Photography can be a rewarding pursuit. This guide is an introduction to some basic photographic
principles.
The zoom lens does not only affect how large the subject is in the picture, but it also influences the
depth of field and perspective. Depth of field is the area between the closest object in focus and the
furthest object in focus. As the lens zooms in (telephoto position) to the subject, the depth of field
becomes shallower, separating the subject from the background. Many portraits are taken with
telephoto lenses. Zooming the lens out to the wide-angle position makes both the foreground and
background appear sharper. Usually
landscape photographs take advantage
of the large depth of field of wide-angle
lenses.
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Wide-angle lenses also create a strong
perspective which gives a sense of depth in
the image. Telephoto lenses compress the
space between the subject and background
and create a weak perspective.
A short guide to photography