ABSTRACT
Lenses are the tools of the trade of a cinematographer This chapter shows how wide, normal and long lenses affect the size of the shot, what is emphasized, how space is rendered on the Z-axis (from front to back) and what happens as people move. It shows how lens choices are used in storytelling to show relationships and affect the viewers perspective of the scene. This is followed by examining how composition varies when using different aspect ratios and how headroom, eye lines, leadroom and movement from left to right all affect the viewer perception. The chapter concludes by detailing the photographic composition techniques that help lead the viewer’s eye. The chapter also includes practical information on lens qualities and mounts and how to us crop factors to calculate the effect of using the same lens on a camera with a different sensor size.
