Fish's Eye View

When trying to add different elements to my wedding photography, I usually look at different ways I can pose people or use architecture to add more to my compositions. Looking at different equipment to achieve something new is normally the last thing on my list. That is until recently. In early June, I attended a seminar in Devon with Gordon McGowan and David McGirr. Both of these photographers use a quite simple set-up of kit and achieve excellent results. One thing they have in common is the use of that mystical piece of glass, the fisheye lens. Before going to Devon, I called a friend of mine who had a fisheye lens to see if I could borrow it for the seminar, just in case these two guys started showing me their fishy stuff. The problem with the lens I borrowed was it was a bit faulty – it was stuck on f22 and didn’t open up. The other problem was that it was very dark to look through and the metering thinks you’re having an eclipse. Not to be put off using this new toy, I decided I would have a play with it anyway. Working in manual and using the screen as a meter, I was getting to grips with this new view on life. I took some lovely shots that David had set up at the seminar.

I was now bitten by the bug. The seminar was on the Monday and by Wednesday I was the proud owner of a (working) fisheye lens. I had been spoilt for choice with the vast number of fisheye lenses available for my cameras. I wasn’t going down the budget avenue as I need quality reliable equipment, so I had four choices available to me:

Canon 15mm
Sigma 15mm
Tokina 10-17mm
Sigma 10mm (for crop factor cameras).

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