Sorry folks! I'm a latecomer to the party! I hate to interrupt all the fun but here's my take on the matter.

Hi folks! Interesting topic!

I did not want to write a dissertation on optics and perspective- there are already a number of very learned commentaries offered by others, but rather a kinda “nuts and bolts” post on how I use wide angle focal lengths in practical usage in my commercial photography and portraiture and of course this has to do with perspective control.

I do, however, would like to perhaps clarify somethings about wide angle lens usage in portraiture. Generally speaking, it is a rule of thumb to use longer focal lengths for portraiture to avoid distortion. Theoretically, wide angle lenses do not necessarily and intrinsically introduce distortion such as exaggeration of facial features etc. and it is true that perspective is influenced by the camera to subject distance rather than focal length. Problem is, when using shorter focal lengths, in order to fill the frame for compositional purposes, in a closeup or head and shoulder portrait, the distance would need to be disproportionately close- too close and thus the aesthetically incorrect rendition of the subjects face. Another consideration is that certain wide angle lenses, especially super-wide formulas may also have intrinsic aberrations such as barrel distortion, curvature of field and other gremlins that may exacerbate the problems.

Having written the aforementioned, in my own practice, I do employ wide angle lenses for some of my portrait photography- in fact, I categorize it as wide angle environmental portraiture. This is a method where I want to include foreground and especially background elements, in sharp detail- no “bokeh” in this particular style! This can be very effective in corporate portraiture, family and lifestyles work, wedding and special occasions formal and causal portraits. It adds a storytelling element about the subject. The caveats are firstly the use of a modernly wide angle focal length, a 35mm or thereabout on a full frame camera or the equivalent in other formats. About 3/4 length or full length view of the subject and taking care in posing the subject so that the hands and arms are close to the same plane as the face. The camera position should be at about the subject's chest level and not tilted upward or downward otherwise elongation or foreshortening can occur. In terms of “layers' in composition, foreground elements- framing or props, the subject and the background proved dimensionality and depth to. the image.

In architectural, interior and exterior photography, forced perspective to create dynamic lines as well as interesting abstract renditions is nothing new and has its place in commercial and editorial photography as well as fine art work. I frequently receive assignments to product that kind of imagery for annual reports, office décor, brochure covers etc. Many architects, realtors and landlords, however, don't want their buildings to appear as dynamic geometric designs but prefer kinda picture perfect architectural rendering-like images. They don't want exaggerated perceptions of interiors, structures seemingly falling over forward or backward, or low-rise buildings with converging lines vanishing into infinity. Again, wide angle lenses are employed for their wider field of view especially having to operate in close quarters or difficult viewpoints and the greater degrees of depth of field that are obtainable. In the fil era, I did all of this work with a view camera and could depend on all the camera movements to provide more depth of field and make all perspective corrections. Nowadays it's a tilt shift lens to the rescue. With an ordinary wide angle lens natural perspectives are attainable by keeping the camera parallel to the vertical planes of the structure, avoiding tilting upwards or downward and correcting for too much ground or sky or ceiling and floor in cropping. Also- some perspective correction can be applied in post processing. The forced perspective image of the office building was done for the company that provided the glass. The more “bread and butter” image of the apartment building was done for the rental company.

As in portraiture, wide angle rendition can provide those compositional layers that provide conventionality and depth to architectural and landscape work. Longer focal length lenses have their advantages too, however, I sometimes find that very long lenses,with their compression of perspective my tend to bring the background in too close and negates the illusion of space and depth in certain images.

I found Captain's remarks about “visual lies” very interesting. In my own experience I do have art directors, clients and editors asking me to do what I jokingly call “visual hyperbole”. This is where exaggerated perspectives is a handy tool for emphasizing something in an image that adds impact and drives the story home.

A few weeks ago, a local editor was doing a story on our city's infrastructure repair program messes up traffic every summer and how both drivers and pedestrians begin to “see red” what with virtually every street being under construction. Time to exaggerate the size of the sign and pump in some extra saturation! I made this image that image for his cover story. Fake news? Not really! The big ugly heavy equipment was in the centerfold. All wide angle!

OK So he flower pots ain't really larger that the bus but the shot was for the landscape company that decorated some of the main bus stops and stations. Nothing to glamorous about a company that digs up gas stations are replaced all the underground pumps and pipes so a litter forced perspective makes for a better annual report cover.

The room interior was done for the flooring company that so the emphasis was on the FLOOR! The “Canada Post” philatelic poster was a still life on tabletop- no PhotoShop- the perspective provided “layers”. The wide angle lens made for a more dynamic shot of the coins for the Royal Canadian Mint. The wedding candid shot shows no signs of distortion although a wide angle lens was used to take in the activities in a large ballroom and provided foreground framing and layers of composition. The you man studies in the quiet of the sanctuary of his synagogue. The following week he will be called to read the Torah in the presence of the entire congregation for his Bar Mitzvah. Originally shot on film- medium format Hasselblad with a 60mm lens- slight wider than normal. Subject is lighted by electronic flash- shutter is dragged to expose for background- f/22 at 45 seconds! Flash fires- modeling lights shot off and time exposure begins. Young man is gobo-ed so no ambient light strikes him and the has to holds still for 45 seconds. Did tit in two- the second one bracketed to 90 seconds- DON'T ASK! This had to be the most patient 13 year old kid I ever encountered!

It certainly important to understand all the optical science and theory pertaining to lens usage. From a more creative point of view, actual experimentation and practice is just as important and perhaps more practical. When you put on you favorite wide angle prime lens or zoom in to you shortest focal length, familiarize yourself with the visual rendition you get a various distances, angles and focal length settings. Carefully observe the perspective, look for layers, and decide on the story you want to tell with each picture. Consider foreground elements for framing the main subject or lines in the foreground that lead the viewers' eyes into the motif of the image. Decide on how you wish to render the background and if details in the background help or hinder the impact of the photograph.

I hope this helps. Just before I leave let me mess a bit more with y'alls heads. Not only is perspective controlled by camera/subject distances but the way you perceive perspective is also dependent on the size of the print or viewing monitor or screen and the distance from which it is viewed. So theoretically, if you photography you mother-in-law, close up, with you 10mm lens so as to create a “caricature” of her personality- if she views an 8x10 print at about 2 inches away, the image will be perfectly flattering! By the same token, if you photograph you cat, with the Rocky Mountains in the background, with you 1,000mm lens and view a 16x20 print from 20 yards away- it might also look normal. I'm not exactly sure of the math but I'll figure it out- this is something to think about for next time! Hyperbole? Maybe!

PS- For all you iconic photographer fans, give Ansel, Yosef and Anne a day off and check out the masterful portraiture of Arnold Newman. This favorite “portrait” lens was a 90mm Super Angulon on a 4x5 format.

Sorry folks! I'm a latecomer to the party! I hate to interrupt all the fun but here's my take on the matter.

Hi folks! Interesting topic!

I did not want to write a dissertation on optics and perspective- there are already a number of very learned commentaries offered by others, but rather a kinda “nuts and bolts” post on how I use wide angle focal lengths in practical usage in my commercial photography and portraiture and of course this has to do with perspective control.

I do, however, would like to perhaps clarify somethings about wide angle lens usage in portraiture. Generally speaking, it is a rule of thumb to use longer focal lengths for portraiture to avoid distortion. Theoretically, wide angle lenses do not necessarily and intrinsically introduce distortion such as exaggeration of facial features etc. and it is true that perspective is influenced by the camera to subject distance rather than focal length. Problem is, when using shorter focal lengths, in order to fill the frame for compositional purposes, in a closeup or head and shoulder portrait, the distance would need to be disproportionately close- too close and thus the aesthetically incorrect rendition of the subjects face. Another consideration is that certain wide angle lenses, especially super-wide formulas may also have intrinsic aberrations such as barrel distortion, curvature of field and other gremlins that may exacerbate the problems.

Having written the aforementioned, in my own practice, I do employ wide angle lenses for some of my portrait photography- in fact, I categorize it as wide angle environmental portraiture. This is a method where I want to include foreground and especially background elements, in sharp detail- no “bokeh” in this particular style! This can be very effective in corporate portraiture, family and lifestyles work, wedding and special occasions formal and causal portraits. It adds a storytelling element about the subject. The caveats are firstly the use of a modernly wide angle focal length, a 35mm or thereabout on a full frame camera or the equivalent in other formats. About 3/4 length or full length view of the subject and taking care in posing the subject so that the hands and arms are close to the same plane as the face. The camera position should be at about the subject's chest level and not tilted upward or downward otherwise elongation or foreshortening can occur. In terms of “layers' in composition, foreground elements- framing or props, the subject and the background proved dimensionality and depth to. the image.

In architectural, interior and exterior photography, forced perspective to create dynamic lines as well as interesting abstract renditions is nothing new and has its place in commercial and editorial photography as well as fine art work. I frequently receive assignments to product that kind of imagery for annual reports, office décor, brochure covers etc. Many architects, realtors and landlords, however, don't want their buildings to appear as dynamic geometric designs but prefer kinda picture perfect architectural rendering-like images. They don't want exaggerated perceptions of interiors, structures seemingly falling over forward or backward, or low-rise buildings with converging lines vanishing into infinity. Again, wide angle lenses are employed for their wider field of view especially having to operate in close quarters or difficult viewpoints and the greater degrees of depth of field that are obtainable. In the fil era, I did all of this work with a view camera and could depend on all the camera movements to provide more depth of field and make all perspective corrections. Nowadays it's a tilt shift lens to the rescue. With an ordinary wide angle lens natural perspectives are attainable by keeping the camera parallel to the vertical planes of the structure, avoiding tilting upwards or downward and correcting for too much ground or sky or ceiling and floor in cropping. Also- some perspective correction can be applied in post processing. The forced perspective image of the office building was done for the company that provided the glass. The more “bread and butter” image of the apartment building was done for the rental company.

As in portraiture, wide angle rendition can provide those compositional layers that provide conventionality and depth to architectural and landscape work. Longer focal length lenses have their advantages too, however, I sometimes find that very long lenses,with their compression of perspective my tend to bring the background in too close and negates the illusion of space and depth in certain images.

I found Captain's remarks about “visual lies” very interesting. In my own experience I do have art directors, clients and editors asking me to do what I jokingly call “visual hyperbole”. This is where exaggerated perspectives is a handy tool for emphasizing something in an image that adds impact and drives the story home.

A few weeks ago, a local editor was doing a story on our city's infrastructure repair program messes up traffic every summer and how both drivers and pedestrians begin to “see red” what with virtually every street being under construction. Time to exaggerate the size of the sign and pump in some extra saturation! I made this image that image for his cover story. Fake news? Not really! The big ugly heavy equipment was in the centerfold. All wide angle!

OK So he flower pots ain't really larger that the bus but the shot was for the landscape company that decorated some of the main bus stops and stations. Nothing to glamorous about a company that digs up gas stations are replaced all the underground pumps and pipes so a litter forced perspective makes for a better annual report cover.

The room interior was done for the flooring company that so the emphasis was on the FLOOR! The “Canada Post” philatelic poster was a still life on tabletop- no PhotoShop- the perspective provided “layers”. The wide angle lens made for a more dynamic shot of the coins for the Royal Canadian Mint. The wedding candid shot shows no signs of distortion although a wide angle lens was used to take in the activities in a large ballroom and provided foreground framing and layers of composition. The you man studies in the quiet of the sanctuary of his synagogue. The following week he will be called to read the Torah in the presence of the entire congregation for his Bar Mitzvah. Originally shot on film- medium format Hasselblad with a 60mm lens- slight wider than normal. Subject is lighted by electronic flash- shutter is dragged to expose for background- f/22 at 45 seconds! Flash fires- modeling lights shot off and time exposure begins. Young man is gobo-ed so no ambient light strikes him and the has to holds still for 45 seconds. Did tit in two- the second one bracketed to 90 seconds- DON'T ASK! This had to be the most patient 13 year old kid I ever encountered!

It certainly important to understand all the optical science and theory pertaining to lens usage. From a more creative point of view, actual experimentation and practice is just as important and perhaps more practical. When you put on you favorite wide angle prime lens or zoom in to you shortest focal length, familiarize yourself with the visual rendition you get a various distances, angles and focal length settings. Carefully observe the perspective, look for layers, and decide on the story you want to tell with each picture. Consider foreground elements for framing the main subject or lines in the foreground that lead the viewers' eyes into the motif of the image. Decide on how you wish to render the background and if details in the background help or hinder the impact of the photograph.

I hope this helps. Just before I leave let me mess a bit more with y'alls heads. Not only is perspective controlled by camera/subject distances but the way you perceive perspective is also dependent on the size of the print or viewing monitor or screen and the distance from which it is viewed. So theoretically, if you photography you mother-in-law, close up, with you 10mm lens so as to create a “caricature” of her personality- if she views an 8x10 print at about 2 inches away, the image will be perfectly flattering! By the same token, if you photograph you cat, with the Rocky Mountains in the background, with you 1,000mm lens and view a 16x20 print from 20 yards away- it might also look normal. I'm not exactly sure of the math but I'll figure it out- this is something to think about for next time! Hyperbole? Maybe!

PS- For all you iconic photographer fans, give Ansel, Yosef and Anne a day off and check out the masterful portraiture of Arnold Newman. This favorite “portrait” lens was a 90mm Super Angulon on a 4x5 format.

Hi Linda, I have not been around for a while but I looked into the Hog yesterday, saw your topic and thought Thats interesting, I wonder if I have anything that fits€. This is how you get dragged, kicking and screaming, back into the fold (Just kidding). This photograph is probably one of the most boring subjects I have ever taken but it does tick your bullet points 1, 2 & 5 and getting half of them in one photo is not so bad.
Firstly, we have the converging lines effect, albeit going around a bend which makes it slightly more interesting. Secondly, there is the effect where things roughly the same size appear smaller as they regress into the distance. For instance take the car in the distance between the two trucks and bring that same size on the photograph alongside the one at the front and the effect is obvious. The lampposts are exactly the same size and they appear to get smaller as the go into the distance.

I was standing on a bridge so the viewpoint is from above.This produces an interesting effect with the dotted lane markings. We know from experience that these 'dots' are spaced equally from each other both left to right and also front to back and this is clearly visible in the left hand lane. Now look at the right hand lane. Pick two blocks in the foreground that you think make a left and right hand pair and regress these pairs into the distance and they appear not to line up. Similarly, take two in the background that do seem to make a side by side pair and count them forward and they no longer line up. Which is right? I don't know but it sure is interesting. It is obviously a perspective effect that demonstrates something although I am not sure what.