This exercise is a progression from the previous exercise which demonstrated the difference between focal lengths from the same viewpoint. This exercise aimed to highlight the difference that changing your lens and viewpoint would have on perspective.
The subject I chose was a local monument, the Ramsbottom Urn, which possesses the necessary depth for the exercise to be effective.
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| 80mm, 1/160 secs at f/11, ISO 400 |
Ideally I would have liked to have shot this from a greater distance, making more of the 55-200mm lens, but it wasn't physically possible. The subject has interesting contours and shooting it from this angle does portray some depth and is likely to be pretty close the standard focal length of the lens.
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| 10mm, 1/220 secs at f/11, ISO 400 |
Positioned some 25 yards closer to the subject, it felt unnaturally close - more so than the final image suggests - and it certainly portrays depth... too much of it! It has the effect of exaggerating aspects such as the nearest handle, and yet it also reduces elements such as the base. In addition to changing the dimensions of the subject, by being so close the the subject, the most interesting feature of the subject - the opening - has been removed completely.
Ultimately, neither image is particularly visually appealing and I suspect the better shot lies somewhere in between. The wide angle shot starts to give some perspective but the composition lacks anything interesting. Turning the left a composing a shot that contrasts the motionless urn with the speed of life passing it by.
A good exercise that has already influenced some shots that I'll be using for assignment one.
