The other day I was out with some friends, and I also brought my Fuji X-T1 and 18-55mm lens along for the ride. I ordered a beer, and before having a sip I decided to photograph it. Because I was sitting close to the table, my first instinct was to photograph it with the lens zoomed in (in this case, it was set to 24mm):
The photo has some noticeable distortion, primarily at the top of the glass where it flares out and then narrows towards the bottom. I saw this and decided to re-shoot it, but instead I leaned back in my seat a bit, fully extended the zoom (55mm), and re-framed it the same way as the original shot:
This second photo, in my opinion, is a much more pleasing photograph and represents the glass much better than the original. Even the glass in the background is more upright and less distorted.
Summary:
- Photographing a scene close-up with a wide-angle focal length will add distortion to your subject.
- By moving yourself back (away from the subject) and using a longer focal length, you will reduce the distortion and end up with a more pleasing and natural representation of your subject.
Nicole S. Young is a professional photographer living in Portland, Oregon. She is the author of several books and eBooks, and runs her own online store for photographers, the Nicolesy Store.
You can read more of Nicole’s articles here, and view her work and website here.
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Filed under: Gear, Photography, Shooting Tagged: lens distortion, wide angle lens 
