5 Ways to Take Level Up Your Photography Game Using Fisheye Lens
When it comes to camera lenses, owning a fisheye lens is considered one of the cheapest yet most creative choices. It’s no surprise to know much these lenses can cost, but using fisheye is remarkably accessible even to photographers who are merely starting out in the field.
First, the history. Prior to its creative contribution in photography, fish eye lenses are originally called as “whole sky lenses.” They were designed for meteorological use such as studying the cloud and sky formations, as well as the weather patterns.
However, thanks to the unique results of snapshots, this type of lens quickly rose to popularity even in general photography. The images they produce are considered one of a kind. Its iconic distorted lines provide another angle regarding how we view the world, and achieving such a shot is difficult (save for when you use a photo editing software like Photoshop, of course.)
1. Radial blur
This feature to using a fisheye lens is ideal if you’re taking a snapshot out of a moving crowd or in the midst of an ongoing event. Wedding receptions, in particular, can be documented in such a way as if you’re preserving the moment complete with all the spins and turns of people around. To do this, pivot the camera’s body around as you cradle the lens and take a shot. Spinning it counter clockwise may also just do the trick.
2. Impressively wide landscapes
Fisheye lenses are convenient at times when you desire to capture everything in a single shot. This kind of lens has a remarkably wide angle which helps in taking impressively wide landscapes. Positioning your horizon towards the middle of the frame can help achieve shots similar to that of using a wide-angled lens, without the distorted lines and angles of your usual fisheye images.
3. Capture entirety of ceilings
Absolutely massive shots of ceilings can also be taken through a fisheye lens. This makes it suitable for symmetrical architecture and colossal monuments. Most of the time, there is a marker on the ground in such buildings which signifies the exact middle of the place — of which you may use to your photographic advantage!
4. Exaggerated curves
One key thing about fisheye lenses is that the further you move the subject of your shot to the frame’s edge, the more distorted the image will turn out. Placing the horizon in the middle frame makes it perfectly straight throughout the image in general. Play around with the curves and exaggerate the distortion to your advantage by placing the horizon closer to the top of the frame instead.
5. Changed perspective
In general, fisheye lens are unique since it enables any photographer to change perspectives as well as experiment with different lines and angles in the process. Even if you choose to lay down on the ground or merely lean against a wall, the lens’ distortion will enable you to take unique and fun photographs.