Wide angle lens - near and far (30)

Requirement

At least 3 images

Purpose

To shoot an image with a sharp foreground and background

Technical learning
Wide angles most suited to the following compositions or compositional effects

Panoramic images

• Use wide angle lens when you want to emphasise breadth rather than detail 
• Works especially well when used from a high viewpoint

Enhance perspective/ depth

• Use to make the most of the relationship between fore-, middle- and background. 'Near and far' was a technique used by Ansel Adams (see 3 examples below)
• Works well to create the impression of being in the scene rather than just observing it

Camera craft

• Pick a foreground with clear and interesting detail
• Position the camera low
• Be aware that small adjustments to the angle of view
• Use a small aperture to gain maximum sharpness 
• Be alert to the effect of wind in creating motion blur since shutter speed will be relatively slow at a small aperture (can adjust by dialling up ISO)
• Decide whether to use (the more natural) horizontal frame or (the potentially more dramatic) vertical composition (if camera is angled downwards)

Exercise instructions

• Find a scene with an interesting foreground and a distant view visible from a low camera angle (will require experimentation)
• Use your widest angle lens and a tripod
• Consider using a ND grad filter to balance the exposure of land and sky
• Compose the image so that near and far relate to each in sn interesting way

Images and review

 

Experiment with focus stacking. Set up tripod. Shot first image with focus sharp on foreground, second on middle ground and third on background. Then blended the 3 images into a single photograph using masks in Photoshop.




Near Mere, Wiltshire (lay-by off A303)