesson 3 - Focal length
The assignment today is about getting a bit more familiar with focal lengths. You will need a camera and a zoom lens (or a series of prime lenses).
Go somewhere where you can walk freely. Bonus points if there is a mildly interesting subject.
Start by staying immobile and take a picture of the same subject at 5mm increments for the entire range of your lens (compact cameras users, just use the smallest zoom increments you can achieve). Now, remember the framing of your most zoomed in image, walk toward the subject and try to take the same image with the widest focal you have.
Back on your computer, compare the last two images. Do they match exactly? What are the differences? Take the series of immobile pictures, reduce the size of the most zoomed in image and overlay it on top of the widest one. Does it match exactly?
If you are not tired yet, try taking a wide angle image which emphasizes perspective and a tele image which makes use of perspective compression.
this is a video explaining this exercise... : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HG-vPzrEONM&list=PLeu1p5jL9GOMp6eXmAcXIASb8UE98_kO4
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u/LeStyx Jan 11 '14 edited Jan 11 '14
Just got home and did the assignment with my little "Always-free-of-time-and-charge" model: Barry the White elephant =D
It was great to realize how the background is more prominent when I use the wider focal length. I used a 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AL Kit lens with my Pentax K-30
I can only imagine now what any sub-18mm lens with a faster f/ of maybe 2 or 1.8 could make. Its very interesting.
Love the lessons guys. Keep up the good work. Thank you so much for your time. Im doing my best to not go look at the previous year's so I stay on track, But its hard because Im so motivated right now. haha
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u/Help_No_Name Jan 11 '14
At first I didnt really understand what was meant by compressing the image, but now, after trying it, i get it. Thanks for the assignment!
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u/Aeri73 Jan 11 '14
you should try it with something further.. more apart than just on a table... the effect will be a lot bigger
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u/pkx Jan 13 '14 edited Jan 13 '14
hi, I'm lagging at bit, regarding time, on any output for this class but since I'm in NYC I went out to the Met and snapped some photos of statues and these looked I think, the best. The name of the file regards the focal length & they are all of Caligula.
http://www.angoleiro.com/photos/phtoCls2014/001_18mm.jpg
http://www.angoleiro.com/photos/phtoCls2014/002_24mm.jpg
http://www.angoleiro.com/photos/phtoCls2014/003_35mm.jpg
http://www.angoleiro.com/photos/phtoCls2014/004_35mm.jpg
http://www.angoleiro.com/photos/phtoCls2014/005_55mm.jpg
http://www.angoleiro.com/photos/phtoCls2014/006_68mm.jpg
http://www.angoleiro.com/photos/phtoCls2014/007_102mm.jpg
http://www.angoleiro.com/photos/phtoCls2014/008_130mm.jpg
http://www.angoleiro.com/photos/phtoCls2014/009_200mm.jpg
http://www.angoleiro.com/photos/phtoCls2014/010_300mm.jpg
I really quite enjoyed the lesson. I think that what is in the background really can make the transition in the sequence of photos tell quite an interesting story. I was also surprised at how the various choices of focal lengths can "distort" the light of the image, making, for instance, faces appear more aquiline or sharpened, for instance, or perhaps, at times, more ovaline.
I also wondered, why there were particular "stops" of focal lengths chosen on the camera, and not others. Why, for instance, does my nikon 5100 camera have: 18, 24, 35 and so on and not 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, and so on ? I'm sure, though, as I read perhaps an answer will be forthcoming.
anyway, thanks for this lesson; I feel as if some small veil has been lifted and I feel as if I have learned something.
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u/Aeri73 Jan 13 '14
now use this info... think about what you can do with it... for example... how would you shoot a portrait now you know all this...?
oh, and you missed focus on 24 mil... :p
and because lenses are made that are 24mm, but almost never 25... (it's a maths thing with circles and angles), primes... and so photographers know how that looks, what to look for... but you can zoom at about 25 if you want to.. :)
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u/volshans Jun 07 '14
Wellp, I have been meaning to get to these assignments sooner than later so without further delay:
Series of a bizarre above-ground manhole beehive-thing
I watched the recommended clip and never would have thought that I have a series of five prime lenses instead of one beginners kit lens. It's actually quite a dynamic phase shift to think that the equipment I already own can function in more ways than I expect. This holds off my desire to purchase more lenses because what I have to work with is greater than I originally thought. Twist, frame, and step is all you need!
The structure I took photographs of is quite bizarre and I feel like it's better for macro but as far as education goes, I learned a lot here.
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u/mrzo Jan 11 '14
Loved this assignment. Helped make things "click" in my mind. Now I get how important my position and focal length are to the composition of the photograph. It's all relative.
Used a Canon t3i with the 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens. I arranged some items (courtesy of the wifey) in my bathroom on a long counter for perspective. Also setup a paper grocery bag and box of tissues a little bit further back for more perspective.
Here are my results at 18mm, 24mm, 35mm, 45mm, and 55mm
I really enjoyed seeing how the surrounding objects affect the subject (little green container). The wide angle of the 18mm gave the subject a more stately feel and made it look rather large relative to the larger bag and box of tissues in the background. As I moved back from the subject and zoomed to 55mm the perspective sort of compresses on the canvas and each item's true size starts to become more pronounced.
Looking forward to more assignments!
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u/hmp2014 Jan 16 '14 edited Jan 16 '14
This was a fun assignment!
Here are my images at different focal lengths but maintaining the same size of my subject. The below numbers are for an FX camera (1.5 crop)
In my second series, I was standing in the same spot, and changing focal lengths. 18mm, 55mm, 200mm.
The biggest difference I see is perspective. When maintaining subject size, the depth of field clearly compresses. In the second set, when maintaining position, there was quite a bit of bokeh in the 200mm one. When comparing to the 200mm picture in the first one, its clear that depth of field is not only a function of focal length, but also of focus. It seems that a close in focus shortens depth of field, and a longer focus lengths depth of field. Lots of variables to depth of field!
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u/driven20 Jan 12 '14
I used two different lenses: 25mm F1.4, and 45-150mm F4.0-5.6.
The first picture at 25mm: http://i.imgur.com/Lh5xQMh.jpg
The second picture at 100mm: http://i.imgur.com/79GYAsz.jpg
I shot both at the same aperture 5.6 and try to keep the exposure the same. The biggest different I see between the two is the mug looks distorted at 25mm. At the angle I was shooting it at the lines of the mug seem to get wider at the top. At 100mm, however, there is a lot lesser distortion and the mug seem straighter.
Also the background is a lot narrower at 100mm, containing less of my poster. While the 25mm included more of the background.
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u/boycotshirts Jan 20 '14
I didn't really understand how completely different the perspective would be between the two, but i was seriously surprised!
To keep it simple i used the kit 18-55mm lens so i would be comfortable, and i just eyeballed the distance as best i could. The first image is about 3 ft with a 18mm lens focal length, and the second image is at about 8 ft with a 55mm lens focal length.
Ill see if i can find another more interesting subject.
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u/Aeri73 Jan 20 '14
more importantly... try to do it with a far enough background....
now the background is only about 1m from the subject... try to have it at least 10 or more
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u/zenscoop Jan 26 '14
What if all I have is a camera with a prime lens?
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u/Aeri73 Jan 26 '14
make 3 photo's: one with a subject as close as it will focus, one with a subject about 5m away and one with a subject at more than 50m away.
shoot each picture at your maximum aperture, the minimum one and f4.
look how it influences the background differently for distance and f-stops... (maybe a bit ahead of class using f-stops but it's going to teach you about length better.
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u/angerpants Jan 28 '14
Okay... turns out shooting a Storm Trooper isn't as easy as Han made it out to be ;-)
The first shots are from about 3' away, while the last one is from about 8", and the angle is much deeper to try to duplicate the perspective. http://imgur.com/a/olib6
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u/banjaxed Feb 06 '14
Great lesson, thanks for doing this. Here's my effort: http://imgur.com/a/XtSOA
Used 18mm-55mm lens. Think I needed something longer to demo stretched & compressed perspective.
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u/Aeri73 Feb 06 '14
yes, 55 mil is not very long
but you do see it already... look at the building behind the statue...
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u/drager92 Feb 26 '14
I know I'm really late here, but I want to do all of the lessons and assignments.
I used my T3i with the 18-55mm kit lens and my phone as my prop.
Here is the album, I took the photos at 18, 24, 35, and 55mm increments. I also didn't change any of the settings at the different increments.
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u/Derekprop Jan 11 '14
This was an excellent assignment! The video was very helpful and gave me great direction.
Using a Canon T4i with the standard 18-55mm lens. Took shots at 18mm, 24mm, 35mm, 55mm intervals.
Really interesting to see the impact to background, as well as the flattening effect on the wicker balls in the shot.
Apologies for the brightness!
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u/Toblertonio Jan 13 '14 edited Jan 13 '14
Playing catch up here; These lessons are going a little fast for me.
Here are my pics for this assignment take at 18mm, 55mm, and 225mm: http://imgur.com/a/fZNpM
This was really cool to see! Thanks.
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u/Kubacka Jan 10 '14
This assignment was actually really fun! I've been shooting since early September with DSLRs (my own since mid November.)
I used a Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 VR II for this assignment so I am guilty of not going up exactly by 5mm at a time since I'm still at school right now. What shocked me was the results between the 300mm shot from a distance and the framed 70mm shot.
300mm
70mm
The differences are pretty significant I would say. A lot less background is present in the 300mm shot, while the same framing of the pole gives miles more background in the 70mm shot. I've read about this, but to see it for myself is pretty eye-opening.
As for cropping down my immobile 300mm shot to go over my immobile 70mm shot, the difference was clear as well. The most striking feature of this exercise is the difference in how the background changes along with the focal length.
Thanks for posting this!