Since my last blog I have got very much back to a sense of normality and stability. I have found myself out and about a lot more, which has been good, of course this has been in no small part to my camera. In my previous post I discussed the possibility of getting the 8-15mm F/4 Fisheye lens. This has been a lens I have very much admired but stayed away from (mainly due to price point). But since getting the 35mm F/1.4 last year, the 24-70mm F/4.5 has not left my bag, and it just seemed a waste having it. So I decided to look at trading it in and getting the highly impractical, but very fun 8-15mm fisheye lens in its place.

 I did have some reservations but these reservations were put to bed the moment I took it out...

The image above was the first one I took with the 8-15mm, and it was a shot that I had envisioned in my head way before getting the lens. This is shot at 15mm, creating a really interesting and exciting image. I was so Happy it came out as well as it did too.

The more I used the lens the more I enjoyed it, the last images above show the extreme barreling effect it gives you at 15mm.

At the other end of the scale it gives you the 8mm true fisheye look which is a very stylized look and although fun to use, would get tired quite quickly. Luckily with the lens being a zoom it does give you the versatility to move away from this sort of shot. (It's still great fun to use though).

This shot above was taken at the same time as the 8mm shot, and just shows the difference between the kinds of images you can create with this lens. I do think I will be able to use this lens for weddings as well, the lens will maybe only come out of the bag once or twice, but I think it could make a striking image that will set myself apart from other photographers. This may well happen in situations like at the church, with their high ceilings etc, this lens will be able to get all this into one shot. My plan is to take this lens to central London next to see what sort of pictures I can capture with it.

As well as the new lens, I had the weekend on my own so decided to get myself out and about as the weather was so nice. I decided to head over the the london Wetlands centre in Barnes. This was a place I have been previously, but did not have the right equipment or weather to really take advantage of it.

Having the 400mm on the 7D body meant that spending time in the Hides would hopefully get me some useable images that I was happy to share. I spend a long time in the Hide and did get a couple of shots that I liked but the heat of the day meant there was not a great deal of action going on around me.

Even with the 400mm the birds were still some way off so getting a sharp image that I could crop into was difficult. I also would of stayed longer had it not been for the heat which was now at around 31-32 degrees. It was a good experience however and I will hopefully go back when its a little less warm. Maybe the birds will actually come out in the open and a little closer then....

Now I did say my next blog was going to be a wedding installment but i just have not had the desire to do one just yet. This is something that I want to get around to doing as I think it will me good for me, but just not yet...

FIN