| Lens - Perspective Distortion |
| Director calls for CU... You have ten different Prime Lenses and two Zooms... Close up can be executed with any one of them... Lens is a lens is a lens (?!) The truth is that your choice of Lens should be determined by your understanding of what is Character's state of mind at this very moment within a story. Each lens (focal length) has its own unique set of attributes that pertain to the potential of relating to any particular mood or state of mind. Lens can beautify or otherwise render in a negative way. Knowing "psychological attributes" of lenses helps Director of Photography in expression of mood and emotion of the Character.and/or of the Scene. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| 100mm (Long Lens) |
| 28mm (Short / Wide Lens) |
| 100mm Lens |
| 28mm Lens |
| One has to be careful whenever CU wiith Wide Angle Lens is considered. Good "beauty lens" for Extreme CU of the face is any lens from within a range of 85mm - 135mm Classic Portrait |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Examples below demonstrate another interesting "trick" with perspective distortion. The same location shot with two different lenses show altogether different perspective. In first two pictures (wide angle) it seems like a person will move fast as she will cover "larger" distance in the same amount of time as compared to next two pictures. This has tremendous implications in manipulating audiences perception... Imagine, in the first set of pictures bad guys chasing somebody, and it seems like they devour the space. Now cut to the next set where our protagonist who has been chased, can barely move forward as it seems like it takes her longer time to cover smaller distance(?!) |
 |