There are many different types of camera lenses on the market. Knowing which one to choose can be an absolute minefield. If you’re trying to capture a vast portion of the scene, you’ll need a wide-angle lens. Below we take a look at the benefits of owning your own and when to grab them from your kit.

There are various benefits of owning a wide-angle lens and mastering the use of them.

Greater depth of field

The depth of field is the distance between the nearest and furthest elements in a scene that appear to be sharp in an image. It’s an essential aspect that every photographer utilises. The wide angle gives a greater DoF.

Add foreground interest to landscape photos

A wide-angle lens allows you to take in the whole vista, as you would with your eyes. An interesting foreground subject can take your image from ‘okay’ to ‘wow’. Whenever you need everything in the frame to be in focus, a wide-angle lens will be perfect.

Greater Context For Portraits

One of the most effective ways to accomplish a successful portrait is to include the subject’s environment. A prime wide-angle lens allows you to capture any subject and background. A wide-angle lens allows you to make the foreground centre stage and it will become much larger than it is in real life.

Creativity

As you get more proficient at using a wide-angle lens, you will begin to find that there is a multitude of ways a single image can be influenced. Lighting, positioning or camera settings can all change your image dramatically.

Sharp Sports Photography

Wide-angle photography is perfect for sports. Most sports venues are very wide, therefore, when photographing a sports event and wanting to capture the entire field or venue, a wide-angle lens is the best option.

Fit A Lot Into Your Shot

You can get a fairly close shot of something such as a building and still fit the entire scene into one shot. Likewise, you can fit a huge area of scenery into your image. Wide-angle lenses can help you tell a story in one image.

 

What Are Wide Angle Lenses Good For?

Landscapes, Portraits, Interiors and Exteriors can all be captured perfectly using Landscapes, architecture, cityscapes and seascapes tend to be the most popular uses. They’re also really useful in street, sports or wedding photography. Graphic storyteller Max Von of 300 Emotions Per Inch demonstrates how wide-angle lenses can be used to create an image that draws the viewer into the scene as if they were there.

Landscape Photography

Wide-angle lenses are great for photographing extensive landscapes; this is due to their ability to capture an almost 180-degree angle. They’re perfect for panoramic landscapes. By angling the camera upwards you can emphasise the sky and clouds in your landscape photo making it appear to point towards the centre of the frame.

Architecture Photography

Buildings and landmarks often draw attention and admiration as they have stood the test of time, are tall, wide, intricate or push the limits in terms of creativity. So obviously you’ll want to do them justice when capturing your photos.

They are perfect to take photos of large objects or areas. By using them, you have a much better chance of getting the entire structure into the shot.

Photographing an Interior

Space manipulation is essential when it comes to interior photography e.g. for a home brochure or hotel marketing. A is specifically designed for this, especially if you need to make a room or area look more spacious or grander than it really is.

Cityscape and Seascape Photography

People admire images that show what they want to see but often can’t see at this moment. They also serve as a reminder of places we’ve visited and often seen from their best viewpoint. That’s one reason that cityscape or seascape photos are so popular and marketable.

Wide-angle lenses allow you to capture an amazing skyline without having to be miles outside the city or find a high point. It allows you to include an entire skyscraper in a vertical format while standing near its base or a whole cove from the floor of a beach.

Common Mistakes When Using A Wide Angle Lens

While using a wide-angle lens can make your images easy to capture there are several common mistakes photographers tend to make when starting out.

  • Not Having A Clear Image Subject. When taking a photograph if everything is at an equal distance from the lens it can look small and insignificant, this can be rectified by getting closer to your main focal point. That way your chosen subject will start to stand out a lot more clearly.
  • Using A Wide Angle For No Reason. Beginners especially tend to use it just because it’s their latest tool. However, photos need to be planned and taking a wide-angle shot in an unflattering area will show a lack of vision and not give you the perfect image.
  • Taking Cluttered Photographs. Many new photographers make the mistake of trying to cram too much stuff into their shots. While a wide-angle lens allows you to capture larger photos, it’s important to focus on a single interesting subject and work towards adding more detailed images.

How To Get The Best From Wide-Angle Lenses

Depending on what it is you’re taking a shot of, there are a few general tips to bear in mind.

  • Pre-plan the shot if you can. Look for the best locations that can be the most interesting for both the subject and the background.
  • Take aspects such as time, lighting, and overall look into consideration.
  • Emphasise your foreground element; this influences the feel of the photograph.
  • Pay Attention to the Corners of your image; With a lot going on in one photo, it can be easy to forget the smaller details.
  • Try to limit negative space. If this can’t be avoided, try to alter your composition to make it look purposeful.
  • Control your depth of field, by being closer to your subject you can control the intensity of the photograph more easily.
  • Use an appropriate shutter speed, especially when it comes to sports where you’ll need a higher shutter speed.
  • Have fun and experiment. As with all aspects of photography, one slight alteration can make or break a shot. Change those F-stops, play with lighting and move that one step to the left. (Please be careful, however, we don’t want any mishaps for you or your camera equipment).

For the best new and used wide-angle lenses visit one of our stores in London, Essex or Stevenage or look online. You’ll find a huge range of photography equipment at great prices as well as expert advice. All our advisors are passionate about photography and always happy to pass on their wealth of knowledge.