About a year ago I purchased a 10-20mm Sigma wide angle lens
for my Canon 350D (35mm equivalent = 16-32mm). Excited as I was
with my new purchase, I was unhappy with my results. I was unable
to confidently handle the wide field of view, and it became the
least used lens in my bag. Eventually I learned how to shoot
from the hip to capture some great moments.
First of all Darwin Wiggett has an excellent article published on NPN regarding the use of this lens.
This article alone inspired me greatly in regard to composition. However,
the biggest revelation came from David Bathgate. David is a well-seasoned
photojournalist. He works regularly in Asia and the Middle East for magazines
like Time, Newsweek, Geo, Stern, Focus and The London Sunday Times Magazine.
The tip that David gave me was to keep my camera ready
for anything. The
greater depth of field associated with a wide angle lens allows the photographer
to take advantage of hyper-focus. Simply pre-set the focus to 10 feet (approximately
three meters) and shoot freely without the need to refocus. You may be asking “my
lens has auto-focus capability, how does this help?” Well, while
AF can be set to various areas within the frame, will you always have it
set to the proper location for the next composition when a situation arises?
If you leave it in the center of the frame, will you have time to focus,
recompose, and shoot before the moment is lost?
Try this out. For an AF wide angle lens, set the focus to manual. Then
adjust the distance scale to 10 feet (or three meters). Using your cameras
Av mode set the aperture to f/8 or greater (greater in number, smaller in
size). The result will be that everything from the lens’ minimum focusing
distance to 10 feet will be in sharp focus. You can pull up and shoot away
without focusing.
We have all seen, in movies or on television, photographers at a news conference
holding the camera high above their head and shooting down into a crowd.
Have you ever wondered how these images turn out? Well, I can tell you that
I have had some very good results with this technique. Walking the street
with my camera pre-set, I often stop and shoot without composing; I
frequently hold the camera at low or high angles of view to create interesting
images that capture a moment. Recently I was walking through downtown Portland
when a father holding his daughter decided to playfully tease her by threatening
to drop her into a fountain. Fortunate to be nearby and ready, I moved close
and held the camera out in front of me at waist level to within 2 to 3 feet
of the subjects and fired off three or four exposures, capturing the moment
(see Photo 1). While this shot may not be award winning photography, how
else could this scene have been captured? “Wait, wait, do that again.
Let me get my camera ready. Just one moment, please. Okay now hold her over
the fountain again. Smile!” I think not.
Photos 2 thru 5 are additional examples of this technique. Most were shot
at a moments notice with no time taken to focus or to even bring the camera
to my eye. For the image of Tai Chi on the Bund in Shanghai, I held the
camera to the ground and shot dozens of exposures to get one that worked.
While I had more time to compose the photo taken at the British Museum
(Photo 6), I still used this pre-set focusing technique. I simply set the
camera on the stair rail and waited for people to enter the frame. By setting
the camera on the stair rail and propping the lens up using a lens hood,
I was able to stabilize the camera for the 1/5 second exposure.
For handheld images, to prevent camera shake, be sure to use a minimum
shutter speed of 1/30 second. That is the other huge advantage to wide angle
lenses. I had read before the rule of setting the shutter speed to approximate
the focal-length of your lens (for example a 100mm lens should not be set
below 1/125 sec.; a 200mm lens not below 1/250 sec.; a 50mm lens not below
1/60 sec., etc.), but I had never really thought about it in regard to just
how slow a shutter speed is available to a 20mm wide angle lens. 1/30 of
a second allows the use of this lens in a lot of varying light conditions
without the need for a tripod. With a bit of extra care, it is even possible
to capture great handheld images in very low-light conditions at 1/15, 1/8
or even 1/4 second exposures. These slow shutter speeds allow for interesting
elements of movement. To be certain your shutter speed is fast enough for
handheld exposures take occasional light meter readings and adjust the ISO
as needed. Photo 7 is an example of an image taken in very low light at
1/20 second, ISO 800.
While I do not recommend this hyper-focus shooting from the hip technique
for all your photos, I do use it as my “default” setting. When
I go out to shoot, the wide angle lens is mounted and set as outlined above.
Were I still shooting film, I would not invest too many exposures to this
technique. But, since most of us today are shooting digital and pixels are
free, doesn’t it make sense to be prepared to capture a priceless
moment?
This technique makes a wide angle lens the perfect lens for travel and
street photography. Walking through city streets, with the camera pre-set,
you will be ready to shoot from the hip and capture life as it happens.
About the Author
More of Tim Goodspeed's work can be found on his website; Tim Goodspeed Photography
