Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) Practice Exam

What do photographers manipulate when using compression with telephoto lenses?

1. Light sources

2. Background elements

3. Color balance

4. Focus points

The correct answer is: Background elements

When photographers use compression with telephoto lenses, they primarily manipulate background elements. Compression is a visual effect that occurs when the photographer uses a long focal length, which flattens the perceived distance between the foreground and background subjects. This creates a more intimate relationship between objects in the frame, making background elements appear closer to the foreground than they are in reality. Telephoto lenses achieve this effect due to their narrow field of view, which allows the photographer to isolate subjects while bringing elements in the background into the same visual plane as the main subject. This technique is often used to create a sense of depth and to emphasize specific elements in the scene or to make backgrounds less distracting by bringing them closer visually to the subject in focus. The other options, such as manipulating light sources, color balance, or focus points, do not pertain specifically to the effect of compression created by telephoto lenses. Light sources influence exposure and mood but are not inherently related to the issue of spatial relationships created by focal length. Color balance involves the adjustments of hues and tones, not the spatial arrangement of subjects. Focus points refer to areas of sharpness in the image but do not specifically relate to how background elements are visually compressed in relation to foreground subjects when using telephoto lenses.