CHAPTER

Your Window on the World

6

The camera lens is your window on the world, the element through which every aspect of the visual story must flow. Any way you grind, shape it, or filter it, your camera’s optics are critical to your success as an effective shooter-storyteller.

It matters little, from the viewer’s perspective, which manufacturer’s logo is emblazoned on the side of your camera, which format or compression ratio appeals to you, or whether you record to tape, disc, or hard drive. The quality of optics matters most when it comes to creating compelling images. Your lens dear shooter is where and how the visual story meets the road.

In Chapter 3, we looked at how the lens focal length can contribute to or detract from the intended ...

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