What makes a good wide angle shot?

[Colin Southern]

The "trick" with wide angle lenses is that they allow you to push in for an aggressive foreground whilst still maintaining a reasonable field of view -- so first and foremost, get something of interest in your foreground!!

[ajohnw]

I think that there are 2 ways to use them. As per the photo's Noel posted which in many ways are normal photo's as there is an object in them and nothing really screams wide angle lens. I have a 9-18mm on it's way and that aspect is my main reason for buying it - space. They other is a hey I have a wide angle lens type shot.. Then there are others such as DJE's, a wide angle used very well in my opinion. The perspective of the lens is very effective.

One aspect I found when I bought my 1st ever one is that I had the idea of being able to take wonderful pure landscapes. I found that doesn't usually work out. I might look at the scene somewhere and like it. The wide angle captures to much and the photo's turn out disappointing even if just intended as a reminder of the place.

John
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[casper]

Get in close. And once you think you're too close, get closer.

hi Donald,
Metaphorically tattooed on my forehead. Thanks.
- Noel
(by the way, Scotland was beautiful - with so much to see in Edinburgh I didn't get to everything on my way-too-ambitious list, but managed Falkirk Wheel, Dunfermline Abbey, and a coach tour around the coast to St Andrews)

[kdoc856]

www.kenrockwell.com/tech/how-to-use-ultra-wide-lenses


Helpful article, with some good lense info as well.

[casper]

I bought a super wide a few years ago and went through the same growing pains in using it. I took to looking at a lot of photos published on various sites to see what I thought was effective use of WA lenses. I came to the conclusion that the trouble with a WA lens is that if you are not careful, it includes a lot in your compositions making them too busy with any focal point being diluted as a result. My answer therefore, is to look for simple subjects with strong lines and choose a viewpoint to maximise impact (Donald's point about dirty trousers). Having said that, none of that necessarily applies when you are on holiday and want to include as much as possible for the scrap book. To my eye, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the shots you have posted.

hi John,
Very helpful insights, and pretty much what I am struggling with. We went on the London Eye and the Brighton Wheel which seem like great places for a wide angle, but I didn't use it because I felt I would capture more than I could identify later. Thanks also for the positive reinforcement.
- Noel

[casper]

^^ This

^^ Noted

[casper]

[QUOTE=HAZZA;356398]Hi Noel - here are a few I took in Singapore, not totally happy with them but a different approach, Canon 10-22mm Lens. 2nd one foreground a bit out of focus, had to get in an awkward position to take so not so steady/QUOTE]

hi Harry. Nice shots. Different approaches are exactly what I am looking for, and they all seem to involve awkward positions and a balancing foreground object. Thanks for adding to the collection.
- Noel

[casper]

I guess it's your photo of the scene which includes all the things/people you want included in your photo.

Obviously, although it's crystal clear but it doesn't have the items you wanted in it, it may not be the good wide angle shot you wanted.

HTH

hi Victor, and thanks for replying. That is quite true. The shot that you want is a personal choice, but how to get that shot is something we can all help each other with. If the shot includes what you want, that's good - if it is also a good photograph, that's even better. At the moment, the "shot that I want" is selected from a narrow band of "techniques that I am aware of". Constructive C&C helps to widen that band and increase my options, and I appreciate all that I receive.
- Noel

[casper]

Here is a 12mm FF image on the Hooker Track near Mt Cook. I got as close as possible to the spaniard plant as reasonable, as it is really prickly, (30cm) and use the better apparent DOF to get the background and sky in focus.

hi Ken,
Very nicely done, thanks for posting.
- Noel

[casper]

www.kenrockwell.com/tech/how-to-use-ultra-wide-lenses


Helpful article, with some good lense info as well.

hi Kevin. Good article, thanks for the link (link was broken but I found the article on his website).
- Noel

[casper]

I think that there are 2 ways to use them. As per the photo's Noel posted which in many ways are normal photo's as there is an object in them and nothing really screams wide angle lens. I have a 9-18mm on it's way and that aspect is my main reason for buying it - space. They other is a hey I have a wide angle lens type shot.. Then there are others such as DJE's, a wide angle used very well in my opinion. The perspective of the lens is very effective.

One aspect I found when I bought my 1st ever one is that I had the idea of being able to take wonderful pure landscapes. I found that doesn't usually work out. I might look at the scene somewhere and like it. The wide angle captures to much and the photo's turn out disappointing even if just intended as a reminder of the place.

John
-

hi John,
Thanks for the comment. I was also a bit naïve in thinking I would get something like a stitched panorama in one wide angle shot. However, now that I know what my WA can't do I have a better understanding of how to make the best use of it.
- Noel

[casper]

The "trick" with wide angle lenses is that they allow you to push in for an aggressive foreground whilst still maintaining a reasonable field of view -- so first and foremost, get something of interest in your foreground!!

hi Colin,
Those are just great shots, thanks for posting. Following this thread, I will ever be able to forget "get in close, get down low, interesting foreground" - but I am also going to have to discover some additional formulas, or I risk ending up finding my shots monotonous.
regards, Noel

[Colin Southern]

hi Colin,
Those are just great shots, thanks for posting. Following this thread, I will ever be able to forget "get in close, get down low, interesting foreground" - but I am also going to have to discover some additional formulas, or I risk ending up finding my shots monotonous.
regards, Noel

No worries Noel,

Just be sure to avoid the old "horison in the middle, nothing in the foreground" approach. If you're interested, I wrote an article for Singh-Ray's blog on WA lenses a year or two ago:

http://singhray.blogspot.co.nz/2009/...-for-your.html

You can also use them to make fun images like this: