Hobbies And Interests
Instructions
Preparing for Fisheye Photography
Select a lens with the right focal length. A focal length between 15mm and 20mm is short enough to provide a wide, sweeping field of view without causing excessive distortion near the edges of the frame. For the ultimate circular fisheye effect, choose a focal length between 4.5mm and 12mm. Fisheye lenses tend to be expensive, with most falling within the $500 to $1000 price range.
Align the index dot on the rear of the lens with the corresponding dot on your camera's mount thread and rotate the lens clockwise to lock it in place. Prior to mounting, ensure that your lens is compatible with your camera's mount thread. For example, if shooting with a Nikon DSLR, use a NIKKOR or Sigma lens with a Nikon mount.
Gauge the available light to determine your camera's ISO settings, or sensor sensitivity. If shooting outdoors in bright sunlight, an ISO of 100 or 200 will provide great results. When shooting an indoor nightclub or restaurant, increase the ISO to 800 or 1600 to allow for hand-holding of the camera and faster shutter speeds. In most lighting situations, your camera's "Auto ISO" setting will provide acceptable results.
Look through your camera's viewfinder and survey the field of view provided by your lens. Note the spatial arrangement of everything within the frame and pay attention to how straight lines are distorted near the edges of the viewfinder. The more familiar you become with the lens' field of view, the better your resulting images will be.
Take several practice shots before using your lens for commercial work. Experiment with different vantage points to create the most pleasing composition. For example, when shooting indoors, standing on a chair or small step ladder will allow you capture even more of a room's interior.
Methods of Approach
Capture the inside of a crowded nightclub, renowned museum or your new home. Because the field of view for fisheye lenses is so wide, you'll be able to capture most interior details. Stand in the corner of a room to include the largest amount of space possible. Depending on the lighting conditions, you may wish to mount the camera on a tripod to retain sharpness in your image.
Move in close to your model for an environmental portrait. Thanks to the wideness of the lens, the subject as well as a large portion of the background will show in the resulting image. For a heavily distorted portrait, move within inches of your model's face.
Experiment with macro photography. Instead of having to isolate a single flower as you would with a normal lens, you can include the sea of surrounding flowers with a fisheye. To photograph an entire tree with a fisheye, simply stand at the base and point your camera upward.
Create surreal landscapes by shooting at sunrise, sunset or at night. Hold your camera level with the horizon line for a more traditional wide angle landscape shot, or tilt your camera to emphasize the lens' distortion.
Bring your fisheye lens to a concert by your favorite musician. Move up close to the stage to capture a sweeping view of the performers, or step back a few steps to include the audience in the shot.