Mike Swaim sez:
>At the moment, I can't think of too much that would fall under the category
>of routine documentary type stuff that couldn't be done with a battery
>consisting of just a 28mm/2.8, a 50 macro, (for those odd occasions) and a
>100/2.8.
So Lex sez:
>A PJ whose work I really admire, Mark Milstein of Atlantic News Service,
>does his most dramatic work with a wide angle (20mm I think). That takes a
>lot of courage to get into the thick of things for the lens to do its job.
So I sez:
For years I took all my photos with what I called my "Eisenstadt
outfit"--which consisted of a 35mm, 50mm and 90mm lens on an old
screw-mount Leica IIIf. I rarely wanted anything wider or narrower.
I have always wondered why super-wides have become so popular. I've even
heard people say that they regard a 24mm as their "normal" lens. Now
perhaps this makes sense for photojournalists who often find themselves in
small rooms. But in general, I regard super-wides as special tools whose
perspective distortion is a spice, not a main dish.
Recently, I saw a photo in the Seattle Times of a basset hound and his
owner. For those that don't know, a basset is sort of a chunky beagle with
sad eyes that has been stretched like a dachshund. The photo was
wide-angle (probably 24mm), taken fairly close to the dog and at an oblique
angle, so that the already elongated dog appeared elongated even further.
The effect was comical, but I'm not sure whether the photo was about the
dog or about the wide angle lens.
I often get this reaction when I see super-wide shots. They put the
subject IN YOUR FACE and add a bit of surrealism in the bargain. They are
great for showing the viewpoint of an insect, or a small child, but they
create a view that is (in skilled hands) intense, but often more fun-house
mirror.
So all you folks that think 28mm is already a medium telephoto, why do you
like your super-wides so much?
--Peter
--- Peter
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