STOP making these 4 WIDE ANGLE photography MISTAKES - they drive me crazy! 

Not at all what I was expecting from the title. I am glad I watched. In decades of photography, I've never been aware of the mismatched reflection problem. Thanks!

I’m sorry other peoples’ photography is driving you crazy, but yeah wide angles can be tricky. I occasionally use a rectilinear fish eye. A lot of the compositions drive ME crazy (and some are truly magical.) Now that you’ve highlighted all of our mistakes, I would love to see a video on how to get the most out of wide lenses. Thanks!

"It would have been better if the focal length and lens details had been included with the images to understand the effect of each focal length and the effects created by specific lenses."

There are no mistakes. Only happy little clouds. 💁🏻‍♀️💕

Having found your posts about two months ago I have learned more about photography in this short time compared to the last number of years at photography clubs and paid courses that cost a fortune. Thank you so much and looking forward to the next session. I have so struggled with the 16mm lens that I eventually traded it in on a 24-70. Made a massive difference.

Sound advice re polarisers and wide-angles - didn't know you'd seen my entire Norway holiday catalogue with polariser resolutely stuck to the front of my wide-angle throughout. Otherwise I now have this image of you storming round the Butt of Lewis shrieking to the wind about the reflections in some insta post being three degrees off kilter. I'm just worried I start noticing these things too, now!

This video was like a good movie for me; I didn’t think too much about it when I first watched it but I’ve been thinking about it all day. It’s really been one of my favorites and I think I’ve figured out why I say that. I have historically enjoyed viewing but not taking my own wide angle photos. I basically hate to go wider than 20mm and will generally try to stitch a 24mm, 2 shot pano instead. It’s dawned on me that I am uncomfortable when what I see on the back of the camera doesn’t represent what I see in real life. And that explains why I like using 16mm for very small, tight forest or river scenes because you just can’t tell. And then the polarizer tip was something I honestly haven’t ever thought of and it explains a little how manufacturers can sell 14-24 lenses with a bulbous front; because you can’t always use a polarizer on them anyway. Awesome video!

Had a Pentax 15-30mm and a Samyang 14mm. Struggled with both, especially the extreme and uneven polarisation issue, but also stretching and weird perspectives. I don't go below 21mm now, with the Zeiss Distagon 21mm. I can just about make that one work.

Thanks for this wide angle review/critique. I have struggled with my 16-35 and I don’t use a polarizer on it at all for all the reasons you mention. That said, I still really enjoy the challenge of using this lens.

Wonderful summary! Stretching is why my 16-35 mm FF lens sees almost no use. But then I am an old fart from the days of photographic film when the 50 mm lens was used for years until I could afford a super wide 28 mm lens. Was shockingly wide back then. Still is ... to me... 😊

Thank you very much, Alister! Straight to the point and fine examples.

Thank you for sharing some interesting perspectives and technical expertise on wide angle photography... and for introducing me to "that's a whole different bag o' bananas" as an alternative to "a whole other kettle of fish"! 😅

Thanks for this very complete lesson about wide angle lenses. It’s good to emphasise distortion, but in many cases you can’t avoid it. And who is able to buy a shift lens (and to carry it in addition…). And to be honest, in many cases I (!) don’t realise it, because I don’t know the area, I am looking at the composition as whole … But we all should be aware of it!

Ahh, I had thought, when I see, for example, reflections that don't match that the picture had been AI produced. Now I have much more info about the effects of polarizers and wide lenses. Many, many thanks for helping us be better!

I love my Canon 80D with my Tamron 10 to 24. I use it mostly for interior architecture in Europe (Budapest is my favorite City). I frequently print B&W and, instead of filters to increase contrast, I use photoshop's B&W conversion with a digital Infra Red filter. Great separation of clouds and sky. It does require an awareness of the angle of the camerera in it's vertical axis to hold down distortion

Good video Alister. I bought a wide angle many years ago thinking it would be my go-to lens for landscapes but soon discovered quite a few of the issues you mention. It's a great lens use I use it very sparingly these days!

I’d enjoy a video that starts with a photo showing the issues of reflections. You mentioned a pano would have prevented the issues. Could you show us the creation of such a pano for the same shot.

Very interesting regarding the CP with a wide angle lens. And the reflection piece was also an eye opener !

I don't have a very wide lens, so I tend to just stitch two photos together if I need to get more of the scene into an image. The only issue I have is if there are moving objects like waves in the scene.

Really enjoyable and helpful video. The reflection problem has never occurred to me before, so thanks for that. Seems to me that many of the issues can be avoided from not tilting the lens…a set of knee pads are on their way!

Nice video, and good advices. When I go on a long hike in September I will think of this. Now, I only bring a single lens (saving weight, keeping everything as small and compact in my backpack as possible), my Tamron 28-200. I guess I'm in the risk zone when going 28mm, even if I'm safer than if I should use a wider focal length. When I'm in the mountains I usually shoot with longer focal lengths and if I want to go wider than 28mm I try to do a pano (carefully thinking of avoiding the parallax issue). I guess the biggest risk for me when I'm out there is the polarization effect I can get in the sky (the darker area created by max polarization) which can be devastating if I'm doing a pano and get multiple darker spots making everything even harder to fix in post 🤔

Ops, i didn't know, i did a few of these misstakes. Thanks for letting me know. Many thumbs up and i am a subscriber now!

Another good one Alister. Your attention to detail is unrivalled, these are good lessons for what to avoid. I already learned my lesson about the unwanted effect of cpl’s… I bought a 14-30 last year, and it’s not getting much use, for many of the ’flaws’ you mention, but I probably just need to get out and practice. Oh, and I really love the way you say "feel free to do so", that really made me smile 😊. Kjell

One can get an „uneven” sky without a polarizer since the effect is often visible with the naked eye. But a polarizer will enhance it.

Great detail work as usual. I would have found it helpful if you had done a shot and then another showing the proper technique. I stopped using the polarizer on the wide angle. I’ve got to delve more deeply into perspective control.

I get the mistakes....what I didn't get for the most part was what to do in order to avoid the mistakes... except by inference such as don't us polarize in a real wide angle o thee is likely to be problems.

Thank you for this almost clinical review of wide angle lens artefacts. I also loved your "studio" setup for this video with those whites and reds. But I was very annoyed by that horizontal line in your frame where the ceiling of your room meets the wall. It almost drove me crazy, why is it not straight??? Especially behind that lamp! Is it optical distortion or an amateur decorator's side-effect?

Very good video. I’ve run into every one of these issues. It would be nice to have a follow up video on how to avoid, how to take advantage of, or how to correct the pitfalls you brought up, like angled reflections, and polarized skies.

Thanks Alistair. You are always engaging. As a retiree who has only been treating his photography seriously for the last 4 years or so and has not yet invested in a wide angle lens this is really useful. The widest I go is 24mm as that’s the wide end of my standard zoom. I have been considering getting a 14-30mm but holding off as I’m not persuaded I need wider than 24mm. This video rather persuades me that a wider lens would be little used! But it would be good to hear your thoughts on the case for going wide and tips for how to do that successfully ( now we know what to avoid). 😀

Thanks! I never thought about the out of proportion reflection problem. Also, although you focused on landscape, I shoot a lot of architecture (just for myself), and I notice people’s wide angle building shots are so exaggerated out of proportion and tilting this way & that. It’s just awful, lol!

Great tips! I'm headed to the Canadian Rookies and I'll watch these mistakes!

Great points! Thanks for posting. I do have my share of polarizing issues on wide angle lenses.

Excellent video. Thanks for the advice. How would you take these shots now?

This is great information. I was thinking about a wide angle lens, wider than the 24mm that I have. This is food for thought. Thanks!

Many thanks Alister, lol, most of my wide angle shots have these issues, hopefully i can now iron them out.

Thanks for sharing the difference between good & excellent use of wide angle lense..

I like the idea of having a wide angle lens, but I suspect if I had one it wouldn’t come out of the bag very often. Most of the wide angle photographs I see have these massive foregrounds and what the photographer thinks is the focal point of the image ends up being tiny. I just don’t see the point Maybe a wide-angle tilt-shift lens might be the answer. I see a wide angle lens as being more useful for photographing building interiors for real estate architectural photography, rather than being a major part of my landscape photography. I think I would rent one a couple of times and put it through its paces and see if it’s for me or not.

I love your videos. Good Work. 👍😀🇫🇮

Thanks for this video, Alister. I realized that I was not aware of some of these details, especially the last one. I wonder how could I be more creative with this type of objectives by using these problematic characteristics.🤔

I can see that you must be on the short list to receive the Hasselblad Medal. A notable past recipient was none other than God, er I mean Ansel Adams who received the second such award from none other than the King of Sweden, King Carl XVI. All kidding aside, I must say that I learned something. Thank you.

Alister, interesting points. Hope when we are in Jasper (May 2024) you may touch on this. Looking forward to meeting you and Adam on the trip!

Very interesting physics lesson Alister. Something to think about and be aware of. Thanks 👍

I think your message would be better received if stressed that these “mistakes” are opinion-based, and in many instances are intended client/audience specific. Distortions are a prime example…non starters when shooting for commercial clients, but may used to great effect in conceptual photography.

Great advice there 👍🙂

Nice points you make here Alister. You showcased a few images at the beginning of the video (made by Marc Adamus) and they are great. Still what is your attitude to images having edge to edge sharpness, do you approve of them? You've always talked about different kinds of transitions in photographs so I think you mostly don't. I've personally become more and more irritated by this focus-stacking obsession these days, but then there is a trend and it's not easy to break.

Useful advice, Alister, since I'm slowly getting to grips with a wideangle lens. I'll be more aware of these things now. :)

Hi interesting video even if I think you are a bit severe on some aspects. The fact that the wide angle stretch the mountain when you look down is not so unpleasant for me (true that it can seem odd if the sizes are very different with the reflection). The polarizing issues are perfectly true even if you don’t t really give solutions (removing the filter ? ). My best difficulty with the wide angle remains the composition. Think to the background and the fore ground. Nothing more ugly than an empty foreground ( except when on purpose) and this is why they are more difficult to use than standard or Tele lenses.

I'm glad you mentioned camera movements. Came here to say exactly that!

Love that fern shot you snuck in there! Very much looking forward to the “Top 10 Alister pet peeves” video someday lol!

Solid advice Alister.

Now that's an interesting one! I have avoided the really wide-angled lenses for years because I'm more the intimate person 8and struggle with wide compositions). A couple of months ago I got myself this little 16mm wide angle macro lens and when I took it into the forest, it gave me a whole lot of new perspectives. But then, I didn't try to make eye witness images true to what I really saw. I treated it pretty much like I treat all my other lenses - looking for odd and new perspectives and angles. The thing about the focal length stacking - also in the image you shared today - makes me think. And I'm thinking from an eye witness perspective here....Is it manipulation when we use a lens that due to its optical qualities "makes" look thinks more "impressive" (aka more pointy mountains)? Is it manipulation when we use focal length blending to avoid this? Is it manipulation when we use focal length blending when we do it to create an effect that makes a landscape seem and feel the way we have actually seen and witnessed it? Food for thought! And I'm not going to try to give and answer because I am not an eye witness photographer. Thank you for making us aware of how these lenses work an what we might run into and what to bear in mind if we want to show nature's wide beauty the way we experienced it.

Brilliant and crucial remarks as always, Alister.

There are some very mystical images where the "distortion" of reflected objects do not bother me, if I ever had noticed it. The overall mood an 8iage conveys is more important than "errors" only perceived when viewing them in a clinical, sterile way...

So that's why the sky looks weird in some of my polarized wide angle photos. Now I know. I thought there was something wrong with the lens. One reason to lens blend is to avoid the leaning trees you talk about. I shoot the foreground with the lens angled down and the background with a longer focal length that is not tilted down. In this way, the mountains do not become tiny either. Of course, it doesn't always work...

One of the best known and most respected photographer and photo educator, Scott Kelby said recently on his weekly show (the Grid) that Polarizers and all other filters are a thing of the past. He said that "today all we need to have with us is a ND filter" as all other filters can now be simulated in post.

i've always enjoyed the challenge to make a wide angle image, where the naieve viewer does not know it's other than a normal FL image. good turorial, and some things that i am sure i have done wrong countless times.

Absolutely great advice and points. And I agree. I rather have mid zoom and do panorama than use wide and try to squeeze all in one shot distorting everything. Your compositions now are just superb. Original and outstanding. Not something you see on RU-vid. Thank you

My biggest issue with wide-angle lenses is tilted trees. It's related to the reflection issue. So, I tend to avoid wide-angles in forest scenes or, else, I shoot a panorama. A tilt-shift lens would be a godsend. Are you listening, Canon?

Great video (as always) but no mental health tip this time? What’s up with that?!

☕️👍

I agree on all these issues and A learned from others solution is don’t use a wide angle lens unless you really need to use it for creative Instead use a 50mm and stitch. Solves the Mountain issues and others. Point it low then mid than high and stitch them in via adobe raw and photoshop. Lastly only use a polarizer after the sun is above the horizon but still be wary of the sky for a consistent effect.

Thanks for this video Alister for bringing out issues with wide angle lenses but the are a couple points I do not agree with. Polarizers are a thing of the past. Today we can do just about everything in post production. All we still need today is a ND filter. Also, I personally want to make my pics look as impressive as I can and come up with a master piece or a work of art. Unless the people seeing my post work were there with me, they will not know if the mountain was less pointer or the shooting conditions. I believe in presenting the most impressive work to who ever we show our pictures to and unless we shoot for National Geographic, accuracy don't matter that much. An impressive picture, wow factor and a work of art does.

Not trying to be rude, but you seem to just be hating the best part of wide angle lenses, the stretching. People look at photos for two seconds on their phone. I don't think 99% of people care if a reflection doesn't line up. Why try to fix it anyways?