Use Wide Angle Lens Distortion for a Creative Portrait
One of the fun poses I like to do when working with a model is a close-in wide angle shot taken from above the subject. The distortion created by a wide angle lens causes the subject's head to appear oversized with a small body filling the remainder of the frame. For further exaggeration of the face, I get as close to the model as possible while still maintaining focus. To be able to get over top the model, I keep a small ladder in the studio for this purpose.
On both the shot of the menacing looking gunman (above) and the little bride (below), I used my all-purpose 24-105 f/4L lens on a Canon 5D. Since the 5D has a full-frame sensor eliminating the crop-factor, I get a true 24mm in the widest focal length causing the large head effect to work nicely.
One of the lenses on my future-purchase list is the Canon 17-40 f/4L. This lens will give me even more versatility in creating this type of portrait.
Canon 5D, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens - 1/125 second, f/7.1, ISO 100
Labels: tutorial
4 Comments:
That bride picture is pretty wicked. I would be interested in seeing what it would look like with a 17mm on the 5D. You better order that lens this week :-)
I wrote a post about the 17-40! check it out here:
http://shaunkrisher.wordpress.com/2007/12/30/bang-for-buck-17-40-f4-or-16-35-f28/
Great post. I saw your comment about wanting the Canon 17-40 f/4L, which is what I leave on my camera all the time...granted, I'm a landscape photographer. I have a number of other lenses, but it's just so wide. I'm still using a 20D, so there's the conversion factor, but it's a great setup. Almost every photo I've posted HERE and HERE were taken with the 17-40L, I highly recommend it! Thanks again for your fantastic post.
that's a great couple of shots.
my friend shoots with a 17-40 f/4l and he loves it, but would the 7mm minimum difference from the 24-105 really be that significant for the same situation?
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