Viewpoint

Select your longest focal length and compose a portrait shot fairly tightly within the frame in front of a background with depth. Take one photograph. Then walk towards your subject while zooming out to your shortest focal length. Take care to frame the subject in precisely the same way in the viewfinder and take a second shot. Compare the two images and make notes in your learning log.

The shots:

Shot1: f5.6, 140mm, SS 1/13s, ISO 320

Shot2: f3.5, 18mm, SS 1/40s, ISO 320

Notes:

In Shot1 the depth of field around the subject is much reduced in comparison to shot2, most notable in the bushes to the left of the subject. In shot1 the bushes appear immediately behind the subject whereas in shot2 they appear many yards in the distance.

With long focal length the background is flattened and with short focal length it is extended.

There is a change in aperture between shot1 (f5.6) and shot2 (f3.5) this is characteristics of the lens itself. In both cases aperture priority was set and aperture set to maximum. Even although aperture is smaller for shot1, the effect of long focal length and relatively open aperture results in the background being out of focus on shot 1. At this resolution the close position and wide angle of shot 2 results in fairly good focus through the image.