Video: 5 wide-angle lens mistakes to avoid

Wide angle lenses are often the option of choice in landscape photography, but that's not to say they're entirely straightforward to use - in fact, they can present a fair few challenges primarily due to their large field of view. 

In this excellent video by Nigel Danson, he looks at five common mistakes photographers make with wide-angle lenses and how to avoid them.

One of Nigel's most valuable tips (or mistakes!) is that just because your lens is capable of seeing so much visual information, doesn't mean you necessarily should try to capture it all.

The best wide-angle images will typically be simple compositions that emphasise scale rather than subject. Case in point Nigel's first mistake, which is failing to choose a defined 'star of the show'. Doing this robs images of drama and can make a viewer's eye wander.

It's also worth noting how useful a smartphone can be for testing out different compositions - most recent smartphones have a wide-angle lens and it can be useful to use one before you set up your tripod - watch how much Nigel uses his in the video above.

You can see more of Nigel Danson's great videos on YouTube.

Cover image: Getty