Hall of Paintings, Louvre – Paris, France

Here’s a look at one of the main galleries at the Louvre filled with paintings. I’m at my widest setting, creating excellent leading lines at a 24mm equivalent. The wide angle creates an expansive view and optically increases the space between near and far, making the gallery look longer.

Using a telephoto creates the opposite effect, compression of space between distant objects.

I was using the Fujifilm 16-80mm f4 zoom lens. I made this photo at 74mm, a 111mm equivalent in full frame terms — almost entirely zoomed. As I recall, I stood in the same place for both photographs.

Another effect of the zoom is the change in depth of field. Both images are at an f4 aperture, but the wider angle creates a greater depth of field, making everything in the picture sharply focused. When zoomed in to 111mm, the same f4 renders the background in a soft out-of-focus. This effect makes the resting visitors the center of attention.

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