By Amy Renfrey
Have you ever questioned what is so extraordinary about taking pictures in 24mm? Or, have you ever thought about what focal length is good for landscapes is but in no way been quite sure what it is? The fact is that there are many angles you can quite easily shoot at. Each time you change focal length in or out, you will be altering the general appearance and sense of your photo. Let's look more directly at the 24mm angle. Why is it so good?
There are many wonderful things about taking pictures at 24mm. I use a Canon photographic lens at 24mm for landscape scenes. The best 24mm lens is one that will be likely to continuously give you with an adequate range or width. Any Canon 24mm lens (or Nikon 24mm lens) tends to eliminate the awful "bulging" that comes with subjects photographed too close with the ultra wide lenses. If you don't know what this means, simply head to the Internet and search for a few wide angle photographs of tall structures taken up close with lenses a lesser amount of than 17mm. In some landscape photography situations it can work fine, and in others it can't. Sometimes, when you photograph at an ultra wide viewpoint, the landscape you are shooting can look like it's bending in the middle. If this occurs, then why not try taking pictures at 24mm?
When photographing landscape photography we want to aim for "wide", but not "bulging" in the heart, as some ultra wide angle lenses can create. This is where the magnificent 24mm focal length comes in. It creates a wide scene without looking unnatural or over widening effect at the center of the photo. Not only is it a wonderful general length to photograph at, but you can shoot at 24mm to produce panoramas. What I mean is 24mm makes for a beautiful single photo AND it can be a perfect shooting length to stitch multiple single photos jointly to photograph a panorama.
You see if you took a handful of shots photographed at 17mm or less, and stitched them together, you may certainly see an uncomfortable bulge. This is what happens when ultra wide pictures are stitched to make one panorama. Unless you are trying to produce a fisheye effect it will not work in a good way. When shooting with 24mm this terrible outcome does not happen. We are left with a wide angle good enough for a single photo and good enough to generate a series of pictures for a panorama.
To get a good idea of the excellence of the standard 24mm wide angle lens, ask yourself does the photo have a real looking perspective? For example, do you notice any unnatural warping or bulging in the horizon or the length of the forefront? No, we can't. That is usually a sign that the 24mm focal length is just right for the function.
Is this 24mm lens as a rule "wide enough"? Yes it is. And the beauty about this focal length is that we can bring three single photos at 24mm and capture a gorgeous panoramic scene. Some lenses that are ultra wide, such as the 17mm or less, can bulge a composite too much.
You can take a succession of pictures taken from the same perspective and using a tripod to make sure good results. Then use Panorama Maker Pro 6 photo editing software to merge or stitch the pictures together into a single frame. You will find that 24mm is ideal because it does not bulge the panorama in the heart as a 17mm series of photos would.
Once you stitch your 24mm photo succession together then examine if the image is effective because of the extra scenery at the edges. The answer is going to be relative because it has to do more with individual preference and the intention of the photographer.
Once you have stitched a handful of 24mm photos together to create a sole panorama, sit back, and have a good look at it. You will find that it looks like a realistic scene.
There are many wonderful things about taking pictures at 24mm. I use a Canon photographic lens at 24mm for landscape scenes. The best 24mm lens is one that will be likely to continuously give you with an adequate range or width. Any Canon 24mm lens (or Nikon 24mm lens) tends to eliminate the awful "bulging" that comes with subjects photographed too close with the ultra wide lenses. If you don't know what this means, simply head to the Internet and search for a few wide angle photographs of tall structures taken up close with lenses a lesser amount of than 17mm. In some landscape photography situations it can work fine, and in others it can't. Sometimes, when you photograph at an ultra wide viewpoint, the landscape you are shooting can look like it's bending in the middle. If this occurs, then why not try taking pictures at 24mm?
When photographing landscape photography we want to aim for "wide", but not "bulging" in the heart, as some ultra wide angle lenses can create. This is where the magnificent 24mm focal length comes in. It creates a wide scene without looking unnatural or over widening effect at the center of the photo. Not only is it a wonderful general length to photograph at, but you can shoot at 24mm to produce panoramas. What I mean is 24mm makes for a beautiful single photo AND it can be a perfect shooting length to stitch multiple single photos jointly to photograph a panorama.
You see if you took a handful of shots photographed at 17mm or less, and stitched them together, you may certainly see an uncomfortable bulge. This is what happens when ultra wide pictures are stitched to make one panorama. Unless you are trying to produce a fisheye effect it will not work in a good way. When shooting with 24mm this terrible outcome does not happen. We are left with a wide angle good enough for a single photo and good enough to generate a series of pictures for a panorama.
To get a good idea of the excellence of the standard 24mm wide angle lens, ask yourself does the photo have a real looking perspective? For example, do you notice any unnatural warping or bulging in the horizon or the length of the forefront? No, we can't. That is usually a sign that the 24mm focal length is just right for the function.
Is this 24mm lens as a rule "wide enough"? Yes it is. And the beauty about this focal length is that we can bring three single photos at 24mm and capture a gorgeous panoramic scene. Some lenses that are ultra wide, such as the 17mm or less, can bulge a composite too much.
You can take a succession of pictures taken from the same perspective and using a tripod to make sure good results. Then use Panorama Maker Pro 6 photo editing software to merge or stitch the pictures together into a single frame. You will find that 24mm is ideal because it does not bulge the panorama in the heart as a 17mm series of photos would.
Once you stitch your 24mm photo succession together then examine if the image is effective because of the extra scenery at the edges. The answer is going to be relative because it has to do more with individual preference and the intention of the photographer.
Once you have stitched a handful of 24mm photos together to create a sole panorama, sit back, and have a good look at it. You will find that it looks like a realistic scene.
About the Author:
Amy Renfrey is a professional photography teacher. She is the author of several photography ebooks and a monthly photography emagazine. She shows you how to take stunning photos every single time, even if you have never used a digital camera before. Click here to learn photography the easy way.