Focal lengths and different viewpoints

Take two photographs of the same scene, one using a telephoto lens, one with a wide-angle. Compare the differences between the resulting images.

Focal length 250.0mm; f/11; 1/125s

Focal lenght 18.0mm; f/14; 1/125s

With the telephoto lens, the perspective is compressed - the distance between the building and the trees behind looks minimal. The building itself is flattened - it's difficult to see that it is actually round, and this has made the roof look like a slightly odd fit. The colours are slightly washed-out - particularly in the sky.

With the wide-angle lens, the distances between the different elements in the photograph - the foreground, t he building and the trees behind - are much more obvious. The building is clearly round - emphasised by the straight line of the fence in front of it. The roof fits. The sky is a deep blue (the two photographs were taken about a minute apart). I was able to use a slightly smaller aperture for this shot and it's given the picture a richness which the telephoto shot lacks.

This was a really interesting exercise - I can see it having an immediate impact on my photography and I might not reach for the telephoto lens by default in future.