Shutterbug: Three Types of Wide: Space, Compression and Depth

There are those who enjoy the distant grabbing capabilities of a super telephoto, allowing them to go where their eye cannot and bring what is unreachable within their visual grasp. There are those who enjoy the “normal” lens as it is for them the greatest equivalent of truth, providing the peripheral vision of what they see inside their head, and not exaggerating space or creating tunnel vision. While I enjoy both of those prospects, for me the wide angle has always been my lens of choice—not the sometimes bizarre point of view of the super wide, but something about 24mm in focal length, or just at the edges of my peripheral vision. I judge the correct wide for me as being one where I might have to move my head slightly to the left or right to see what the lens sees, but know that if I see my Keds in a vertical I’ve gone beyond what I should be using.

I have chosen three shots to illustrate what I like about working with wide angle lenses. Note that I am talking about a fixed focal length lens. I like the idea of working with one focal length at one time, as it keeps my perception in one space for a period of time, it is normally a bit smaller than any zoom, and faster by a stop or so and still affordable. I am also able to predict with some accuracy how each stop/focal length combo will behave.

Space
When I first discovered a 24mm lens I immediately liked the angle of view, but became totally hooked when I discovered the potential for depth of field, which still amazes me to this day. With the lens set at f/22 you can get DOF from a bit over a foot to infinity, given that you set it at hyperfocal distance and turn off autofocus. In fact, if you have enough light you can set the lens at a hyperfocal distance (where you put infinity at one end of the DOF scale on the barrel and work backwards to minimum distance for sharpness using the DOF scale on the lens) at f/11 and pretty much walk around without worrying about focusing.

Though non-focus concern shooting might be great for street candids, there’s no reason to play that game when shooting less self-conscious landscapes (on the part of the trees, etc., that is.) The wide angle setup is classic for landscapes where you want the icon in the foreground framing or giving a sense of depth to the whole scene. In this shot I have used the sage as an icon and light catcher for this sunset scene in New Mexico. The 24mm lens is used vertically (which I often do rather than work the more “logical” horizontal for a wider view) as this POV tends to enhance the sense of depth and space within this type of scene. Aperture is f/16 and focus is set on the foreground.

While tele lenses are great for compressing space at a distance, and packing objects in a visual group known as “stacking”, wides can help do the same with subjects that are closer at hand and that would require you to back way off with the tele. In addition, because of the wide angle of view and ability to focus closer than with a tele you can get closer to the foreground subject and exaggerate its size (known as foreshortening) to get a fairly intense group together in the frame. The ability to shoot at a narrow aperture and get a good DOF also helps with this effect. It’s important to use DOF preview to make sure all the subjects are sharp, from near to far.

Of course, DOF can also be used to create a sense of space on the opposite end, when working with very wide apertures and shooting close up. Most fixed wides allow you to shoot at a fast f/2 or f/2.8 and focus very close, a combo that guarantees a very shallow depth of field and space created by the foreground jumping into 3D space out of a very soft background.

There’s little doubt that teles and “normals” give you a distinct point of view. For me, however, the wides are my lenses of choice, whether I’m walking around the city photographing quick candids or taking my time when hiking and doing landscapes or scenics.