Exercise 8: Focal Lengths and Different Viewpoints

This morning some of the family went out to visit dad in the nursing home.  On the way back some of them wanted to stop in the town of Senoia for a little shopping.  I took the opportunity to shoot some photos and to complete the next exercise.

Exercise 1: Focal Length and Angle of View

The assignment was to set up the camera, mark the spot from which photos would be taken, and to then shoot three photos of the same scene (if using a lens with adjustable focal length, as I am):  one at either extreme (for me, 18mm and 55mm), and the other at whichever length best replicated the image seen with the naked eye.  

Then have the three photos printed, return with prints in hand to the spot marked, hold up the photos, and notice how close or how far they have to be held from the eye in order that the photo represents the size of the objects viewed with the naked eye. 

I didn’t understand this exercise until I saw this student’s blog.  

Then I got it:  how does the lens affect what you are seeing?