Wide Angle Lenses and the Art of Inclusion

My latest post to the Outdoor Photographer blog, Wide Angle Lenses and the Art of Inclusion, discusses the perspective effects of different focal lengths, and how different lenses can yield different artistic approaches and results. The image that illustrates the post, shown below, was taken with an ultra-wide angle lens (14mm) in the extremely chaotic Hoh Rain Forest of Olympic National Park. I got very close to the foreground ferns in an effort to exaggerate their size relative to the background. In terms of composition, I was attracted to the relationship of shapes—the curving ferns in the foreground reinforced and repeated the shape of the curving vine maple branches in the background. I was careful to position myself so that the ferns filled the foreground evenly, and the fern fronds radiated from the bottom corners, creating a leading element that encourages the eye into the scene. I used a polarizer filter to reduce glare on the waxy leaves.

Technical details: Canon 5DII, 14mm, ISO 400, f/14, 4 seconds.

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About Ian Plant (275 Posts)

Ian Plant's photographs and instructional articles have appeared in a number of books, calendars, and magazines, including Outdoor Photographer and Popular Photography. Ian writes a regular blog column for Outdoor Photographer online, and he is the author of numerous instructional eBooks and digital processing tutorials. Ian leads several photo tours each year.

Tags: composition, olympic

1 Comment

gerald willems January 16, 2012 at 3:57 pm

Thanks for the face book posts. Iv’e been a amatuer photographer for years, I have encouraged my children and given them quality cameras two have benefitted from this and made many contributions them selves.