I’m not a big believer in expensive camera brand names, although I have been a consistent Nikon user for over two decades. If I can do a good job and get the results that I want with any brand of equipment, I’m happy. Not to mention that when I bring expensive gear to exotic locations, I’d be worrying more about my equipment than my assignment.

Years ago, I took my newly purchased third-party 4.5mm f/2.8 circular fisheye lens for a ride through four countries. I started on Corregidor Island in the Philippines, a few hours’ boat ride from Manila. I had been to Corregidor several times, but I never had any success photographing the big cannons that were used in World War II. (The Americans installed these big expensive weapons; however it is said that they never fired a single shot.) With the fisheye lens, even standing right next to the gun I was able to “shoot the cannon.” Finally, I could fit an entire cannon in a single frame without any difficulty!
That was the very first image I recorded with this lens. Though it was exciting and fun, I realized that the lens did not come without problems.

First, you cannot use a tripod the normal way with the fisheye lens. When the lens axis is parallel to the ground, the legs of the tripod will be included in the image. (In fact, my shadow was, in the shot of the cannon.) This can only be avoided if you shoot upwards. Similarly, I had to be very careful about not getting my feet in the image.

Second, I realized that most camera meters are not optimized for such a wide view, so you may find it difficult, as I did, to balance extreme contrasts in the scene such as bright sky and shaded ground. It worked well enough in none-too-contrasty scenes such as indoors or in shaded areas. But whether shooting indoors or outdoors, you will have better control over your exposure if your camera is set for spot metering. After my return trip overseas, having learned to handle metering with the fisheye, I managed a fantastic shot of the outdoor wedding of Jory and Kat in Club Paradise in Palawan—a perfect capture of puffy clouds, backlit white sand, and billowing white streamers.

Third, since the lens does not take filters over the front element, but rather in a slot behind the rear element, one of my biggest problems was keeping the lens free of dust and fingerprints. This is another reason that the lens is more difficult to use outdoors, besides the metering problem.

Phnom Penh

My next stop was Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Having learnt from my Philippine experience, I purposely avoided using the lens during the day. One evening, I decided to go to a tiny riverside temple that was packed with devotees. Some people were carrying flowers, candles and incense sticks and I decided to go inside with them. I had my monopod but there was no way I could raise it up or stay in one place with people constantly pushing me to enter the temple. Suddenly, I saw burning incense a few inches from my lens. I thought it was interesting and tried to capture it.

I was amazed by the results I could get by using this lens. We are accustomed to seeing pictures in a rectangular or square format. But with the fisheye lens, the images I see in my viewfinder are almost spherical, and all the pillars and corners are dramatically curved. I was thrilled by this unique experience.

Originally, scientists developed fisheye lenses to record cloud formations and study weather patterns. They never had any intentions of photographing architecture or people with it, so the outcome is incredibly unlike all other lenses.

After spending a few minutes inside the temple, I went outside and saw some people playing religious music in front of the temple entrance. One musician was playing a percussion instrument I had never seen before. He had arranged his instrument in a circular manner, and to my amazement, the lens could record that without adding further circular distortion. This is a special feature of the circular fisheye Lens that I discovered: if the subjects are curved the lens will dramatize the situation even more. Afterward, I photographed the riverbanks and all the other activities alongside it.

(Tilak Hettige teaches two classes on developing creativity in photography and another one on shooting flowers in their natural habitat at the Philippine Center for Creative Imaging, which just recently marked its tenth year as the country's first and still only Adobe Certified Training Provider. Tilak has traveled to over thirty-five countries, has published two books and is working on two more. He is a contributing editor to i-Mag Photography.)