16mm Portraiture: How Wide Is Too Wide?

Utter the words "16mm" when talking about focal length, and the first thing we think of is the dreaded distortion. But it doesn't always need to be such a bad thing! All-encompassing images can be an incredibly satisfying way of shooting. So, why do we fear the dreaded distortion in our images?

Wide angle focal lengths can be incredibly daunting and challenging, especially if your aim is to shoot something a little more unconventional. Portraiture lends itself to a whole host of focal lengths, but for some reason, we tend to only really focus on the 25mm, 50mm and 85mm focal lengths. Bokeh, shallow depth of field, and intimate portrayals of our subjects make these focal lengths superb, but what if we go a little wider? What if we go super wide?

Brought to you by Becki and Chris, this video plays host to a really insightful and creative hands-on review of shooting with 16mm from a portrait perspective. Using a wide angle lens for portraiture can really open up a new world of creativity in your shooting. The ability to warp and manipulate the world around you simply by throwing that lens wide can be a really interesting way of shooting. 

Let me know in the comments if you've ever used super wide-angle photography for your projects!