Ex 13: A Standard View

Nowadays most cameras come with a zoom lens of some description so it is the lens that brings the subject closer or further away. Working with one focal length means the photographer has to move closer or further away from the subject to frame the shot. This was an interesting exercise as I found myself having to think more about the photograph I wanted to take, moving about to be at the appropriate distance. I also found it quite frustrating at times as I normally tend to zoom in quite tight on a subject.

The exercise was to use a focal length which captured approximately the same view as seen by the human eye — 'a standard view'. This standard is usually about 50mm on a film or full frame DSLR camera. It's necessary to do some maths using a FLM (Focal LengthMultiplier) to convert to the true focal length, in my case x1.6. My Nikon D90 has the smaller APS sensor so I need to set a focal length of around 32mm to capture the same scene at a full frame equivalent of 50mm.

"The focal length of the lens used on a full-frame sensor or an APS-sized sensor is the same (i.e. achieves the same magnification) but since the smaller sensor only captures a smaller central portion of the image projected by the lens, the field of view obtained in the latter case gives the impression that the lens is acting as one with focal length times the FLM." http://www.photoxels.com/tutorial_focal_length.html

My subject was The Merchant City Festival held annually in Glasgow. Working at 35mm (56mm equivalent) I feel the shots effectively capture the atmosphere of the festival. I think this focal length would work well for reportage and candid, street photography.