| PerspectiveOne of the most interesting | | | | legs) appear to be bigger than his other |
| features of wide-angle lens is the capability | | | | limbs, which are farther away. Such a |
| to stretch perspective. What do I mean by | | | | distortion sometime may add a funny look to a |
| that? I mean that when you look through a | | | | portrait or highlight specific features of |
| wide-angle lens, it seems that the distance | | | | the subject. You probably have seen many |
| between objects has extended. The objects | | | | images taken with a fish eye lens - the lens |
| that were not so distant could appear too far | | | | that cover 180 degrees and with most |
| away. And the proportion of objects | | | | distortions. The first example that comes to |
| dramatically increases, so the one that close | | | | my mind is a picture of a dog, which is |
| to the camera look enormous, but those, which | | | | sniffing the camera. The nose of the dog has |
| are father away almost disappear in the | | | | the size of the dog's head, which makes it so |
| distance.The wider the angle the shorter and | | | | funny.The other effect of distortion is that |
| stronger the difference in the sizes of the | | | | straight lines that cross the frame may |
| elements in the photograph. If we think of | | | | appear not that straight. The farther from |
| two parallel lines that stretch out away from | | | | the image center the line crosses the frame |
| the camera, these two lines will visibly | | | | the more it will be bent by the optics. |
| merge at some point. This is a point, which I | | | | Sometimes with fish eye lens it seems like a |
| would call perceptive vanish point for wide | | | | couple of lines create a circle around the |
| angle lens. What do I mean by that? Well, | | | | lens. That's how strongly a distortion can |
| theoretically at this point and beyond (at | | | | affect the scene in the photograph.But we |
| this distance from the focal plane) all | | | | have not talked about the dynamics. Where are |
| elements would be represented as a dot or not | | | | the dynamics in the photograph created with a |
| visible at all. For normal lens (of in | | | | wide angle lens? In my mind the dynamics in |
| reality) this vanishing point is somewhat | | | | all aspects described above: the stretch of |
| farther from the focal plane then for wide | | | | perspective, the differences of the subjects, |
| angle lens.What do those two vanishing points | | | | which are on different distances from the |
| mean (for normal and wide angle lens)? They | | | | camera, the unreal proportions of known |
| mean that the wide angle lens reduce the | | | | shapes and forms and the distortion of the |
| actual (visible) distance to the vanishing | | | | straight lines (or any other usual and known |
| point. Which results that our brain, when | | | | graphic elements).Getting personalAmong those |
| judging the distance and sizes of the objects | | | | technical aspects of the wide angle lens, |
| in the photograph, assumes that the distance | | | | there is one, which adds its own appeal to |
| to the vanishing point is the same as with | | | | me. Considering that you are using the lens |
| normal lens (i.e. reality). But this | | | | to take photographs of a person, you are |
| assumption makes it to stretch the | | | | bound to come closer to the subject. Coming |
| perspective recorded in the image to the | | | | closer, huh? It means that most probably the |
| normal one.Making it bigLet's take for | | | | person would notice you and your camera, |
| example a simple situation, where we have two | | | | which will almost touch him or her. And if |
| kids, which should be of similar size. The | | | | your are noticed by the subject, then the |
| girl is playing closer to the camera while | | | | attention will be turned at you and all the |
| the boy is watching several feet farther. We | | | | activities or interests that kept that person |
| make a shot with a wide angle lens. What | | | | busy and made him/her interesting for you |
| effect the lens would bring here? First of | | | | will be forgotten for a little while. And the |
| all compare the size of the girl and the boy. | | | | scene, which you were hunting for, is gone. |
| The boy probably would be two-three times | | | | It seems like you are loosing the advantage |
| smaller than the girl, while in reality their | | | | of a candid shot and are left with a posed |
| somewhat of the same height. OK, the | | | | one.Not at all, if you stick just for a few |
| perspective added its effect and make the boy | | | | more minutes and spend some time around the |
| seem smaller. But in the reality the boy is | | | | subject, the person would be bored with you |
| not that far away. On the photograph I it | | | | and shift his attention to some other, more |
| could seem as 15-20 feet (5-7 meters) between | | | | interesting activities or objects. That's the |
| the boy and the girl, actually only a few | | | | moment we have been waiting for - we are |
| feet separated them at that moment. So here | | | | close and unnoticed. And the time which we |
| you see the first effect of the wide angle | | | | spent waiting for that we made an invisible |
| lens - stretching perspective.And I should | | | | connection with the subject. We learned about |
| say that there is additional benefit for a | | | | some personal side and probably made some |
| photographer in this. Because the girl appear | | | | impressions and conclusions. All those small |
| to be bigger than the boy she becomes the | | | | things count, they will appear in the |
| main subject without any doubts or additional | | | | photograph, it will create that personal |
| thinking, we just assume it by judging the | | | | touch and add the mood to the photograph, |
| relative sizes of subjects/objects in the | | | | which is based on the photographer's |
| frame. It means that with wide angle lens its | | | | understanding and impression of the subject. |
| much easier to focus viewer's attention on | | | | I consider this side-effect of the wide angle |
| the primary subject - the size matters. If we | | | | lens one of the important aspects. And even |
| consider the relative sizes and how it | | | | if the subject is a simple rock laying in the |
| reduces the significance of the objects | | | | grass, we will have to pay more attention to |
| subjects that farther away from the camera, | | | | the rock and by doing so we cannot escape a |
| we can say that the other elements of the | | | | deeper impression. This personal connection |
| photograph (not the primary one) easily | | | | makes as think more about what subject we |
| become the background for our primary | | | | select to include into the frame and what we |
| subject. And this trail of thought leads me | | | | know about it, what we want to express, which |
| to a conclusion that by using wide angle lens | | | | is the core of photography.Technical |
| we can separate the subject from the rest of | | | | stuffThere are a few technical things that |
| stuff in the image by making all other | | | | you may need to know when using the |
| elements to become the background. It looks | | | | wide-angle lens. Here is the short |
| like we push all other elements farther away | | | | description of those (I am not that much into |
| from the camera and pull the subject much | | | | technicalities):Lens Hood and Flare - because |
| closer to the camera.Though there is one side | | | | the lens covers a very wide area there is a |
| thought, it may not always be possible to get | | | | great chance that the sun could mess with |
| close to the subject and enforce that | | | | your image. To overcome this small problem |
| distance between elements in the photograph. | | | | most of the lens are supplied with a lens |
| It only works when you are very close to the | | | | hood. The hood creates a protection from the |
| subject, otherwise the use of wide angle lens | | | | sun, but there are two things that collide: |
| will have the opposite effect - it will blend | | | | the lens is created to allow view as much as |
| your subject in with the rest of the elements | | | | possible and the hood tries to provide a |
| of the photograph. And sometimes it may even | | | | protection from the sun. These two concept |
| worsen things, such that some insignificant | | | | are somewhat contradictory, so one of them |
| object on front plane becomes almost huge and | | | | should give in, and that's why the hood for |
| draws a lot of unwanted attention. That's why | | | | wide angle lens is not such a good protection |
| there are limits to this techniqe, as | | | | after all. So, it's your job to watch for the |
| always.Seeing a lotSo, by pushing the subject | | | | flare and it may be useful to use some other |
| farther from the camera we blend it with | | | | objects (such as a sheet of black card) to |
| background. But what if we need to include a | | | | protect the lens from the sun rays. |
| lot of the scene? What if there is no single | | | | |
| subject? Let's say there is a vista or a big | | | | Polarizer - with polarizer you have two |
| room full of people (some kind of event) and | | | | concerns. One of them is that the simple |
| we want to get everything into the frame. | | | | thickness of the metallic rim around the |
| Well, again the wide angle lens could be your | | | | glass may cause vignetting. The other one is |
| choice, because the name of that range says | | | | the unevenness of the effect, which is |
| it all. Wide angle means that you can fit a | | | | partially depends on the all those various |
| lot of stuff into the image.Though when you | | | | reflection angles that these lens will let |
| put a lot of stuff into the image everything | | | | through. If we take for example the sky, the |
| becomes small and less significant. And then | | | | best effect will be when the sun and the |
| the emphasis shifts to the overall "wow | | | | camera are at 90 degrees to each other. |
| effect". When the quantity of elements and | | | | Though the lens cover a lot more of other |
| their relation to each other play more | | | | angles, where the angles will vary from 45 to |
| importance, than qualities of a single | | | | 135 degrees. As well I noticed that even |
| element, this mix of many elements becomes | | | | without the polarizer the lens saturates the |
| the primary subject.Wide angle lens help when | | | | sky more than any other type of lens. |
| there is a limited space and you need to jam | | | | |
| a big subject into the picture. One of the | | | | Depth of Field - the design of the wide |
| examples is the interior design photography. | | | | angle lens and its optical constraints make |
| Let's say we have an assignment to take | | | | the DOF wider than with any other lens. It's |
| photographs of a kitchen, which I had some | | | | very hard (almost impossible) to have a |
| time ago. In my case I had plenty of room to | | | | shallow DOF with such lens, so look for other |
| move around, the kitchen was for a show, not | | | | ways to simplify background (such as |
| for real purposes. But there are times when | | | | framing). |
| the space is a great issue, then the only | | | | |
| choice is to use a wide angle lens, if you | | | | Sharpness - if you have a wide angle zoom |
| are not focusing on the details and need the | | | | lens than you may notice slighter less |
| overall view of the room.Dynamics and | | | | sharpness at the very wide angle, especially |
| distortionSometime ago I've taken a shot of a | | | | with the widest aperture. That's another |
| man sitting on a car. It was taken with "a | | | | design constraint, which very hard to avoid |
| hidden camera", I just pointed the camera at | | | | as I understand (almost any wide angle zoom |
| the man from the waist level at pressed the | | | | lens has this drawback, even the best lens). |
| shutter. The lens, of course, was the wide | | | | |
| angle one - at its widest angle. The legs of | | | | Vignetting - some lens (especially of |
| the man were closest to the camera, and the | | | | cheaper price range) may have dimness in |
| head is most distant. How was it represented | | | | corners at the widest angles and apertures. |
| in the photographs? My first answer would be | | | | You may want to check this issue before |
| the disproportion of the man, his legs seem | | | | buying the lens. |
| much bigger in relation to his whole body | | | | |
| than a person usually would have. That is one | | | | Roman Zolin |
| of the the distortion effects which I wanted | | | | |
| to point out. It relates to the "Making it | | | | Friendly photography with a smileVisit for |
| big" issue covered earlier in this article. | | | | more photography and photoshop related |
| The body parts of the man, which are closer | | | | articles. |
| to the camera (in our case those are the | | | | |