Technique Tuesday: Wide Angle Lens Compositions

Even in an environment with an abundance of interesting detail to focus on, like the Pancake Rocks of the South Island of New Zealand, sometimes stepping back with a wide angle lens to give context to those details is the best way to capture them. It can be easy to get caught up in the surreal nature of an unfamiliar landscape and focus too much on the alien details of something you won’t find anywhere else in the world, but it’s that contrast with the more familiar surroundings that can make them feel even more unique.

Here I’ve used a 16mm wide angle lens with, at the time, my Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III. A shutter speed of 1/60th froze the waves in the background while an aperture at ƒ10 ensured the subject of the pancake rocks were captured in full detail. The bright day allowed for a low ISO of 100, so very little noise infiltrates the image.

4 Responses to “Technique Tuesday: Wide Angle Lens Compositions”

  1. Margaret says:

    I have enjoyed using wide angle exposures to capture exciting skies and landscapes. Thanks for sharing with us.

  2. Matthew says:

    Hi Mr. Wolfe
    Thanks for the great information.

  3. Gregory says:

    Thanks for an insightful tip on looking at both the detail and the “big picture”. Sometimes when a particular lens is fitted to the camera the mind tends to see only what that lens can capture. A good reminder to see with the eye and then choose the lens. Thanks Art!

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