Photography News | Issue 42 | absolutephoto.com
Technique 33
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4 Capture awide-angle portrait
to get a lot closer than normal, and for the maximum distortion try composing as close to the lens’s minimum focusing distance as possible, which could be just a few centimetres. You’ll also need to turn off any in camera distortion correction if you want the most exaggerated effect. Shooting in aperture-priority mode (A or Av), decide on the amount of picture you want to be in focus and set the aperture accordingly. When shooting with wide-angles, you can get a decent level of front-to-back sharpness even with middling f/numbers like f/5.6 or f/8, but if you want some separation between subject and background, set a low f/number like f/2.8.
Typically, wide-angle lenses are avoided by portrait photographers because they naturally distort the subject, which is usually seen as unflattering. And this isn’t just about the barrel distortion that affects many wide-angle optics; the way that a large field-of-view accentuates closer objects also means that any facial features close to the camera will look more bulbous and pronounced. However, if you really embrace this effect and use it on the right kind of subjects it can be a winner, giving a characterful, comical or even gruesome look to your portraits. Attach a wide-angle lens, or even a fisheye optic if you have one, then frame up on your subject. You’ll need
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3 Addstarbursts to your landscapes
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A broad field-of-view can cause problems when it comes to dynamic range; with very dark and very light areas in a composition, you many find the camera struggles to correctly expose the whole scene. But you can also embrace this. The sun – or any light source – will be brighter than the rest of the scene, so normally, you’d try to compose without it. But with the right camera settings it’ll form a pleasing starburst. This can happen on almost any lens, but wide-angles make it easier, because the large field-of-view keeps the light source small. Although we’re often told not to look at the sun through a lens, with wide-angles it’s safer but using live view avoids any risk. To get a sunburst you’ll need to set a small aperture, so in aperture-priority mode (A or Av), dial in a high f/number like f/16 or f/22. Also, try not to focus too close, or the ’burst will lose sharpness in the distance. As exposing in this way can be tricky, try shooting in Raw, or bracketing, so you can tweak exposure in software. The starburst effect will be exaggerated if the sun is partially obscured by another object in the landscape or poking through the branches of trees, and you should make sure your lens and any filters are free from dust or water droplets – if not these show up and look messy (see top).
Next month Next time in Photography News ’s Ultimate Guide to Lenses, discover a whole new world with standard lenses. You probably own one already, but we show you why it might be worth upgrading your existing one or considering the prime option.
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