Lens compression is a photographic phenomenon, a form of distortion where background elements appear abnormally larger. It refers to the optical effect created by long focal length lenses, which alter the perceived distance between objects in a scene.
A telephoto lens compresses space, making distant subjects appear larger in relation to objects in the foreground. This effect can dramatically change the composition and emotional impact of a photograph. And it brings a unique perspective to landscape and portrait photography.
In this article, I will define lens compression, how distances and focal length impact composition, and offer hints on how to employ this effect in your photography.
Contents
What is Lens Compression?
Lens compression is a visual effect that occurs when using telephoto lenses. Distances appear compressed. That is, objects in the foreground and background appear closer together, creating the perception of a condensed background. This effect leads to a flattened perspective, where the spatial relationships between elements in the scene are altered. The scene appears flatter and more two-dimensional.
Conversely, wide-angle lenses tend to exaggerate the distance between objects, enhancing the sense of depth and providing a wider field of view. A wide-angle lens creates extension distortion or perspective distortion, where objects close to the camera appear larger relative to more distant objects.
Understanding how different lenses alter the perspective of a photograph gives us the means to convey specific moods or narratives, to alter the viewer’s perception of space and distance. A change in focal length changes the photograph.
Why is it Important?
Skillful use of lens compression enhances the aesthetic quality of a photograph. We create a condensed perspective in photography by manipulating the spatial relationships in the scene. That is, the distance from camera to subject along with the distance between subject and background determines the degree of compression in the picture.
Also, employing this technique involves magnification. And the magnification factor increases with focal length. That is, lenses of 500mm and up magnify a subject much more than lenses in the 85-200mm range. Utilizing it with finesse gives us the ability to create more dynamic and engaging compositions.
Is it Really Lens Compression?
Lens compression may be a misnomer. That is, it implies that the difference is a physical alteration rather than one of perception. Focal compression may be more accurate, for example, since it describes how different focal lengths influence the spatial relationships within a photograph. Telephoto lenses compress the perceived distance between objects. But, for the sake of simplicity and common language, we’ll stick with lens compression.
What About Distance?
Lens compression arises from the interplay among the distances involved in a photographic composition. The relative camera distance to the subject and background make up three distance relationships. These three, along with focal length, help us to understand it:
- Camera-to-subject distance
- Subject-to-background distance
- Camera-to-background distance
How Focal Length Plays a Role
The choice of focal length influences the visual dynamics of an image. Specifically, a telephoto lens compresses the spatial relationships within the frame. Thus, for example, the background of the scene appears closer to the subject than it is in real life.
The longer the focal length the more pronounced the compression effect. Naturally, the longer focal lengths require the photographer to move further away to achieve the desired framing of the scene.
The narrower field of view of a longer lens renders the opposite effect of a wide-angle lens. Without going into the technical side of optical physics, the wide lens captures an expansive view. So it allows the photographer to position the camera close to a foreground element. The wide field of view emphasizes the relative distance and scale of the setting.
An Example in Practice
In the series of shots below, I increased the focal length as I moved the camera farther away from the subject. Meanwhile, the distance between the subject and the background remained the same.
In the first shot, I used a 35mm lens. The distance of camera-to-subject (the sign) is about 3 yards. The distance of subject-to-background (two smaller signs and tree line) is about 50 yards. Very little compression results from this distance and focal length. This approximates what the naked eye would see.
Below is a second photo taken with an 85mm lens. The camera-to-subject distance is about 15 yards. I moved back to keep the sign at the same relative size in the frame. The subject-to-background distance is unchanged. However, the background appears to be closer to the subject than in the first photo. That’s due to lens compression.
I snapped a third picture below with a 200mm lens. I increased the camera-to-subject distance to about 40 yards. And, in the frame, the sign is roughly the same size as the two previous images. But the background elements appear much closer. That is the lens compression effect at 200mm.
In the three examples above, the subject-to-background distance remains the same. With the subject relatively the same size in the frame, the background appears larger by moving the camera farther away and increasing focal length.
Using Lens Compression in Composition
Lens compression significantly affects the overall visual impact of a photo. By utilizing a long lens, photographers make the subject appear closer to the background elements. This technique changes the relationship between the subject and its surroundings.
Moreover, the longer focal length of a telephoto lens results in a shallower depth of field. So, combining lens compression with bokeh isolates a subject against the background objects. This proves useful when a busy background competes for the viewer’s attention. With the strategic use of a long lens, photographers simplify the composition by employing both lens compression and bokeh. This ensures that the subject stands out from the background elements and adds to the narrative impact.
Balancing Distance and Focal Length
The camera-to-subject distance directly influences the scale and intimacy of a photograph. Shooting portraits is a good example. Photographers often position their cameras close to the subject to create a sense of intimacy. Meanwhile, a telephoto lens approximates the same effect, but lens compression makes the background proportionally larger.
In addition, manipulating the focal lengths and camera-to-background distance produces forced perspective effects. This exaggerates the spatial relationship between the subject and background, making the background more abstract. By carefully considering distance and focal length variables, photographers determine how the background looks in relation to the model.
The two images below illustrate this concept. I don’t have the budget to hire human models, so I shoot dolls. I captured the first image with a 70mm lens. The bokeh is okay, but the busy background still distracts from the subject.
The second image I shot at 200mm with the camera moved further from the model. This keeps the subject at the same apparent size but appears to pull the background objects closer to the subject. The subject-to-background distance remained the same as in the first photo. As a result, the simplified background causes less distraction.
Artistic Applications for Lens Compression
Skillfully executed, lens compression in photography enhances the perception of closeness. The longer focal length visually compresses the space between elements in the frame. Extreme telephoto lenses, such as a 2000mm lens, create a pronounced distortion of background elements, resulting in an exaggerated appearance. This optical effect causes background objects to seem significantly larger and closer to the main subject, altering the depth perception of the image.
It helps shape the visual narrative of an image. It affects depth of field and angle of view, allowing photographers to manipulate the perception of space and distance. Longer focal lengths compress the image and achieve a pronounced background blur. This effectively isolates the subject from the background, making the subject more prominent. The possibilities make it a valuable tool for portrait and landscape photographers.
It’s Use in Cinema
Filmmakers manipulate spatial relationships between objects, often achieving striking results. One famous application is the dolly zoom, also known as the Hitchcock shot. In this shot, the camera moves away from the subject’s face while zooming in, or vice versa. The result keeps the subject at the same size throughout the shot while the background recedes. The Hitchcock shot is cited in Guinness World Records as originating in the 1958 film Vertigo.
The center of projections, or the location of the viewer’s eye, determines how the elements within the frame interact visually. Filmmakers use this perspective to craft scenes that evoke tension or introspection and enrich the cinematic experience.
Creating the Lens Compression Effect
As stated earlier, the lens compression effect is most evident when using a long lens. The choice between a prime telephoto lens and a zoom lens comes down to personal preference and budget. Either one shrinks the perceived distance between foreground and background, creating that sense of intimacy. A zoom allows photographers to adjust framing while staying in the same spot. Meanwhile, prime lenses render higher-quality images and better low-light performance.
Creative examples of this technique can be seen in landscape photography, where a long focal length compresses the elements in the frame. Mountains appear closer to the foreground, or the moon looks unusually large. Also, in portrait photography, long focal lengths compress the background and shrink the depth of field to emphasize the subject.
Conclusion
Long focal lengths give photographers their primary means of achieving the lens compression effect. It’s important to understand how the variables of distance and focal length impact the composition of an image. By manipulating these factors, photographers influence the perception of distance and the relationships between subject and background. It can yield striking results, depending on the skill and artistic vision of the person with the camera.
I hope this article helps you in your photography journey. If you have any questions or comments, please submit them in the space below.
Take Away
Understanding and being able to utilize lens compression adds to a photographer’s skill set. Learning to manipulate the distances between the camera, subject, and background with the longer focal length of telephoto lenses is an essential step in a photographer’s artistic journey.
