Introduction to Cinematography

6Storytelling in Shots: Lenses and Composition

Lenses are the tools of the trade of a cinematographer. Composing shots involves selecting which lens to use, where to position the camera and what to have in frame. A good understanding of lenses will help you select the optimal lens not only to include what you need in the frame but to emphasize what you want to draw the viewer’s attention to. The chapter starts by looking at how wide, normal and long lenses can be used to control the relative size of people as they move within the frame, and how this can be used in storytelling. It then looks at the practical considerations of how sensor size and crop factors affect depth of field, and how lens mounts, compatibilities and size affect your lens ...