Move Your Feet and Change Your Lens

9/12/2016

35mm (1/125 @f/16 ISO 320)

Can you Spot the Hay?

Driving along a semi-busy, small town road we saw this sign driving by at about 35 miles per hour. It took me a moment to realize I needed to turn around and make some photos here.

I shot this crouched down probably around ten feet away from Sarah's feet, zoomed as far in as my lens would go at 35mm.

The Wide Angle Lens

One of the three lenses I carry in my photography bag, the perfect wide-angle solution, especially on a full-frame camera like the Canon 5D Mark III.

The Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L
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Bringing Everything Closer, by Walking Away

Do you See the Hay Now?

Sarah didn't move any closer to the hay-stack behind her, yet it appears to be much much closer. How did I do this? I walked away from her! By crossing the street and using the telephoto lens I was able to visually compress the apparent distance between her and the background. It's not only the hay-stack that looks closer but check out those mountains! If you ever want to adjust how far away the background seems then remember to move your feet and swap your lens.

This is my heaviest lens, by far, but it has earned a special spot in my bag for opportunities just like this one where I want to bring the background closer. Special thanks to Sarah LaRee for braving the long stares from passer-bys in order to get this shot!