Ultra wide photography guide, please...

Just got my Sigma 8-16 and clueless about how to use it properly!

My photography usually concentrates on macro, close up, portraits - those things that you want (and are able) to isolate the subject via blurring the background. Even my street pics with MFT in the past were done with a fast Panny 20mm f1.7.

Now with an ultra-wide, pretty much everything will be in focus. Please, can someone help me with some guidance re ultra-wide photography.

You can still get some blurring of the background, you just have to get much closer to the closest subject. One way to use the lens is to give extreme perspective. This can become addictive.

In this picture the lens hood is resting on the handrail, it needed f/16 to get enough of the drops in focus:

You can really play with angles and perspective too.

Some good examples here: link

Ken Rockwell has a good page about this too: link

A good demonstration with the handrail. Basically if you want to show something in the foreground you need to get realy close to it, otherwise it will be lost. Try to keep the camera level or you will get converging verticals, unless of course that is what you want, you can stretch perspective quite effectively,and remember anything in the distance will look very far away.
Super wide is not everyones cup of tea, but can yield some fantastic results.

Davex.

You should try to include something in the foreground to break the monotony. Using ultra wide lens makes the subject look much further away, thus creating a large, often empty, foreground. When there is nothing in that empty space, it creates a void that seems to "repel" the eye.

edit.: it seems like everybody type faster than me.

The thing is...

Objects can be out of focus but the bokeh has a small radius as it isn't magnified a lot. You need to get in really close to get larger boken with UWA.

Yea I am getting to grips with the same lens.

You really need a focal point unless it is some massive building.

I have also found that just because it has the option of 8mm why not bring it in a bit as it may suit the situation better. When I first got the lens I was always just using it at 8mm.

Also have a look at this group linkhttp://www.flickr.com/groups/1381252@N21/

Sorry to hook on to this but I have the Sigma 10-20mm and I have just read the Ken Rockwell link
and what I found interesting was the section on polarizing filters.
Does anyone have any issues with a polarizer when using a wide angle lens.

Yes, everyone, for the reasons stated. The effect will reduce when there is less polarised light.

Thanks John
Looks like I'll be getting rid of my 77mm polarizer filter.

Don't be too hasty!! Whilst it needs careful use it's definitely worthwhile having - certainly in the 16mm-20mm focal range you shouldn't have too many problems, when I go wider with my DA12-24 to be on the safe side though I normally take the shot both with & without polariser.


Just to answer the original query by the OP I think UWA lenses need just as careful use as polarisers on UWA lenses - they are often lauded as the "must have" landscape lens and whilst I wouldn't be without the 12-24 I actually find the DA17-70 produces a greater percentage of decent landscape shots, mainly due to the perspective/foreground issues mentioned already.

Where I did find it invaluable though was on a recent city holiday - an UWA lens is terrific for closed-in cities/architecture, especially the DA12-24!!

Simon