How To Turn Any Lens Into An Ultrawide Lens

# How to Turn Any Lens into a Wide-Angle Lens: A Practical Guide

In this video, I demonstrate a technique to create wide-angle photos using any lens you have on hand. This method is particularly useful when faced with challenging shooting conditions, such as narrow spaces that prevent you from capturing an entire scene in one frame.

## Key Points:

1. **The Challenge**: I showcase this technique using a Palestinian mural in Washington DC as an example. The narrow alleyway (8-10 feet wide) made it impossible to capture the entire mural in one shot, even with an ultra-wide lens.

2. **The Solution**: Panoramic stitching. By taking multiple overlapping vertical shots and combining them in post-processing, you can create a wide-angle view that wouldn't be possible with a single shot.

3. **Equipment Used**:

- Fujifilm XT5 camera

- Fuji 10-24mm lens (15mm full-frame equivalent at its widest)

- Monopod

- Wireless trigger

4. **Technique**:

- Mount the camera vertically on a monopod

- Use manual focus and set aperture to f/9 for sharpness

- Take multiple overlapping shots (40-70% overlap recommended)

- Maintain level shots to minimize distortion

5. **Post-Processing**:

- Use software like Capture One or Lightroom for stitching

- Correct perspective and distortion in Photoshop

- Optional: sky replacement and other creative edits

6. **Applications**: This technique can be used with various cameras, including smartphones and point-and-shoots. It allows you to create ultra-wide shots or even simulate medium format looks with smaller sensors.

7. **Creative Possibilities**: The final image doesn't have to be perfectly corrected. In this case, I chose to keep some distortion for artistic effect.

8. **Practical Use**: The resulting high-resolution image was printed and shared with the mural artists.

This technique demonstrates that creativity in photography often comes down to problem-solving within constraints. By mastering this method, you can overcome limitations in your gear and shooting conditions to capture scenes that would otherwise be impossible.