WORK WITH WIDE ANGLES

SUCCEED IN SHOOTING ULTRA-WIDE PERSPECTIVES BY PUTTING PROFESSIONAL TECHNIQUES TO WORK TODAY

An in-depth guide to making the most of wide-angle lenses, and how to address and avoid the common mistakes

Wide-angle lenses are one of the first optical types new photographers aspire to own, since these are often used for landscape and travel photography – two genres beginners aspire to conquer. These lenses have a unique appeal due to their broadly inclusive field of view, which are capable of capturing scenes in a way we could never see with our own eyes. ultrawide images exhibit a hyper-realistic representation of the world, since they approximate what our vision would look like if the separate fields of view of both of our eyes were overlapped, but incorporate more peripheral detail. This opens up a tremendous range of possibilities, as we are able to use this enhanced perspective to produce extreme depth in our compositions, drawing focus to key areas of the frame.

There are challenges associated with the use of wide lenses however; these are arguably the most difficult optics to master in terms of technique, and it is commonplace for inexperienced photographers to produce images lacking impact. unlike when shooting with telephoto lenses, where overzealous use of magnification power can slightly reduce the narrative capability of a shot through reduced context, an overly wide frame can almost totally remove any obvious subject. This makes careful composition of critical importance, and only through experience and practice can we master the full potential of wide focal lengths.

here we will explore how best to apply wide-angle photography to all of the main genres, thereby enabling you to get the most use from your lenses and to expand your expertise in creative composition.

© GETTY IMAGES THE BIGGER PICTUREA WIDE-ANGLE LENS CAN CAPTURE THE WORLD MORE LIKE OUR OWN EYES SEE IT, SO LEARNING TO CORRECTLY RENDER LINES, PATTERNS AND LIGHTING IS ESSENTIALFOR NATURAL-LOOKING IMAGES