Journal #2

A Fisheye lens is a wide-angle lens that distorts your picture by bending the photo in a circular shape, bulging the middle and curving that edges. I chose to learn how to use this lens for my project because it’s a different its like learning how to use a whole different camera. There are a lot of complications and this to consider when using this lens that are often overlooked. The process I will go through to learn how to use this lens is to first research about the lens and professional fisheye portfolios, I will test it out, then talk to Mrs. Cher Takemoto about how to use the lens correctly, then I will take another round of pictures with my new knowledge of the lens.

After doing research I discovered that there are different types of fisheye lenses, a diagonal fisheye and a circular fisheye but the type I will be working with is a diagonal fisheye lens. Composing fisheye photos is more complex because you have to be aware of the edges. The fisheye lens distorts any line that’s not in the middle therefore you have to position a horizon line in the exact middle for it to be straight. When you zoom out you increase the distortion, when its fully extended the lens creates a round image and draws the sides inward compressing the outside elements of the picture.

Then I tested out the lens on my own and learned more things about the fisheye from experience. Like the range of your subject and the camera has to be closer then a regular lens. While taking pictures I had to adjust my camera range constantly because everything appeared zoomed out. Also I had to change the angles of my subjects to make the background on the edges distorted and the subject normal. This was a struggle because I am use to using the rule of thirds but with the fisheye lens I have to compose my subjects in the middle.

When I talked to Mrs. Takemoto, she taught me also about the lines that distort on the edges. She told me that to distinct a fisheye picture, you have to use line movement away from the middle so you can see the bowed lines. For example fence lines, tables, horizon lines, etc.

Throughout this process I learned a lot of valuable tips to use while
shooting with a fisheye lens. I learned to position lines on the edges to distort them and in the middle to make them straight, I also learned about the camera range and how it affects your picture. Overall I learned a lot about the fisheye lens and have a better understanding of how to use it.