In a wide-angle lens landscape, the lens does not work as a tool for fitting more into the frame. Used that way, it usually produces a cluttered picture where the main subject disappears. Landscape photographer John Gravett of Lakeland Photographic Holidays recommends a different approach: use the lens to stress foreground detail and perspective.
Choose the viewpoint first
Start by selecting your viewpoint and foreground element with care. Pick a foreground object that connects to the wider scene and shares its shape. A rock at the edge of a lake on a calm day works well if it sits where it complements the reflections.
Close work with a foreground subject gives you real control. Moving the camera just a few inches can change the composition and balance of the frame noticeably.
Close foreground work also rewards technique beyond composition, as shown in Italian Photographer’s Long Exposure Carousel Magic for a different take on controlling how a scene is recorded.
Roads, paths, and walls act as lead-lines that pull the eye into the scene. They add drama, but they should guide the viewer toward the main subject rather than becoming the subject themselves.
Photos by John Gravett.
Keeping a wide-angle lens landscape sharp
An ultra wide-angle lens already provides more depth of field than a standard lens. That means you often do not need very small apertures to keep the scene sharp from front to back.
Gravett suggests f/11 or f/16 as a practical range for front-to-back sharpness. Stopping down to f/22 can introduce diffraction, which softens detail, and many ultra wide lenses show this effect slightly at that aperture.
Depth of field also affects your choice of graduated filters. Hard-edged grads tend to leave a visible line when used on an ultra wide, especially with the stronger densities. A soft-edged grad usually gives a cleaner transition.
If you are considering a wide lens for this kind of front-to-back landscape work, the Panasonic Ultra-Light 20mm Wide-Angle Lens is a compact option worth comparing.
Wide-angle lenses are easy to overuse in landscape photography. Used with restraint and a deliberate foreground, they can produce powerful landscape images that hold the viewer’s attention.
Article by John Gravett of Lakeland Photographic Holidays, www.lakelandphotohols.com.
Via ephotozine.com
Frequently asked questions
Why shouldn’t you use a wide-angle lens to fit more in?
Using a wide-angle lens to fit more into the frame usually produces a cluttered picture where the main subject disappears. John Gravett recommends using the lens instead to stress foreground detail and perspective.
What aperture gives front-to-back sharpness on an ultra wide-angle lens?
Gravett suggests f/11 or f/16 as a practical range for front-to-back sharpness. He notes that stopping down to f/22 can introduce diffraction, which softens detail, and many ultra wide lenses show this slightly at that aperture.
Which graduated filter works better on an ultra wide-angle lens?
Hard-edged graduated filters tend to leave a visible line on an ultra wide, especially with stronger densities. A soft-edged graduated filter usually gives a cleaner transition.
How should you choose a foreground object for a wide-angle landscape?
Pick a foreground object that connects to the wider scene and shares its shape. Roads, paths, and walls can act as lead-lines, but they should guide the viewer toward the main subject rather than becoming the subject themselves.
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