Many novice photographers are used to zooming lenses, and there are many questions about prime lenses. Why use a prime lens with a single focal length when a zoom lens can have different focal lengths? If it’s a wide-angle focus, isn’t it only used for spectacular scenery shots? Even with a wide-angle prime lens, you can take pictures with different feelings.

1. What is a wide-angle prime lens?

A wide-angle prime lens is a focal length between 20mm~40mm, but it is fixed, has good imaging quality, chromatic aberration, aberration, aperture, and durability are better than a zoom lens.

2. When will you use wide-angle prime lenses?

The use of wide-angle prime lenses generally belongs to relatively professional players. There are 20mm, 24mm, 28mm, and other focal segments of the prime lens. A wide-angle prime lens is generally used for landscape photography, and group photoshoots. Due to its large maximum aperture, even if the focal segment is short, the background can be blurred. Coupled with the unique perspective characteristics of the wide-angle lens, it is often used for commercial photography and street photography, which can produce a strong visual impact effect.

3. How to use a wide-angle prime lens?

(1) Find the prick point

Wide-angle mirrors limit the photographer’s need to have a wide view because there are so many things in the picture that the photographer has to find the price point to make the picture stand out. Prick point is a concept put forward by Roland Barthes, a literary critic. Simply put, it is to provide a small detail in the image and inadvertently pierce the viewer’s senses, which is the key to making people fall in love with a piece of work.

(2) Look at the image macroscopically

Because there are too many people and things in the picture, do not only pay attention to the detail level when shooting, you can use a macro perspective to see the whole picture. When composing, imagine reducing the objects in the frame to simple shapes and lines to combine these shapes into interesting and unique compositions.

(3) Guide the line of sight

When using a wide-angle mirror, it is difficult to obtain bokeh, and there are too many scenes in the mirror. To highlight the subject, it is necessary to rely on the lines and composition of the picture to guide the sight of the viewer, so that the viewer can pay more attention to the subject that the photographer wants to show.

(4) Come a bit nearer

Wide-angle prime lenses are especially good for portraits. To capture the expression of the portrait, to capture the expression of the moment, you need to get a little closer. It also allows players accustomed to using long lenses to step out of their comfort zone and try to communicate more with their subjects.

(5) Take photos with the thinking of landscape photography

When taking scenery photos, because of the shooting perspective, the scenery is wide, the scenery will be very particular about the location of scenery, the arrangement of lines, etc. This mentality should also be used when shooting with a wide-angle prime lens. Even when shooting streets and lanes, we should also pay attention to the lines of the street, as well as the direction of pedestrians and vehicles, and patiently wait for the best composition of the picture before pressing the shutter.

(6) Dare to shoot exaggerated wide-angle effects

When using a wide-angle prime lens, the distance between the front and back of the scene will be exaggerated, resulting in distortion of perspective. Make good use of the subject matter of the photo, and you can shoot a unique effect.

(7) Make good use of space

Wide-angle prime lenses allow you to take in more of the scene. If you don’t want to have a rich and complex picture in every picture, try to make more changes by leaving the picture white.

(8) A box within a box

Since the wide-angle picture is too wide, reset the frame yourself! Shadows, the appearance of buildings, etc. as the background of the subject, can guide the sight of the viewer, and highlight the subject.

(9) Try different shooting angles

To make good work out of the ordinary, try new things and shoot from less used angles, which may bring surprises!

(10) Use light

The hardest part of using a wide-angle prime lens is getting the viewer to focus on the subject. Using light to guide the viewer is also a good way to highlight the subject.

I hope this sharing can bring you some inspiration and harvest. Bring your wide-angle prime lens for stunning photos.

FAQ:

How do you use a wide-angle lens?

Wide-angle lenses distort the most in the corners, so someone in the corner of a photo becomes noticeably distorted. This is particularly true with shorter focal lengths (15mm can distort more than 30mm). In general, always keep people near the center of your frame when shooting wide-angle.

Why use a wide lens?

Wide-angle lenses are generally used for scenes where you want to capture as much as possible. Landscapes, cityscapes, and architecture are the main categories that use a wide-angle lens.

How do I choose a wide-angle lens?

Any lens that’s wider than a 50mm focal length on a full-frame camera, or 35mm on a crop sensor, is considered a wide angle. Note that the wider the angle, the lower the focal length number is on a lens. For example, a 15mm focal length will offer an ultra-wide field of view.

Is 24mm a wide-angle lens?

On a full-frame camera, any lens with a focal length of 35mm or wider is considered a wide-angle lens, while 24mm and wider is considered an ultra-wide-angle lens.