Wide Angle Lens - Scenery

[scooby snacks]

I recently got a wide angle lens, so attempted some scenery pics at weekend.

http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/3002/dpp0001qv0.th.jpg (http://img148.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dpp0001qv0.jpg)http://img148.imageshack.us/images/thpix.gif (http://g.imageshack.us/thpix.php)

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http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/7630/dpp0005oe9.th.jpg (http://img46.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dpp0005oe9.jpg)http://img46.imageshack.us/images/thpix.gif (http://g.imageshack.us/thpix.php)

[scooby snacks]

http://img115.imageshack.us/img115/6171/dpp0006qa6.th.jpg (http://img115.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dpp0006qa6.jpg)http://img115.imageshack.us/images/thpix.gif (http://g.imageshack.us/thpix.php)

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http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/9753/dpp0008kh3.th.jpg (http://img231.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dpp0008kh3.jpg)http://img231.imageshack.us/images/thpix.gif (http://g.imageshack.us/thpix.php)

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[douglasb]

I would be tempted to crop much harder top/bottom one things like the last two.

[DeadYankee]

A good start but, as you are finding out, it is a very different animal. The key is to get some specific foreground interest in the shots otherwise the subject gets lost.
For example:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/deadyankee/2693157599/" title="Penarth: The Last Resort by SteveB!, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3177/2693157599_49636c6813.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Penarth: The Last Resort" /></a>

or
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/deadyankee/2876957740/" title="Dubhaird by SteveB!, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3159/2876957740_c08325ebea.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Dubhaird" /></a>


Have you joined the Sigma 10-20mm group on flickr - a good place for inspiration.

[driver8]

2 great examples there, DY

[scooby snacks]

Thanks for the help:thumbs: Only got the lens last week so still very new to it, and slr photography in general so the help & advice is appreciated. I'll be sure to look on flickr.

[Fozzybear]

Yeah, composition really is key with these really wide lenses - it's so easy to have large areas of empty foreground with them and you have to pick the subject very carefully. I've taken ones with my 10-20mm that didn't work but if you spend some time learning about composition then you'll soon be making the most of the wide views. This was a 10mm shot, but the road to leads you in to the shot and I waited for some cars to add some interest to the empty road in the foreground, which otherwise would have been a bit dull:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulforsdick/2358473871/" title="Market Road by Paul Forsdick, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3002/2358473871_cf25ec3c22.jpg" width="335" height="500" alt="Market Road" /></a>

again, in a more rural setting, some foreground interest leading you (although not quite so strongly here) through the shot.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulforsdick/2132698709/" title="Permissive society by Paul Forsdick, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2099/2132698709_29b518a982.jpg" width="500" height="335" alt="Permissive society" /></a>

alternatively, get up close to a foreground object for urban shots:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulforsdick/2359300162/" title="Many minds one heart by Paul Forsdick, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3068/2359300162_ca43c56767.jpg" width="335" height="500" alt="Many minds one heart" /></a>

There are some excellent books on composition, you should find loads in your library and they are well worth reading. Also it's very, very beneficial to look at other wide angle landscape shots, something I've learned a lot from. You can find millions on flickr and other photo sharing websites.

[RobDickinson]

10-20 is hard to use, a standard landscape comes out all foreground & sky, you need to get close to something, or crop etc... some good examples here already.

[scooby snacks]

Great advice. Thanks again:thumbs: Totally understand about getting a point of interest in the foreground:) Looking forward to putting the aforementioned advice into practice. Kicking myself really as I made the trip to Manchester City centre today (a rarity) and there is plenty of photo opportunity there. If I'd have taken my camera:doh:

[scooby snacks]

Had a chance to go and take some pics today as the weather was good. I'm quite pleased with these, definately more interesting than the previous ones. Still needs lots of practice though.

http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/10/img0038cv6.th.jpg (http://img511.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img0038cv6.jpg)http://img511.imageshack.us/images/thpix.gif (http://g.imageshack.us/thpix.php)

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[DeadYankee]

Nice water - I'd have been tempted to tilt the camera so you filled the frame with the rocks and water and lost the sky. Cropping should def improve the composition IMO