Digital Cinematography, 2nd Edition

Lenses 149

lenses are often said to compress the scene and

make everything look at, but it’s not just the focal

length that’s doing this. Generally, when using a

telephoto lens, the camera is placed further from

the scene being photographed in order to create

a similar framing to what the camera would get

from closer in on a normal or wide-angle lens.

Figure 7.16 Wide-angle shot – objects occupy a

greater percentage of scene depth.

Figure 7.17 Telephoto shot – the same objects

occupy a smaller percentage of scene depth.

If the camera is moved further away from the

subject while compensating the framing ...