Controlling Distortion with wide angle lenses

[KRE728]

Hi everyone,

I noticed the full moon last week hanging right over the brooklyn bridge, but didn't have my camera with me and of course when I went back the next night it was overcast. Eventually the clouds parted a bit, but wasn't until after the sun set so I didn't really get the picture I wanted.

Before trying again next month, I wanted to ask a couple of questions:

1) Shooting at a wide angle and pointing the camera up, I was worried about distortion. Luckily there aren't any skyscrapers in the shot, but I'm not sure if the distortion helps give a sense of size and presence to the bridge or if it throws the image off.

2) Although the moon was big and detailed, because it was so late the detail got washed out as a big white spot. I actually like how it reflects off the clouds, and give the picture the look of an impressionist painting, but I was wondering if I shot this with a longer length telephoto lens, will it flatten the depth and make the moon look larger relative to the bridges?



Thanks,
ken

[navcom]

#1: It all depends on what you are trying to convey. Vertical lines give a sense of strength. Distortion can either accentuate or detract from that. Personally I don't mind a bit of distortion if the composition is sound. But there are times when it can be quite distracting. All depends on the comp.

#2: If you use a longer focal length, the moon will appear larger in relation to the bridge. But a longer focal length will also reduce your depth of field so there is a fine line. I noticed you had used a large aperture. I would recommend using something around f/11-13 for this type of shot. It will guarantee a greater DOF. If you use a longer focal length, you will definitely need a small aperture. Just be careful of diffraction at really small apertures which will cause some image fuzziness. Also, crank that ISO as low as it will go for best image quality. Tripod is a must for 95% of landscapes so shutter speed is usually irrelevant (not always, but usually).

Hope that helps!

[Krusty79]

I think distortion is okay for this shot when you want to emphasize the size and strength of the bridge. If you shot RAW or bracketed your shots, you should be able to recover some of the detail around the moon.

I'd also recommend a smaller aperture and longer shutter speed at ISO 100. This will increase your DOF and minimize noise.

[Doug Sundseth]

Relative sizes are a function of distance, not length of lens. In order to get the moon to appear larger using a longer lens, you need to step back until you get the same framing with the longer lens as you have here with a short lens.

Compose with your feet; frame with your focal length.