Who dragged the monastery closer? Photo

Photographer’s Note

(Alternative title: "Perspective Compression Exercize")

Here you can see Toplou Monastery on the background, and an abandoned windmill in the foreground. The first photo (on the left) was taken with my wide angle lens (16-35mm) at a focal distance of 31mm, with me being very close to the windmill. Then I changed the lens, I took my 70-200 lens, I made a few steps backwords, and took a second shot at a focal distance of 70mm, compressing the perspective, making the monastery look bigger and closer to the windmill. I think that although the framing and composition is practically the same, there is a visible diference in the final result, despite the fact that the diference in the focal distances (31mm-70mm) is not so big. Can you imagine how much bigger the diference would be if I had taken the first photo at 16mm and the second one at 200mm, for example?

Just wanted to show, how a lens and photography in general can change our perspective and perception of the world. And this is just one of the many ways that photography can do that.

If you want to read more about Moni Toplou, one of the most important monasteries in Crete (and Greece in general), CHECK HERE.

***PS. A not so "logical" finding: Sometimes the endistancement from something might make it look bigger, while something diferent will keep its size, or even look smaller!

***PS 2. This trick has a nice application in television or cinema, giving a fantastic "surreal" effect. A good cameraman, can aproach something in the foreground moving with his camera, while simultaneously, he turns slowly his lens to its wide angle, this way, the "thing" in the foreground keeps its size, or gets even bigger, while the "thing" in the background, looks like getting smaller and "moving" far away!

jmdias, isabela_sor, bostankorkulugu, ellelloo, XOTAELE, LamCam, tolis68, PerR, dareco, Budapestman, aymeric_baque, kpav, stelli, ChrisJ, cunejo200, labro33, edytungkal, kiks, mydrjoe, luighi, asajernigan, josepmarin, TopGeo, steliosk, Dashab has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

isabela_sor (42078) 2008-09-13 8:29 [Comment]

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bostankorkulugu (33518) 2008-09-13 8:43

i was gonna say "toplou" sounds very turkish and ask you if there was a cannon out there or not, then i read the note on the link (top:cannon, toplu:with a cannon, toplu manastır: moni toplou)...
a good lesson indeed... making me realise once again that i have a loooooot to learn about photography... thank you man...

bostani

ellelloo (4751) 2008-09-13 8:43

Hello Hercules,
A good exercise and example. Thanks for sharing.
Greetings,
Lasse

jasmis (50248) 2008-09-13 8:45

Smart comparison, no doubt. Fine lesson, but the place is amazing too.
Regards.

XOTAELE (476) 2008-09-13 8:55

Hola Hércules.
Interesante comentario y vistas complementarias.
Un cordial saludo, JL.

LamCam (3603) 2008-09-13 9:08

Hello Hercules,
This shows so clearly the choices you have available when deciding how to reproduce the scene in front of you. My personal preference is for the 70mm version because the monastery fills the triangle of blue sky more effectively. A very helpful post - in fact I would enjoy more of these well chosen exercises!
Best wishes....Maggie

bema (8677) 2008-09-13 9:08

Kalispera Hercules,

fantastic artwork; very interessting lesson about photografy,
fine colors and sharpness.

Jassu Bernd

tolis68 (2004) 2008-09-13 9:36

Αν δεν παει ο Ηρακλης στο μοναστηρι ερχεται το μοναστηρι στον Ηρακλη.Εξαιρετικη η τεχνικη σου και καλα που μας βαζεις και τις δυο φωτο μαζι με τα σχολια για να καταλαβουμε και τι εκανες, μας εντυπωσιασες για ακομη μια φορα,συγχαρητηρια.

χαιρετω,
Αποστολος.

dareco (17104) 2008-09-13 11:28

A very interesting post and note!! This is informative as well as beautiful! TFS and have a great day!

Budapestman (41686) 2008-09-13 11:43

Hi Hercules,
This is a splendid premiére, my friend and interesting and spectacular study from the photography. Besides... the photo is beautiful. The composition, colours and lights are excellent. Great work, Very well done! Have a nice evening
George

CatherineD (4860) 2008-09-13 12:30

Geia sou Irakli,
Very good lesson with this nice place. Details and colours are very nice. This lesson reminds me the polemic about the photos of the two dead Roma girls in Italy. (See here for example). A photo is not "the truth", but the view and interpretation of the photographer... Se xairetw,
Katerina

aymeric_baque (141) 2008-09-13 14:37

Thanks for the lesson Hercules.
As you said, what would have benne the result with a bigger focal gap, The Monastry would have come to the first plan and windmill on the second ?? ;-)

Thanks for illustrating this optical theory with nice picture

Cheers
Aymeric

kpav (5023) 2008-09-13 15:10

Γεια Ηρακλή, εξαιρετικό το μάθημα φωτογραφίας όπως και ο τρόπος που διάλεξες να το παρουσιάσεις. Πολύ ενδιαφέρον και το σημείωμά σου. Σε χαιρετώ,
Κώστας.

Jonas_Schmitt (3074) 2008-09-14 6:40

Hi hercules,
Wow this is a very interesting shot!
Great idea and very well created!
Well done,
Jonas

stelli (2941) 2008-09-14 7:24

Beautiful, natural colors and a rare "free" lesson! Thank you very much, Irakli, for sharing knowledge and skill!!! ΦΙΛΙΚΑ Στέλλα

ChrisJ (70125) 2008-09-14 7:51

Hello Hercules

A fantastic blue sky in both of these dual images, with superb colour and sharpness. Tfs! A nice play with perspective.

cunejo200 (7157) 2008-09-14 9:42

This is a wonderful presentation of how an image can be viewed and taken by two types of lenses. Each lens has its own merits - the exaggeration from the wide angle lens is attractive but the telephoto lens appear more natural. Thanks for presenting this Hercules. My compliments....Danilo

labro33 (2804) 2008-09-14 11:28

Γεια σου Ηρακλη,
Νομιζω οτι και οι δυο ληψεις χαρακτηριζονται απο το εξαιρετικο αποτελεσμα τους.
Πολυ καλη προοπτικη,βαθος,χρωματα,οξυτητα και διαχειρηση του φωτος ολοκληρωνουν και τις δυο συνθεσεις.
Σε χαιρετω,
Γιωργος

molla (6881) 2008-09-14 13:09

Hej Hercules,
I kind of like the Idea of doing a workshop, or what to call it directly in the posting, good informative not about your Idea, more stuff like this In TE or maybe there should be a TE-school site :)

thank you
//A

Tobias__Ortmann (2589) 2008-09-14 14:11

Hi hercules,
very nice image good presented and nice idea
I really like the colours and the sharpness
well done
Toba

edytungkal (4519) 2008-09-14 19:12

Very interesting comparison and you have done an excellent experiment to this historic monastery. Thanks Hercules specially for the very informative note...

rgds
daniel

gneufeld (15169) 2008-09-14 20:00

HI Hercules,
Well seen image witht he castle and related details. Nice idea to share two perspectives. Love the deep rich colors and outstanding clarity. Well done and TFS. Gerald

delkoo (34244) 2008-09-15 0:13

hi hercules
nice idea to present two different framing, A fine composition making good use of the piece of wing as frame.

ta leme
didier

mydrjoe (1240) 2008-09-15 1:57

Hola Hercules,

Comno siempre, magistral. En este caso en dos vertientes: la de la foto propiamente dicha y la de la lección de fotografía que tan amablemente has querido compartir con nosotros. Por ambas, enhorabuena y muchas gracias.

Un saludo,
JR

ifanik (20518) 2008-09-15 2:34

Daskale edw edwses pragmatika resta
Ti na pw entyposiako trik
Soy bgazw to kapelo
Xairetw
Nikos

asajernigan (14090) 2008-09-15 3:36

Hercules,
Thanks for a nice photo lesson! The perspective change is remarkable making the building in the background seem to get larger with the different lens. The lighting and colors are great with excellent sharpness and detail.
TFS,
Asa

luighi (4072) 2008-09-15 7:50

Fantastico amigo Hercules , eres un gran maestro y acabo de leer una gran leccion .Mil gracias.

Un abrazo.Luis

josepmarin (33785) 2008-09-15 9:40

Hola Hercules,
excelente lección práctica de cómo comprimir una perspectiva mediante distintas focales y puntos de vista a diferentes distancias.
La explicación es perfecta, y vemos con claridad el efecto gráfico que se produce en este montaje con las dos fotos.
Me gusta, no sólo por la calidad y la belleza de la composición, sino también por tu espíritu divulgativo que nos ayuda a comprender y aprender "trucos" de la técnica y de la óptica.
Un abrazo, amigo mío,
Josep

TopGeo (21723) 2008-09-21 4:54

Γειά σου Ηρακλή!
Εχω παρακολουθήσει πολλά μαθήματά σου (εικόνες σου) αυτή πάνω στις πολλές υποχρεώσεις με διέφυγε! έχω για πολλές ευχές σου να ευχαριστήσω!εδώ συγχαίρω σε!
Τα λέμε!
Γεώργιος

steliosk (4784) 2008-09-22 5:47

xexe poly omorfh parousiash twn ogkwn sxesh eurygwniou / zoom fakou, einai kati pou den ema8a eks arxhs otan agorasa thn 1h DSLR mou.

Aristo to review file mou, poly useful gia osous allazoun fakous.
ontws h diafora 31-70 einai arketa mikrh kai 8eamatikh gia ta POV sou.
to pan einai na exeis xwro gia na mporeis na xrhsimopoihseis zoom fako wste na deixnei to background megalo. Oso pio makrya kai perissotero zoom toso pio konta erxontai ta 8emata. To kako einai oti prepei na ry8mhseis ba8os pediou (kleistomatiko f) gia na mh 8ampwsei to 2o 8ema pisw, pragma pou ston eurygwnio den exeis tetoio problhma.