Which statement best describes the effect of focal length on background in an image?

• A. Short focal length yields more background blur
• B. Short focal lengths exaggerate perspective; long focal lengths compress perspective
• C. Long focal length reduces background blur
• D. Focal length does not affect background blur

Answer: (B)

Focal length reshapes perspective in a scene. A short, wide-angle lens captures more of the world and makes depth feel exaggerated: distant background elements appear much farther away from the subject, which boosts the sense of depth and distance in the image. A long telephoto lens narrows the field of view and visually packs distances, so the background looks closer to the subject and the scene seems flatter or more compressed. This is why the statement that short focal lengths exaggerate perspective and long focal lengths compress perspective is the best description of how focal length affects the background.

Note that background blur is largely about depth of field, which depends on aperture, subject distance, and focal length, but the option in question focuses on perspective changes, not blur.