| The Basics of Photography: Lowdown on Lenses |
From "Photography"
episode DPT-101 |
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Lenses let you picture the world any way you want, and zoom lenses let you creatively compose your shot without having to move around a lot. You get to fill the frame even when your subject is far away. Photography expert and author Rick Sammon, host of DIY Photography, shows how increasing the zoom length can help you get up close and personal. One of Sammon's favorite lenses is a 17-to-35mm ("wide angle") zoom, which permits you to take an environmental picture (figure A). At the 17mm setting with the lens stopped down (small aperture), both the foreground and the background are in focus. As you zoom the lens to 35 mm, you can get closer to the giraffes but they're still a fairly small part of the frame (figure B). A telephoto zoom, 70-to-200mm, really lets you get close to the subject. At the 200 setting you can almost fill the frame (figure C). A 300mm lens can fill the frame (figure D). If you wanted to throw the background out of focus, this would be a good setting because at this point the aperture is wide. Tip: Always keep your lens cap on, especially on the rear element of the lens you take off. Dust, dirt and fingerprints will make your pictures look soft and out of focus. And no matter what kind of lens you use, always use a lens hood. Light falling across the lens can create lens flare, making your photos look out of focus. A 1.4x teleconverter can turn a 300mm lens into a 420mm lens. You can create a close-up head shot (figure E) without having to carry a 420mm lens. A good lens to have on hand is a 28-to-105mm zoom, says Sammon. In one lens you get a wide angle and a moderate-length telephoto. In the old days of zooms, most pros shunned the lenses because of their poor quality. Those problems have been solved, and today's zoom lenses offer superb results.
RESOURCES :
Fabric Photos
Model: 093402653X
Author: Marjorie Croner
Interweave Press Inc.
Website: interweave.com
National Geographic Photography Field Guide: Secrets to Making Great Pictures
Model: 0792274989
Author: Peter K. Burian and Robert Caputo
September 1999
The Photographer's Handbook
Model: 0679742042
Author: John Hedgecoe
Knopf, 1998
Photography
Model: 0321011082
Author: Edited by Barbara London
August 1997
The Question-and-Answer Guide to Photo Techniques
Model: 0715301985
Author: Lee Frost
Out of Print
Camera Angles: Tips and Techniques for Professional-Quality Photographs
Model: 0896582353
Author: Rick Sammon & Steve Werner
June 1994
Nikon
Includes tutorials and mini-lessons on creating better pictures, digital cameras and more. Measurements are given in the metric system.
Nikon
Website: www.nikon.com
Kodak Information
Tips, techniques, tutorials and information on cameras and film.
To e-mail Kodak, click here.
To access Kodak's contact information, click here.
www.kodak.com
Kodak
Website: www.kodak.com
Rick Sammon
1 Fox Rd.
Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520
E-mail: RickSammon@aol.com
Web site: www.ricksammon.com
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