B (183)

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B+W

BANGKOK, THAILAND

I found this high viewpoint over downtown Bangkok while exploring my hotel and returned at dusk to capture the scene. A fisheye lens not only

allowed me to cram a lot into the shot, but also distorted the buildings to add interest.

Canon EOS 5D MKIII with Sigma 15mm fisheye lens, 20 seconds at f/11, ISO 200

YANGON, MYANMMAR (BURMA)

The massive distortion introduced by a

fisheye lens is ideal for adding a creative

twist to the occasional shot, though you

should use it sparingly as the effect can

become rather clichéd.

Canon EOS 5D MKIII with 15mm fisheye lens,

0.6sec at f/11, ISO 200

perspective and distorting shapes – plus

the extensive depth of field you get at

small apertures such as f/11 or f/16 means

you can get up close and personal with

nearby subject matter but still achieve

front to back sharpness.

If you don’t want to get your knees dirty,

just hold your camera low to the ground

and use live view on the rear screen to aid

composition – cameras with flip-up rear

screens are ideal because the camera can

literally be resting on the ground but you’ll

still be able to see exactly what the lens

is seeing. Alternatively, just wing it. That’s

what I do – if I can’t get myself low enough

then I just hold the camera low, or lay it

flat on its back pointing up, take a shot,

check it on the preview screen, make any

adjustments and shoot again. It’s actually

quite good fun shooting blind because you

never quite know what you’ll end up with.

B

etween these extremes of shooting

from high and low viewpoints

there are other creative avenues

worth exploring.

One is to dispense with keeping the

camera level and experiment with jaunty

angles. Action photographers often do this

to add drama, but you can try it with any

subject – just tilt the camera to one side

or the other and see what a difference

it makes when shooting buildings, cars,

people, abstracts, close-ups...

Another is to explore the subject from

different angles – instead of shooting the

front view, move to the side, or get behind

it. While you’re at it, look for ways to frame

the subject, or partially obscure it with

another feature closer to the camera so

the images you produce are less obvious.

Reflections can work well too – instead of

photographing a building, say, look for its

reflection in a window, puddle or mirror.

It’s all about thinking laterally rather

than literally. Once you get into the habit

of looking at the world from different

viewpoints and angles, all sorts of

creative doors will open for you.

Walk through them – you never know

what’s on the other side!

‘Get down low and look up

the front of a tall building to

create dramatic converging

verticals – the wider the lens,

the stronger the eff ect.’

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