Grammar of the Shot, 2nd Edition

The Camera Lens—The Eye in Composition

Let us switch gears a bit and put some attention toward an extremely important piece of visual storytelling equipment—the camera lens. There would be no grammar of the shots if there were no lens on the camera to record those shots. In the most simplistic terms, the job of the camera lens is to collect light rays bouncing off the world in front of the camera (the scene you are shooting) and focus those light rays on to whatever recording medium you are using (emulsion film or a video camera’s electronic sensor). It can be that simple, yet the job of the lens, the type of lenses, and the quality of lenses can vary widely.

Remember that it is through your lens that your composition is created, and depending ...