My favourite story is about Antarctic explorer and photographer/cinematographer Frank Hurley. In 1932, shooting newsreel footage in Canberra for Cinesound News, he told his assistant “Never mind the camera, just fix your eyes on the lake. Don’t look away for a second.”

The assistant did as he was told (this was 1932!) for about 3 minutes, while Hurley set up the camera. Then Hurley turned to the assistant and said “Now – look straight at me, boy – into my eyes. OK, it looks like about f/8″.

(Author preferred to remain anonymous)