Exercise: Telephoto, Wide-angle, Standard

Telephoto

I've posted a lot of my telephoto shots already, but here are a few more:

This cheerful man buttonholed me later and we had a chat.  I didn't understand much of what he said.

These girls weren't chatting - with each other.

 

 This couple looks unhappy: such a contrast from the girl in the sunshine.

 I like the contrast between the hair style in the window and that of the man in the Nikes.  The lean of the ladder and the signpost balance each other.

Wide-Angle

Monochrome seems to suit these.  I'm not comfortable using the wideangle in this way; to get a really good shot you have to be really close to the subject in the corner, invading their personal space, never mind taking their picture.  Maybe I'll try it in a situation where there are more distractions.

 

Ladies on their mobiles. 

These gentlemen were talking here for several minutes.  I nearly cropped the 'Ask' sign out but it seems to add something.

 If you'll just follow the Sleepeezee truck...

Standard

My 18-55 kit lens has a spot at about 27-29 mm which I gather is intended to indicate a 'standard' focal length.  Shooting at this length it's difficult to hide; you're obviously taking their picture, unless you conceal the camera or shoot from the hip.  The following shots were all taken sitting on a bench with the camera in my lap, pressing the shutter with my thumb.  Framing's tricky, and so is keeping the camera level, but these improve with practice.

The pairs of shoppers attracted me.  I've straightened and cropped both of these shots, to centre them in the frame.  I stayed with monochrome for these two because they didn't need colour.

Now they seem to be converging, and have noticed each other.

 

People watching is interesting - and necessary, for a photographer.  A sequence:

This lady applied lipstick...

 

Spent a long time...

 

Smoothing it...

 

Out...

 

Put on...

 

Her spectacles...

 

Met a small child behind a push-chair...

 

Chatted to her and her mother...

 

And watched them go.

 

With the standard focal length, the images feel more intimate than with the other two focal lengths. Telephoto implies and creates distance; one is only an observer.   Curiously, the wide angle seems to me to create a kind of distance, too: one's not an observer but an intruder.  The standard focal length places the photographer in the same space as the actors.  I need to seek a way to use it more often.