Latest assignment by Ted Forbes is "eye level", and also it is reminded to take the "depth" into account. Although, shooting eye level is indeed typical way to take pictures, it suddenly turns out rather challenging when trying to do so in purpose. And this is because usually one first and foremost only focuses on what to shoot and how to compose, and the choice of camera level becomes more or less only as a last choice. At least that is how I work with a camera.
So, when doing the other way round, I suddenly became more aware of multiple other variables like what focal length to use. Somewhat obvious choice probably is to use a wide angle lens and shoot something like a landscape. Or telescopic lens to capture a detail somewhere further away.
Then I started to think something I read years ago, when I was just beginning to take photography as a serious hobby. It was an article on a booklet introducing (advertising) Olympus Zuiko lenses, and how to use them creatively. On one article some professional photographer was telling how to use "standard lens" (50mm on 35mm film format) as a "new telescopic lens", to pick up details. At that time among professionals wide angle lenses were sort of popular, and then any longer focal length had started to feel as a "long lens". Except normal lens then was like a lightweight and small choice instead of using "real" telescopic lenses.
"History of standard lenses" especially on amateur photography is rather interesting. First cheap and easy to make 50mm lenses (or 80mm on roll film formats) were what everyone had and used. It is usually described this normal lens "has a similar angle of view to the human eye, giving photos a natural feel". Indeed it is how we observe the world from a "safe distance", and therefore this normal lens gives images a look what may turn out even "boring" and flat.
When other lenses (focal lengths) became easier and cheaper to manufacture, something like 35mm lens first became as a standard on pocket cameras, and also as a wide angle focal length on cheap kit zoom lenses (35-70m zoom lenses). And today 28mm equivalent lens (or even wider) has became more or less as standard on mobile phone cameras and many pocket cameras. It means something that is seen as a common, then also becomes as a normal on the majority of images we take, display and see these days.
Then among more serious amateur photographers, shooting with DSLR cameras, it is very common to use extreme ends on focal lengths instead of using so called "old good normal lens". Only when we need very "speed lens" (large aperture), we choose the 50mm prime lens. But also this is quickly changing because also other focal length lenses with large aperture has became affordable.
Very recently also zoom lenses has turned out "faster", providing such apertures as f/1.8-2.8. It means the traditional "normal lens" had become even less obvious choice of focal length to be used.
Therefore I have decided to "take a step back" to "the age of normal lens view", and shoot with it on an eye level for the current Ted's assignment. It is kind of interesting to experiment how to imitate what once was a "standard", and yet try to make the image interesting, and also try to give a feeling of depth in the image.
As a first attempt of mine I took a shot of empty billboards at the university corridor. I sort of got fascinated by the idea of "tabula rasa", when I saw them "waiting to be moved and used" somewhere again. Then the outcome was surprisingly monochromatic, with a tint of sepia in it. I only desaturated some blue hue out of the left side of the image, and as a result, got almost nostalgic image with a feeling of renunciation in it.
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