Get More Out of Your Wide-Angle Lens

Many photographers feel that portrait lenses are only 50mm, 85mm and 135mm, which is also why the 70-200mm F/2.8 is the best selling lens in the world whether they are made by Canon, Nikon, Sigma or Tamron.

I know you will think I am crazy but you can actually get more use out of your wide-angle lens than just shooting landscapes. One of the really creative uses for your wide-angle lens is Wide-Angle Portraits!

Wide-Angle Portrait by standing above and shooting down

Now before you start flaming me saying I have gone off the deep end, hear me out. Yes a wide-angle lens will make your subjects face all exaggerate because their nose might look huge and their eyes and ears small, but by shooting creatively you can make that wide-angle to create some really awesome shots.

Instead of shooting your subject head on like you would with a regular portrait lens, try shooting them from above, pointing the wide-angle lens down at them, or if you are shooting a full body portrait, shoot from their feet. Why would you shoot at their foot level??? Well because you will make them seem taller. Every wonder how Hollywood can make an actor 5 foot 6 look 6 feet tall, well they shoot them from down low with a wide-angle lens and *BAM* Tom Cruise looks like he’s 6 foot tall instead of 5 foot 7.

Getting down low with your Wide-Angle creates a new perspective

 Another great use for your wide-angle lens as far as portraits go is the Environment Portrait as you can capture your subject and more of their surroundings. Now one thing to keep in mind when shooting with your wide-angle, get closer or you end up with them looking like an action figure instead of an action hero.

Hercules - this image borrowed from Digital Photography School.com

Even when using your wide-angle for landscapes, make them more interesting by shooting at ground level. If you are afraid to lay down on the ground, crouch and set the camera on the ground and shoot. It might be a little tricky to get your focus lock, but if you use Back Button Focus, it’s much easier.

Additionally, you can shoot multiple people and placing them at different distances you can make some really cool looking photos!

Environmental Portrait from Digital Photography School.com

 Now that I got your creative juices flowing, grab that wide-angle lens and make some awesome images!

Comments/Questions

Wide-Angle Wednesday- Keeping on task!

Greetings from the frozen Midwest!

I’m really starting to think the Arctic misses me and wants me back. I lived three years in beautiful central Alaska, and you would think I was used to the frigid temperatures. With that said, it’s been so cold I have not been out to shoot for a long time.  Additionally if I braved the frozen wind, I don’t have an idea to where or what I would like to shoot.

This mindset leads me to talk about being on task. I know that in order to keep the fire burning and to hone the skills, I need to keep shooting.  This is especially a challenge when not in a photography focused course, the landscape is just blah, and of course the weather. The last photog course I had ended in November and since then I have been focused on math and currently I’m working on color theory for web and multimedia.

So where do I go from here?

I recently found out that this time of the year is a great time to photograph bald eagles migrating down from the North. Sounds like an awesome field trip to the areas they are known to flock. After consulting a few local photog friends, it doesn’t appear I will have a lens with enough focal length to capture the eagles from the area in which people are allowed to show up and observe the flocks. The subject is there but not an option if I can’t get close enough. Though this gives a goal for next season.

Not all is lost, I just had to find the focus and get on task. Remember what Confucius is quoted to have said, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”

Now to turn the page, I have taken sometime to brainstorm some ideas that sound interesting and of course is do able. I figured a great start is finding a theme that can be revisited in times like this. For a previous course I developed a photo series focused on a local historic park in which I titled “Discovering Maramec”. Granted the course has come to an end, but I could always revisit Maramec. Nah I think something new is needed. I looked at maybe a theme based on forced or odd perspectives. Another idea is a scavenger hunt of objects or locations. I’m thinking something similar to the vacation car ride A-Z game we played with our son in our travels across the country. I figured I could come up with a list of random objects and or locations using the alphabet. Figured the theme would be a unique series of 26 images.

Now that I have a focus, I’m going to look at completing this series in one week!

I look forward to sharing what I plan to call “The Alphabet Series” next week.

Last week I wrote about resources, and today I wrote about staying on task with a side of creativity. Feel free to share your ideas by commenting below anytime, any day.

May your Wide-Angle Wednesday be spent someplace tropical!

From My Camera to Yours,

Wednesday's Student Ambassador