Use a fish-eye for landscapes
Gain a new, unique perspective and better value from your equipment by shooting ultra-wide compositions using a fisheye lens.
Fisheye lenses are incredibly popular for special effects, as they provide a unique style of image that’s hard to convincingly achieve with any software technique. The fisheye effect can certainly be simulated using software filters and distort tools, but for a true fisheye perspective a dedicated lens – such as the Nikon AF-S Fisheye Nikkor 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5 optic we’ve used here – is required.
One of the issues with fisheye lenses, however, is their specificity: while they are fantastic for certain interior shots, the distorted edges are not well-suited to portraiture or other scenes featuring straight edges. For this reason, many photographers avoid investing in highgrade optics, or find that they are unable to get enough use from the lens to fully justify the cost of buying one.
There are methods to get around the problems with distortion, however. By following some key steps and having an understanding of how composition and camera angle influences the effect, it is possible to get the most from the ultra-wide-angle of view that fisheye lenses are capable of achieving.
Here we’ll reveal key steps to use a fisheye for a greater range of subject matter and in a wider variety of environments. With experimentation you’ll be surprised at what can be achieved in some unexpected genres.
1 ASSESS THE SCENE As with any ultra-wide lens, make sure you avoid capturing an empty, distracting foreground, devoid of detail. Make sure there is a feature to lead in the eye to the main subject, for a balanced frame.
2 SET TRIPOD HEIGHT The distance from the lens and foreground elements, in addition to elements in the middle and backgrounds, will impact the fisheye distortion. Balance the foreground with horizon placement.
3 SET FOCAL LENGTH If you’re using a fisheye zoom, zoom in to the longest setting for a horizontal fisheye effect – you don’t want a circular fisheye look for landscapes, which the shortest focal length will provide.
4 PLACE THE HORIZON Keep the lens as level as possible to minimise the fisheye distortion. Work out where in the scene the horizon line falls, and then place it in the frame centre, ensuring minimal lens pitch.
5 WATCH THE EDGES Distortion is most evident at the periphery of the frame, so take a test shot and zoom in on the edges of the image. Look for any extreme stretching or bending of lines that will be distracting.
6 ADJUST COMPOSITION Recompose if necessary so that the scene appears wide, but with as few straight lines visible as possible. Experiment with your shooting position and horizon placement.