Camera Lens Attachments

What They Are and When to Use Them

Have you ever gazed at an extraordinary photograph and wonder to yourself, “How did they do that?” Professionals know how to utilize all aspects of their camera and they know that sometimes, a photo needs a little help to become more interesting. Sometimes, this requires a special lens.

There are a variety of lens attachments available. These different lenses each have different properties and each is used to achieve a different result. A photograph isn’t always just about the subject, sometimes it’s about perspective.

These lenses will not go with any camera. You must have a camera that allows for interchanging lenses. These are generally more expensive, but if photography has become about more than just about capturing family moments to you, these cameras may be a good investment.

Zoom Lens

Zoom lenses are very commonly used and some automatic cameras come with them. These lenses allow a photographer to get closer to a far away subject without physically moving. The zoom will crop out the scenery as it moves in on a subject. These are useful for reaching subjects on a stage or remote location or to capture animals in wildlife that you normally could not just walk up to.

Wide Angle Lens

Wide angle lenses, in general, will give you more room in your photograph. In other words, you will be able to fit more of the scene in front of you into your photograph. These are great for landscape shots or photos meant to show a large area, such as a town or city block.

These are useful if you wish to photograph a single subject, whether it is a person or an item, close up without losing the detail of their surroundings. An example of this would be taking a shot of your child swinging the bat at home plate. The photo will be more interesting if you use this type of lens to capture the entire baseball field in the background. You can be close to your child for the shot without sacrificing the large background you want to include.