6 September, 2005
Petteri on Mastering Wide Angle
Petteri Sulonen has written an excellent article on Mastering Wide Angle.
The problem with wide-angle photography is that it’s… wide. That is, if you point your camera at a random subject, you’ll get a lot of things inside the frame. Some of them will very likely be dark, others will be light, some will be near, some will be far. This introduces all kinds of complications, and in fact turns many of the usual rules, techniques, and even desirable lens characteristics on their heads.
He explains what it is about wide angle photography that’s different to normal and telephoto photography, and how to use those differences to your advantage in creating better images. For example, perspectives are exaggerated, depth of field is usually greater, and flare is more likely when shooting with a wide angle lens.
Petteri goes on to explain some of the types of photographs that work well with a wide angle lens, such as landscapes, architecture, and environmental portraits. There are good explanations about handling exposure problems that wide angle lenses can cause, with techniques to fix them both in-camera and in post-processing.
Last but not least, there are some interesting suggestions for compositions that work well in wide angle to get you started.
Filed under: Technique
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