Zoomed Images

Yesterday I wrote about digital and optical zooms. Today I thought that I would show you one of the first tricks that I tried with my first zoom lens. Although this is a technique that you can replicate in photoshop it is a nice idea to try it on the camera.

All that we are going to do is create a zoomed image. That is we are going to capture our image at the same time that we are zooming our lens. Although this can be done with any digital camera with a zoom lens, it is best done with a digital SLR. The larger the zoom range the more creative you can get.

Although I have produced good zoomed images using the camera hand held, it is much easier if you start off using a tripod, as you will be using a slow shutter speed. Start with an image that has a definite focal point to zoom from. A flowerhead would be a good subject. You can experiment with other subjects later. Let’s keep it simple to start with. Frame your subject in the middle of your viewfinder. Your camera will need to be set to shutter speed priority with a speed of at least ½ second. Focus on your central point shoot. At the same time zoom your lens through its full range. Now you know why we needed a long shutter time. I doubt if you will get this right the first time, but it is worth persevering to get some images that are still figurative, but not quite the norm. And of course because you are shooting digitally it is costing you nothing to experiment. It is just a matter of getting the timing right.

Next you could try experimenting with different shutter speeds and different zoom ranges. How does the image compare zoomed out with the same image zoomed in? You could then try different kinds of subject matter. Go on, give it a go. Have fun. Be creative.