Wide angle photos. #4

A wide-angle lens is a device for which the focal length is shorter than normal. Such devices cover a much larger angle of space than the human eye can see. Due to the fact that the frame does not exceed the usual size, all the objects in it will be smaller than when shooting with a traditional lens. In terms of expressiveness and optics wide angle lens allows you to get a noticeably more interesting result, since with its help, when shooting, the effect of removing plans from each other is much more noticeable. These devices have a greater depth of field than standard models.

Features:

A wide-angle lens has key features such as a wide angle of view and a shorter minimum focusing distance. The main characteristics are not unique. This category also includes ultra wide-angle lenses. This type does not have any restrictions, but photographers usually include those devices for which the focal length is below 24 millimeters. Due to certain specific properties of this category of devices, shooting with their help has whole line features. Perspective distortion is considered one of them, that is, objects located closest appear to be significantly larger than those in the background. This effect will be maximized if you come close to the main subject, while also including the one in the foreground. This distortion is especially appreciated when shooting landscapes, which allows you to add additional dimension to the scene. But because of this feature, you cannot take pictures of people, since the proportions of the body and head will be significantly distorted.

Using

A wide-angle lens is useful for shooting architectural objects, but it is important to remember one detail. The axis must not be tilted relative to the horizon, otherwise due to a large number vertical lines will noticeably distort the space. The image will show the so-called falling buildings effect. Often professionals use this technique as a complementary technique to get an interesting shot. Architectural structures should be photographed using a special type of lens that can tilt or shift the optical axis to correct perspective distortion. For example, Nikon's wide-angle lens is capable of handling such a task. Such devices are almost indispensable for shooting in limited closed spaces, since the photographer will not have the opportunity to step back to cover the scene normally.

A wide-angle lens for Canon has these design features and technical capabilitieswhich make it vulnerable to glare and ambient light. Because of this, you have to use a protective hood when shooting, which protects the front lens from the sun's rays, and also reduces the likelihood of glare in the picture.

It would seem that with wide-angle lenses everything is simple and clear - more objects in the frame, the ability to shoot nature and city streets, and much more. However, even they can be used not quite correctly.

Often, newcomers to photography purchase high-quality wide-angle glass (most often, on someone's advice), a 50mm lens and a zoom lens in the hope that with such an assortment of lenses they will cover all shooting bases. In principle, this is the case, but it should always be borne in mind that even the most extensive collection of accessories and cameras does not guarantee that the pictures will be successful. This is why we are going to talk about the five most common mistakes beginners make when shooting with a wide-angle lens.

So, first you need to understand what exactly the wide-angle does. Its main function is to expand the space in the frame. That is, it distorts the space, thereby deepening the perspective. That is, what is closer to the camera will look much larger than what is further away, even if the objects are in reality the same size.

Another result of using a wide-angle lens is the curvature of straight lines. That is, all buildings, if you shoot them from below, will, as it were, converge into a circle at the top.

These functions, in the hands of a good photographer, will help you acquire more deep meaningbecause the wide angle of the lens creates a sense of immersion - the viewer sees himself as a part of the image.

How to use a wide angle lens correctly?

The key is knowing when and how to apply the lens to create an attractive image and delight the viewer. AND the best way figure out how to do it right - consider the most common mistakes.

Everything in the image is at the same distance from the lens

Once again, carefully re-read the paragraph on what results the wide-angle gives. Perspective distortion and stretching. Therefore, to get the desired effect, the main subject or the center of the composition must be closer to the lens. Much closer!

The most impressive pictures taken with a wide-angle lens are those in which the subject is several inches away from the camera.

Below are two examples of photographs showing the same object - a bicycle. In the photo on the left, nothing stands out from the frame, so the photo practically does not make sense and the essence of the image is not fully understood.

The second photo on the right, on the contrary, highlights the bike, that is, it is closer to the camera and the shooting is carried out from it in perspective. Both bokeh and more highlighted, contrasting space appear.

Of course, from the outside you may look quite suspicious, but anonymity and stealth are more likely enemies when shooting with a wide-angle lens.

In order to make the frame more interesting, it needs to add depth and perspective, and for this you need to get closer to the subject. That is, the center of the composition should be closer, the secondary element should be a little further away and the background should be farthest. Thanks to this approach, a multi-layered picture is created, you want to look at it for a longer time, consider and investigate what is happening in the frame.

Absence of the main character (or subject)

This error goes hand in hand with the previous one. When all objects are at the same distance from the camera, everything looks equally small and insignificant (or everything looks equally large, but this, in turn, nullifies the significance).

For example, two photos below. In the first photo, only the depth of field plays a role, so the photo is built exclusively on the texture of wood and metal in focus. However, the image is missing something.

And this is what the image looks like if you focus on a leaf that grows through the boards. In the photo, light immediately begins to play, the center of the composition shifts to a leaf, it also stands out with color and interacts with the sun glinting from above.

It is also worth noting here that sometimes it is better not to cling to the original idea of \u200b\u200bthe frame, but to adapt to the conditions and right on the spot, with the camera in hand, look for the most good options... They are known to appear in the most unexpected places.

Remember that even professionals do not shoot masterpieces the first time.

On the contrary, first a shot is taken, then it is carefully evaluated, and then a decision is made whether to leave it, or it is better to change something. The composition is based not only on strict rules, but also on intuition and instincts. It's worth working with them.

Trying to fit too much detail into the frame

Less is better, a rule that works great in photography and fits even better with wide angle shots. This mistake is perhaps the most common, because it directly follows from the primary function of the wide angle.

For example, while traveling, you walk through an open street market and decide to photograph a merchant with a variety of fruits and vegetables spread out in front of him. Of course, the first thing to do is ask permission to shoot. Well, then the whole responsibility falls on the photographer. Immediately it is worth remembering the rules that are listed above - to select one main object, minor elements and a background. If there is too much going on in the frame, the viewer will be distracted from the main idea.

Therefore, never be afraid to oversimplify the essence of photography.

You can always say more with fewer details.

Photos of people in bad angles

Remember the merchant we just asked for permission to shoot? What you should definitely not do is stick the camera right in his face. The result is definitely not going to please anyone.

A very common mistake is shooting portraits with a wide angle lens. Since one of the main functions of shirik, as we have already said, is distortion, photographs of people turn out to be very unattractive - a long and disproportionate nose, an elongated head, large cheeks are not at all the photo that you put in the frame. So if you're looking to shoot flattering portraits, forget about the wide-angle lens and pick from our selection of the best portrait lenses.

It is very important to remember that each glass has its own function and is suitable for certain genres. Wide angle is good for landscapes and nature, not for artistic or psychological portraits.

However, this does not mean that portrait photos you can't shoot at wide angle at all. If your goal is a funny or humorous shot, a wide angle can, on the contrary, play into your hands. As in the photo below:

Sometimes a wide angle works well in reportage photography:

Wide angle shooting just for the sake of filming

Photography is, of course, primarily a process. But any process must serve some purpose. This is why you shouldn't just shoot with a wide-angle lens. Choose objects that, in meaning and in their environment, require the kind of effects that can be achieved with a wide angle. Bring the viewer to the compositional center of the image, deliberately distort the size of the subject to indicate its importance, and curve lines to create an immersive effect.

But most importantly - try not to make the above mistakes and shoot, shoot, shoot!

The article is devoted to the peculiarities of working with wide-angle and ultra-wide-angle lenses. Typical techniques for shooting with such lenses. The causes of distortion of perspective and proportions. Methods of dealing with them.

Definitions

Angle of view - simply put, this is the angle that the lens "sees" along the diagonal of the frame. The value of this angle is directly proportional to the size of the matrix (film).

Classification of photographic lenses by angle of view

As you can see from the table, the lens type depends on the frame diagonal. For example, let's take a lens with a focal length of 50 mm: on a medium format camera it will turn out to be a wide-angle lens, on a full-frame one - a normal one, and in a 4/3 system - a long-focus one.

Wide angle lens features

Consider a picture of the very popular Canon EF 17-40 / 4L lens.
On a full frame, his field of view is between 104 ° and 57 ° 30 ".
However, no one takes a picture of the group diagonally, right? Therefore, consider the angle of the field of view horizontally - from 84 ° to 49 °

This example clearly shows that a lens at 17mm on a full frame leads to noticeable distortions in proportions.
To be precise, the image in this example at the edge of the frame is 26% wider than the image in the center of the frame. And this is already a very noticeable deformation.
The cause of this deformation is the depth of the heads. If we were photographing flat objects, for example, an infinite brick wall, then all the bricks that are in the center of the frame, that at the edges of the frame would occupy the same number of pixels on the matrix. They decrease due to the fact that they are visible under acute anglehowever, this reduction is compensated for by stretching the lens. This is also the property of “flat” (not fish gas) lenses - they stretch the corners of the image.

However, human vision has such a property - distortions of linear dimensions less than 10% are not noticeable to the eye. This 10% face stretch occurs at 55 ° FOV (34mm full frame and 22mm APS-C)
From this, by the way, the reason for the popularity of 35mm lenses in the street-photo genre becomes clear. This is the minimum focal length at which geometric distortions are not yet striking.

However, in addition to stretching the faces, another problem arises - if the central people in the group are looking straight (perpendicular to the wall), then the people located at the edges of the group are already forced to turn their heads almost 45 ° in order to look into the camera. This turn of the heads can no longer be compensated for either by changing the projection or by deforming in Photoshop.

Examples in photos

Photos taken with Canon EF 17-40 / 4L and Canon EF 24-105 / 4L IS lenses on a Canon EOS 1Ds Mk2 (full frame).

17 mm		Distortion at the edges of the frame is obvious. The customer will be completely unhappy.
20 mm		Distortion at the edges of the frame is obvious. The customer will be unhappy.
24 mm		Distortion at the edges of the frame is noticeable. Men will most likely not notice, and girls will complain that the photo makes them look fat.
35 mm		If you place men at the edges of the frame, then the frame is quite good.
50 mm		Things are good.
70 mm		Things are good.
105 mm		Everything is fine, but the photographer was forced to run away from the group and contact was lost - the photographer was simply not heard during the group's conversations.

Let's consider the example of one frame the permissible position of the model in the photo:

Here the model's head is located in the safe area and is not strongly deformed, and the legs flew out of the safe area and began to appear much longer. What the girls like.

conclusions

Avoid photographing groups of people at focal lengths shorter than 35mm for a full frame or 22mm on APS-C cameras.
If it becomes necessary to photograph a group with a wider lens - place people as close to the center of the frame as possible (so as not to fly out of the 63 ° angle)
Try not to place girls and particularly picky customers at the edges of the frame. Men are noticeably calmer towards horizontally elongated faces.
If you are photographing a group standing in several rows, try to clamp the aperture as much as possible, on the lens - group photos are often printed in large size and the depth of field may not be enough.
If space allows, try to photograph the group at a focal length of 50 mm for a full frame (30… 35 mm for APS-C) - in this case even the most fastidious will not be able to see the stretching of faces at the edges of the frame. Longer lenses should not be used - you will have to run very far and the group will simply not hear you.
When photographing even one person, try to position their head within the frame of the 35mm lens (22mm for APS-C) focal length. For example, when shooting with a 16-35 / 2.8 lens, build a frame, turn the zoom to 35 mm and see if the head is flying out of the frame. If it does not crash, then the picture should be obtained without noticeable distortion of the face.

Current Location:

The world does not stand still, every day something new, incomprehensible, but necessary is created. Therefore, you have to learn to understand technical innovations.

If a it comes about lenses for cameras, Canon has long made sure that there are no limits to studying and comparing their equipment.

Choosing a wide-angle lens for Canon is quite an expensive undertaking, but now with you, we will figure out all the nuances so that you are happy with the purchase and do not regret the money spent.

For those who have a question about what a wide-angle lens is needed for, we answer that they allow you to capture a wide angle of view and can produce very interesting photographs as a result.

Wide-angle lenses are lenses whose focus distance is shorter than the diagonal of a film frame or matrix (angle of view from 52 to 82).

Lens overview

Prices are current for 2015

Let's take a look at some of Canon's wide-angle lenses.

Canon EF 16-35 mm F 2.8 L USM II (from 79,990 rubles)

The lens that replaced the acclaimed first version.

It is believed that it was he best wide-angle lens for Canon in its class.

Dust and waterproof allows you to shoot in any weather. Due to the peculiar geometry of the images, a large depth of field at open aperture and an interesting blurring of the background out of focus, he won the love of many photographers, including wedding photographers. High aperture lens makes it possible to shoot in low light conditions, for example, a night city without a flash.

Stunning rendering of colors and shades. Clear, error-free aiming, fast autofocus, with the ability to switch to manual at any time during shooting. Pleasant tactile sensations due to the seriously elaborated design. It is lightweight (635 grams), so it is convenient to carry it with you in a backpack.

The ultrasonic motor ensures quiet shooting without affecting the fast autofocusing speed. A special lens coating protects photos from glare and glare.

Canon EF 17-40 mm F 4 L USM (from 34,999 rubles)

Ultra wide-angle lens, not far behind the class leader. It does not lend itself to it in terms of speed and accuracy of autofocusing, it has a large zoom range. Ultrasonic drive. Is considered the best representative class in price / quality ratio... Optimal aperture (aperture 4.0). High sharpness of the picture.

Ultra-fine glass dispersion reduces the sharpness of the background out of focus, the image looks more natural. Covers exactly the range you need for everyday shooting.

Why is lens distortion obtained when photographing with wide-angle lenses, you will learn from ours.

Look for best schemes light or technique or just inspiration? An up-to-date selection of famous photo sites for photographers at:

Canon EF-S 17-55 mm F 2.8 IS USM (from 41,240 rubles)

Wide angle EF-S series. Great for everyday shooting... This lens model is practically on par with its professional relatives - "elks" in terms of its characteristics and the quality of the resulting images.

Of the advantages, it should be especially noted the presence of a stabilizer that copes well with blur in fast shooting conditions. Again, thanks to the gimbal, there are no problems when working indoors, even without a flash. The pictures are high-contrast and clear.

There is practically no need for technical post-processing of photos. Also, like the representatives of the L series, the glass has a special coating that allows you to fight glare. Nimble in terms of zoom speed.

Ultrasonic motor, ultra-fast autofocus, with the ability to switch to manual mode... Its weight (645 grams) is considered by many photographers as an advantage, because it shakes less in their hands.

Canon EF 35 mm F 2 (25,990 rubles)

Wide-angle prime lens. Convenient compact design, light weight, only 210 grams. But the lens very durable, made with high quality. Great option for beginners and amateur photographers... Ease of use when shooting, the absence of unnecessary bells and whistles make this lens attractive in the eyes of those who are just learning how to take the right pictures. The model combines an affordable price and good quality images.

Sufficient aperture allows you to take pictures indoors and outdoors, and the angle of coverage is also pleasing. Among the models in its series it has the fastest autofocusing speed. The shortest focusing distance is 24 cm. Also, among the advantages is the built-in image stabilization.

High sharpness of images, good contrast. Ideal for versatile use, you can shoot close-ups, take sequential shots and more. Convenient to carry. This "crumb" will fit anywhere.

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Canon EF 28 mm F 2.8 (from 34 290 rubles)

A classic wide-angle prime lens, the main advantages of which are compactness and low price. Despite the cost, it is assembled very efficiently.

If you are a beginner or a hobbyist, then this option is worth considering, since the resulting images will be of excellent quality and at a reasonable price. The model is very light (185 grams) and small, so you can carry it with you absolutely everywhere, take it on trips and travels.

High resolution and expressiveness of images, deep contrast, sharpness, reproduction of colors and shades at the level. Despite its compactness, the lens provides the ability to do wide-angle photos, with large ranges of values.

The small number of elements makes it affordable for a wide range of people. The ultrasonic drive works almost silently, although it is slightly inferior in this to the more expensive one. But this can hardly be considered a drawback if you remember about its acceptable price and quality.

Choose the lens that suits your skills and habits. Practice shows that what is an advantage for one photographer may become a disadvantage for another.

Consider your needs and opportunities so that the purchase brings you joy and you don't have to regret the money spent. Although, the latter is unlikely. Happy choice!

Canon EF-S 10-18mm f / 4.5-5.6 IS STM (from 17,990 rubles) - ideal camera option

The weight of the lens is light, which is what attracts many photographers. Do not think about whether you need to take the lens with you, as they often take up a lot of space. Moreover, this camera has a common diameter size that fits almost all lenses.

The minimum focus distance is 22 cm and is counted from the matrix of our lens, this is what allows us to create very interesting frames. After all, we see the world from a different angle, and this is reflected in your creative process.

Canon EF-S 10-18mm f / 4.5-5.6 IS STM (from 17,990 rubles) - perfect for your camera

If you are into architectural photography or have your own studio, the Canon EF-S 10-18mm is the lens you are looking for.

The weight of the lens is light, which is what attracts many photographers. Do not think about whether you need to take the lens with you, as they often take up a lot of space. What's more, it has a common diameter size that fits virtually all lenses.

In terms of noise, the lens makes very quiet sounds that can only be heard by holding your camera close to your ear. Also, the camera stabilizer helps you to shoot smoothly without having to carry a tripod with you.

The minimum focus distance is 22 cm and is calculated from the matrix of our lens, this is what allows us to create very interesting frames. After all, you see the world from a different angle, and this is reflected in your creative process.

As for the image quality, it is usually sharp and high. Barrel distortion can sometimes be observed, which can be easily corrected in a photo editor. Despite its compactness, the lens offers many advantages.

This article will discuss how to properly use wide angle lenses. Some features of their work are also considered. Wide angle lenses are often used for the following purposes:

When you want to expand the landscapes with a large space, for example, filming a view of the city.
When it is desirable for the photographer to remain unnoticed when shooting on the street.

They have a diagonal of 100 degrees, and a width of 88 (the usual 35 mm frame).

How do wide angle lenses work? Their features

They have a large storage capacity. Therefore, the objects depicted in the photograph are reduced in half. This is the difference between shooting from a conventional standard lens. In simpler terms, the wide-angle should not be used for shooting mountainous landscapes, because it is very small.

You can solve this problem. You should add some large objects to the frame that come out in the foreground. It can be:

bushes;
puddles on the roads.

Thus, the effect of an active spot will be created, which the viewer can catch with his gaze.

When using wide-angle lenses, optical distortion may appear in pictures. These are barrel distortions. They appear at the periphery of the frame. But you shouldn't argue that the quality of the photo is degraded by this effect. Sometimes it happens the other way around. The composition in the shot looks more cozy with barrel distortions. If you would not like to bend the space, then take a closer look so that there are no trees or corners of houses around the edges. They will bend strongly. The camera must be held exactly horizontally, because there will be vertical blockages.

Wide-angle lenses have increased "glare". Therefore, you need to monitor the position of the sun when shooting on a sunny day. Use a lens hood if possible. If your outfit does not yet have it, then a little difficulty awaits you. because of big size wide-angle (77 mm or more), it is difficult to select a lens hood and filter. If you find them, they will cost you a decent amount.

Wide-angle lenses for Canon, combined with a short-throw lens, have specific use. Since the sky has uneven polarization at a wide angle, a dark blue spot appears on it. If you want to shoot a horizontal landscape with the sky, then the wide-angle is not recommended for use with a polarizer. If you still want to try, then you should opt for a narrow band ring. They are made specifically for wide angle lenses and prevent blackouts from entering the corner of the frame.

With such lenses, the use of the built-in flash unit simultaneously with the short throw option is ineffective. A weak flash will not be able to illuminate a huge spectrum of space and will be located close to a lens with a large diameter. Therefore, the pictures will dark spot in the form of a semicircle. It will be due to the fact that the lens will cast a shadow from the flash. She enters the frame from the bottom.

Of course, it's not just wide-angle lenses that cast shadows, but other types too. However, due to the smaller angle of the field of view, it does not fall into the frame.

The way out of this problem is to increase or use an off-camera flash.