----- Original Message ----- From: Jonathan Donald Subject: Re: Do zooms teach visual discipline? Was: Advice Needed For Student
The whole friggin point isn't about whether the zoom is a better compositional tool or not. It's not about composition at all. It's about learning how to see what light does when it hits an object, how that gets translated into an image. This is best learned with a 50mm lens (if we are using the 35mm format as an example). It matches (more or less) the field of view of the human eye, and consequently, produces a picture with a perspective we can immediately relate to. The idea is to learn one thing at a time, and learn it well. First, learn what light does, that controls everything else. Composition is secondary to this, as compositional needs will change depending on the angle of light hitting the object. Not my fault a bunch of idiots think this is bullshit. People that have this figured out are better photographers. Look back at the subject line. The word "Student" should say something about where I am coming from. You can learn what I am talking about with any lens, it doesn't matter if you use a zoom, or a friggin fisheye. You will learn it faster, and better with a standard focal length prime lens, one that doesn't allow you to cheat, just because you want the instant gratification of easy composition. Some of this stuff is work. Now, back to my rock. Thanks Bill - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
