Well, we're back from a week in Iceland and a week in Florida. What a contrast! Iceland was wild, cold, and empty. Florida was crazy, warm, and crowded. I'm probably in the minority here, but of the two I pick Iceland hands down. I'll be posting photos from both trips as I work through the thousands of photos from these two weeks.
As I was working through some Iceland photos, I came across two that show the effect of camera angle and focal length and how a little change in each can make a significant change in a photo.
Both photos were taken at the same place at about the same time. I only changed the camera position and the focal length of the lens.
 |
| Camera Position Lower, Focal Length = 24mm |
To me, the first photo gives the viewer a sense of vastness. The pool of water surrounded by ice and snow is the dominant element. You can see the water flowing away and the mountains in the distance but you have to look for them. It's hard to get past that dark pool.
 |
| Camera Position Higher, Focal Length = 35mm |
For the second photo, I raised the height of the camera on the tripod just a bit. This allows the viewer to better see the water flowing away from the pool towards the mountains in the distance. I changed the focal length just a little from 24mm to 35mm. The longer focal length in the second photo made the mountains appear to be closer. A shorter focal length (wider view) will make distant objects appear to be further away. The longer the focal length (greater zoom) the closer they will appear. They are still not the dominant element but I can easily see them.
My friend and our guide in Iceland John "Snake" Barrett took this to an extreme.
 |
A Really Different Perspective
Photo by Chuck Barnes |
This is the same location as my two photos. I can't wait to see what his perspective looks like.
I hope this illustration is useful. Check back for more photos and tips.
No comments:
Post a Comment