Filling the frame with a subject can look quite different depending on the lens’s focal length.
In these three examples, the f/stop stayed the same. I moved the camera forward or backward to keep the stuffed ducks the same size in the frame.
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| The 28mm wide-angle lens lets you see the environment around the subject more clearly, as in this photo of What the Ducks. |
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| The 105mm short telephoto focal length lens makes the background less distracting. |
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| The 300mm telephoto focal length lens makes the background even less distracting. |
Which one do you prefer and why?
You need to understand how a lens choice can help your subject.
You just need to say, “Here is the subject.” Then, consider using a telephoto lens. This will help you make the subject pop out from the background, and all the focus will be on it.
If you need the subject to be part of a sentence where you use adjectives and adverbs to help give context for the subject, move in close with a wide-angle lens. Now, you see what is around the subject as well as the subject.
There are varying degrees to this change. Just as the writer uses simple and sometimes longer sentences to tell the story, the lens helps you make it a simple or complex sentence.
In this case #3 because it's obvious the background has nothing to do with the stuffed animals. But my favorite lens when shooting people is my Tamron 2.8 17-35. It has more 'pop' than my DX 17-135. But only if background definition doesn't hurt the story.
5 hours ago
In this case #3 because it's obvious the background has nothing to do with the stuffed animals. But my favorite lens when shooting people is my Tamron 2.8 17-35. It has more 'pop' than my DX 17-135. But only if background definition doesn't hurt the story.
5 hours ago