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Re: [OM] 21mm challenges

Subject: Re: [OM] 21mm challenges
From: "John A. Lind" <jlind@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 24 Apr 2001 22:03:09 +0000
Using a "super-wide" is _not_ easy. It's only appropriate for certain scenes . . . for the first reason you mention. The entire vista of its AOV needs to have interest everywhere in foreground and background. A common mistake is using a lens too wide for the landscape being photographed creating "dead space." When using one I will hunt for a position that has as much interest everywhere as possible. If I don't find one within a reasonable time, I drop back to the 24mm or switch the the 35mm shift lens.

My successes with the 18mm superwide for city-scapes and landscapes are not usually done from a standing position. They're normally down low (sometimes almost at ground level) and/or near something of interest in the immediate foreground to give the image a sense of depth/scale and accentuate the radical perspective. When you do find something for which it works, it can be quite dramatic!

-- John

In urban settings, using a super-wide can be almost impossible. It's difficult at times with the 35mm shift lens. There have been many, many times I've wished for a chain saw to remove street lights, traffic signals and signs! Better judgement about doing this has kept me out of the gray bar hotel . . . but it can be very frustrating. I don't think many city and traffic planners or architects are photographers. Not from the number of times I've found very photogenic subject material in the core of a city (usually historic structures) only to be confounded by all manner of power lines, signs and lights.

-- John

At 02:18 4/25/01, John Hudson wrote:
I really envy you folks that do well with superwides. I wish I could get
the hang of them. For me, my 21 is probably my least used lens (and it is
my widest); but that's because of a lack of talent rather than dislike of
the lens. I dunno why I have such difficulties with wides; I rarely get
what I want. I try to fill the foreground with interesting objects and
colors but the results are usually disappointing. Advice would be
appreciated. Additionally, my problems with the 21 might be 1) prints are
not large enough, so the background looks too small--perhaps should
switch to slides; 2) I live in LA and it's hard to get a WA shot without
something ugly in the photo. My best shots these days come from the
35-100 range. (That said, I really SHOULD get an 85.)


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