Exercise 12: Close and involved

This exercise calls for the use of a wide angle, defining this to be 28mm or less focal length, and suggests using the widest focal length that you have. So for me I thought I would try my 17-40 f4 L (on a full sensor DSLR), in fact the first session out for this recently acquired lens. During this session I tended to work at the two extremes of the focal length, 17mm for this exercise and also at 40mm so that I could get images for the next exercise on standard focal length images.

Generally it is necessary to get very close to people but this one seemed to work well, even with a little distance. The tile pattern on the floor lends a certain graphic element to the composition, the red jackets stand out against the green and having the engine included gives some context:

From OCA People and Place Photos

Here the activity is with the three people in the cab, they make up a small amount of the overall image area but again the wide focal length has allowed the full engine to be included giving context and the steam adds to the atmosphere of the setting as they prepare to pull out of the engine shed:

From OCA People and Place Photos

Now we get really up-close and personal, the chap on the left is only a couple of feet away. The group of three makes for an implied triangle, the platform gives a linear perspective adding depth to the image and as the train is now out of the engine shed there is the benefit of a lovely blue sky:

From OCA People and Place Photos

The ticket inspector moved up and down the carriages quickly and so I had to be quick to get a shot, here he is looking in my direction so I have some eye contact. The wide perspective has allowed to me to include the ticket on the table in the foreground:

From OCA People and Place Photos

The man holding his child is looking down at the engineer as he uncouples the carriages. His line of gaze helps direct the viewer to the action in the shot. The ultra wide angle meant I think he had no idea he was in my frame:

From OCA People and Place Photos

Here I have been able to include a large number of people, the image divides down an imaginary middle line with fast movement of people along the platform on the left contrasted with the almost still people chatting at the cab on the right:

From OCA People and Place Photos

And again really up-close, this time just a few inches from the shoulder of the man in the foreground as he speaks to the man in the cab who is leaning forward to listen. The two of them dominate the image with the public on the platform appearing relatively less significant:

From OCA People and Place Photos

And finally a signalman operates the levers for the engine as it switched tracks on the sidings:

From OCA People and Place Photos

The wide angle approach mostly worked well in this situation, allowing me to catch action up close while keeping some sense of context. Placing things in the foreground can give them extra significance while a good depth of field helps include the wider scene. The down side is that if you don't get close enough your subject can easily look a little lost and distant. If you get too close and the position wrong then facial features can distort.