Three Shots to Take With Your Fisheye Lens
It’s no secret that I am obsessed with my fisheye lens. The super wide angle, funky curvature, and compact size make it a go to choice for family outings or a fun shot or two for clients. Personally, I own the Sigma 15mm f2.8 fisheye (Nikon version and Canon version) and believe that for the price, around $600, it is worth every penny.
The unique look of the fisheye does mean that there is a learning curve (shameless pun) for the lens. I often hear from other photographers that they cannot quite master the lens and are not sure of the best times to use it. Having logged thousands of images, I have found three types of shots that are my go to’s each and every time I shoot with the fisheye.
Slight Tilt up: This is my very favorite angle to take when I have a pretty sky or interesting ceiling to work with. By lowering myself to the ground (usually at or below the level of my subjects) and tilting my camera up to the sky slightly, I enhance the curvature of the fisheye and can emphasize a beautiful sky. Remember that the closer a subject or object is to the edge of the frame, the more distortion there will be. Keeping this in mind, it is generally best to compose your subjects in the very middle of the frame.
Portrait Orientation: Maybe you are shaking your head at me for this one, but for some reason it took a long time before I started shooting with a portrait orientation with my fisheye. Once I began, I realized how much I loved it – particularly with images that have a lot of visual interest in the sky/ceiling.
Straight Up or Straight Down: Nothing beats a fisheye when it comes to telling the whole story. When I shoot straight down at my feet, I often have to stretch my arms out far and shoot blindly to avoid getting my feet in the frame. Occasionally I need to use Lightroom or Photoshop to remove my feet! When shooting straight up, I typically expose for the sky at +1 or +2.
Shooting with a fisheye lens is just plain fun. The unexpected results lend themselves to quirky, fun, and unique images.