Dear friend,
I love wide-angle lenses. Why? Let me share:
1. Intimacy
First of all, wide-angle lenses are more intimate. If you want to fill the frame with your wide lens, you must get close to your subject both physically and emotionally. By shooting with a wide-angle lens, the perspective is also more intimate; it makes the viewer feel like they are really there!
The problem with telephoto lenses are that it distances you from your subject or whatever you are photographing. For example, telephoto lenses flatten the perspective of your scene, which makes the photos feel less intimate.
2. Compositional ingenuity
It is more difficult and challenging to make interesting compositions with a wide-angle lens. You get more crap in the frame, so it’s more difficult to simplify the scene.
Thus this gives you a challenge:
How can I keep my compositions simple and elegant, and how can I subtract superfluous elements from the frame?
This means you must experiment with new framing, you must step closer to your subject (or step back). You might need to move a little to the left or the right, or perhaps shoot from a higher angle or perspective, looking down.
I generally find compositions with a telephoto lens as boring. The perspective is too flat, compressed, and not dynamic enough.
Thus I challenge you:
Make simple compositions with a wide-angle lens without cropping!
3. Agility and dexterity
When I am shooting with a wide-angle lens, I feel more agile and nimble. I can easily move closer to my subject, further away, or to the left or right without any downside. I can always get my subject in the frame without running out of space.
Thus when I’m shooting I feel like a ballerina! Agile, quick, light on my toes and swift like my buddy Achilles.
Go wide.
I encourage you to try shooting more with wide lenses, like a 24mm, 28mm, or 35mm. Even shoot with your phone! Also check out the new LG phone cameras with wide-angle lenses, super fun to shoot with as well.
To sum up, remember the saying:
With physical proximity comes emotional proximity!
ERIC