Wide Angle Lens – a fun new toy

My go-to lens for studio pet photography has been the trusty 24-70mm 2.8, a staple in my studio setup for dogs and other small pets along with the Canon 70-200mm 2.8L for horse, outdoor and action pet photography.

However for quite a few years now, I’ve been drawn to a very different style of photography that demands a wider angle lens to create unique and funny animal portraits with a lens that is actually designed for landscape photography. That’s why I decided to delve into the world of wide angle lenses with the
Canon RF 14-35 to explore this new direction.

I’ve typically taken great care to avoid unintentional distortion in my work, but I’m intrigued by the unique perspectives and joyful images that are achievable using a wide angle lens in close-up shots of animals. So far I’ve found the results with horses less appealing, than with smaller animals, but that could possibly just be my own internal bias towards seeing the horse as a majestic and regal animal.

My own horses over the years have shown me that even the most majestic among them can absolutely play the clown, so wide angle lens + horses is something I will continue to explore, plus this lens certainly allows more environmental portraits than the 70-200mm 2.8L does for horse, dog and livestock photography.

I’m really loving the results I am getting in the studio with the RF 14-35 as well. The wide angle really helped with the clutch of chicks I had in the studio recently and the treat catching action shots and lollipop licking shots are turning out hilarious, so these are both options I will be offering clients shortly.

In the meantime, our friendly sheep and their new lambs are proving willing models with hilarious results – I think this could become a trend in Livestock Photography!