1) Project: Getting to know your camera, Exercise: Focal length and angle of view - page 16.

Having read and re-read the exercise (through nerves) and understanding what was expected, I finally took the plunge and gave it a go.  I was very nervous as it was the first exercise, now I am relieved I have completed it and pleased with the results.  Here is how I tackled the task and my findings.

Deciding the subject.

In deciding what subject to shoot for this exercise, it was essential that I had ease of access to the subject, so I could re-visit it once the prints had been made, to enable me to complete my understanding of the exercise.
My first initial thought was to shoot any number of subjects in my living room, as everything here I had complete access to at anytime, however after some careful consideration I wanted to use a subject I could use in the next task also, so I could assess overall, the different aspects of focus used.  It was with this in mind I made my decision to shoot a Lego figure namely - Harry Potter.

Setting up.

I wanted to make the surrounding of the shot as basic and unobtrusive as possible, so my main point of focus was key and clearly showed what I set out to achieve.
I placed the figure in the centre on a wooden box with a neutral coloured background (a blanket) and set up my camera at the edge of the box, to ensure an accurate distance was used in each photograph.

The equipment used.

Camera: Canon 500D
Lens: Canon 18 - 55.
Flash: Canon 430EX Mark II flashgun.

Settings & Results.

IMG 3155.
Camera setting - P
Focal Length - 34mm (standard)
Focal length equivalent in 35mm film - 54.4mm
Shutter speed - 1/60
Aperture - f/4.5
Flash - used
Metering - spot
ISO - 400.

IMG 3160.

Camera setting - P
Focal Length - 55mm (full zoom)
Focal length equivalent in 35mm film - 87.7mm
Shutter speed - 1/60
Aperture - f/5.6
Flash - used
Metering - spot
ISO - 400.
















and finally...
IMG 3163.
Camera setting - P
Focal Length - 18mm (wide angle)
Focal length equivalent in 35mm film - 29mm
Shutter speed - 1/60
Aperture - f/4
Flash - used
Metering - spot
ISO - 400.
















Findings.

Taking the photos above, took 10 attempts to get the three shots above that I was happy with that were clearly in focus showing the different focal lengths.
I chose to print the 3 photos to A4 size and placed the photos at eye-level and the findings of this part of the exercise were as expected with what is stated.
The standard print was best matched at what I would class as comfortable reading distance, the wide angle as expected needed to be drawn close to an almost uncomfortable viewpoint and the zoom needed moving just short of arms length.
Prints have been retained in paper learning journal, with accompanying notes.

Conclusion.

Following the clear instructions in the exercise notes, the findings of the task were completely as expected and nothing out of the ordinary was noted.
I learnt the different focal lengths and the comparison with the focal length of 35mm film, as stated above.  It is clear to see how each focal length provides a very different shot and changes considerably the size of the object, in this case the object being a Lego figure, from one distance to another.
Overall the exercise went fairly well, the main challenge being acceptable lighting as the shots were taken in the evening, so a flash was used in each shot.
Completion of this exercise will make it clear in the future of what I can expect to achieve when using different focal lengths and how they can be used to draw in a subject or indeed do the opposite and make the subject appear further away.
If I was to attempt this exercise again, I would perhaps shoot it in natural light to eliminate the need for flash, as the effect of flash also differs quite significantly in each photo, subject to what focal length was used.
Overall I am happy that my findings are consistent with the expectations of the exercise.