Biography | Livingstone Website
by Terry Livingstone |
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There’s something really cool about an extreme wide angle lens. That wide perspective is exciting somehow. For awhile there, digital shooters just couldn’t do the wide angle thing too well, due to the inherent magnification factor that goes with an APS sized sensor. That’s all changed now, with the development of extreme wide angles made specifically for digital SLR’s, such as the new 11-18mm Di II by Tamron. Here are a few tips on making the most of a wide angle lens. Keep your compositions simple. This applies to any lens, and any kind of shooting, of course. The best pictures are the simplest ones – the images where everything in the scene works together, and there are no visual distractions. We all know this principle, but in practice it can be a challenge with a wide angle landscape, simply because there’s so much there. When you see so much through your lens, like you do with a wide angle, it can be harder to organize all those elements of the landscape into a decent composition. Remember to pay close attention to the background, edges and corners of the frame. With a wide angle, even the tiniest shift in camera position can often make a huge difference in the photo. |
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When shooting landscapes, or in this case a skyscape,
try to keep the composition as simple as possible. Here I let the sky
fill most of the frame, with just a sliver of mountains to create a visual
base. |
Use the “near/far” approach. Wide angle lenses really exaggerate perspective. We can use this quality to create a feeling of depth. Try putting a strong element in the foreground, and getting very close to it. The wide angle perspective will make that foreground subject loom extremely large in the frame, compared to the objects behind it. This can really add some power to a shot, creating a sense of scale, a feeling of depth that can draw the viewer into the scene. Another way to add perspective to a shot is to use receding lines. Examples of possible subjects are roads, fences, railroad tracks, fallen trees, creeks and rivers. The list is endless. Again, the trick is to get close to the subject, the road, fence, or whatever, place it prominently in the foreground, and let its receding lines pull the viewers’ eye into the distance. |
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Wide angles combined with receding lines are great for
creating a sense of distance. Bridges, fences, roads, trails, the list
of possible subjects is endless. |
How to fit an entire room into your camera. Architectural photographers know about wide angle lenses. Working in a tight place, an ultra wide lens is often the only way to get the shot. The trick is to remember, when shooting architectural subjects, to try to keep the camera parallel to the subject. This avoids the parallax effect that make walls seem to converge or bend. This often means you have to shoot at lower than eye level. When shooting the interior of my new home the other day, for example, I found the best camera position was about chest height. It really, really helps to use a tripod when shooting this kind of thing. I can’t emphasize that enough. The stable platform of a tripod allows you to carefully adjust shooting angle and height, making small changes as needed. And speaking of tripods, that reminds me of another wide angle ‘tip’ that might come in handy. Watch out for tripod legs that sneak into the corner of the frame. Really! I’ve done this more than once: accidentally included a piece of a tripod leg in the picture. I’m telling you, this is truly a wide lens. |
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I just moved into a new home, so
of course I had to take some pictures. After moving a few dozen boxes
out of view, I shot the living room at 11mm, to capture a sense of space. |
For landscapes, cityscapes,
architecture, etc., the new Tamron SP AF11-18mm Di II lens is a fun
lens to work with. It’s
amazing how often I’ve looked through this lens and said “Wow!” If
you’ve never used a very wide lens, or if you’ve forgotten
what it’s like after switching to digital, you owe it to yourself
to check it out. |
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