Project 10

Focal lengths and different viewpoints


In this exercise, i needed to take 2 photographs of the same subject, each using different ends of the focal plane.
I had to fill the frame with a subject, using the telephoto end of the lens first. The image had to be either a building or a person or something similar, but it must have some degree of depth to it.  After i had taken the first image, i had to remember how much of the image filled the frame, and then i needed to move down too the wide angle setting of the lens and walk in a straight line, constantly looking through the view finder, when i reached a point where the view was of similar proportions to the first image taken, i then had to take the second image.
After uploading or printing these 2 images off, i then had to compare the results.

                                           Image 1, at 135mm  (Telephoto)

                                          Image 2, at 28mm (wide angle)

After studying the 2 images, i have noticed that there is a clear difference in the depth of view, In the first image, you can clearly see 5 plant pots on top of the wall, but in the following image only 1 plant pot is visible, also in the 2'nd image you can see more of the support posts in the wall. 

One of the main things that i have noticed is that,  In image 1, i seem to be looking straight at the building, but in image 2, i appear to be looking slightly upwards just to get the image to look similar, there is a clear difference in how the image is viewed and how the depth of view changes, Just by simply altering either the lens or by moving closer.

I think from now on, instead of just zooming in, i will try and move closer and see what difference that makes, again, a simple exercise that has shown me another way of viewing a possible photographic opportunity.

I would like to try this exercise again at a later date, but instead of using my 28-135 lens, go for a 20mm wide angle and a 300mm telephoto lens, as i'm sure the results would be far more visible that way.

Project 9

Focal lengths 


This exercise showed me by simply changing from one focal length to another, how the view is altered considerably.
For this, i had to set my camera on a tripod and focus on a subject in the distance, and then take a image at various lengths along the focal range of my lens.
The images below show how the larger the focal length, the more the angle of view closes in,in other words, the longer the focal length the closer the subject appears and less of the image is seen.

                                          Focal range set at 28mm

                                          Focal range set at 50mm

                                          Focal range set at 70mm

                                          Focal range set at 105mm

                                          Focal range set at 135mm

As you can see, the larger the focal range the closer the image appears but also how angle of view closes in.

Notes

Another good exercise, this one i found helped me to get a better understanding of how focal range and the angle of view work together, A simple exercise but also informative.

Project 7

Object in different positions in the frame


In this exercise, i had to take a photograph of a object that was clear and set within a large, even background.
I then had to take a series of photographs with the object placed in various sections of the frame, and then decide which image i found most comfortable and which i find the least comfortable.

For this exercise, i decided to use a triangular glass sculpture balancing on four steel balls.
The reason for this was, i felt that something of this shape, in these surroundings would require more thought and consideration when it came to composing the final image.


Image 1

This is the first image, with the object placed in the center of the frame.
I find that having the object here, even though central, does not draw your eye to the main subject, it feels unbalanced, lacks any visual impact and leaves me wondering where to look. it looks odd and out of place.




Image 2

In the second image, the object was placed in the lower right corner of the frame.
Overall this gave the image a more balanced feel, your eyes are more comfortably drawn towards the subject.
The object now feels more like part of the scenery.
Also, i find it less distracting to look at it in this image, As i feel that it allows me to clearly see the subject and the area around it, without it competing against the background.
Of all the images taken, this is the one i prefer.


Image 3

The third image in this sequence, has the object placed on the lower edge towards the center of the image.
Again, i find this distracting and competing for attention with the trees in the background, even though it is not as bad as image 1, it still feels odd and out of place.




Image 4

The fourth and final image, see's the object placed just left of center of the frame.
I feel even though it is not as pleasing as image 2, it does not feel to be too badly placed, it is still competing with the background for attention, but at the same time it does not feel uncomfortable to view.





NOTES
I found this exercise to be very helpful, As it allowed me to see the benefits of moving around a subject, and to view the subject from various angles, thus allowing me to see how, by just moving to a slightly different place the final image can appear totally different.
I would have liked to have done this series of images with just the subject and a totally plain background, As i feel the results would have been the same, but the images showing it a lot clearer, hopefully i will be able to find somewhere that i could try this soon.