***Video is from GoPro’s YouTube account.

For years I have been shooting with wide angle and fisheye lens. Whether it is with my still image cameras or video cameras, I have always purchased wide angle and fisheye adapters. If you have ever worked with me, you will notice me constantly using this look whether for interviews or cool, interesting shots. I have purchased many different wide angle lens adapters for my broadcast cameras, prosumer cameras, and even my Canon EOS digital cameras. I am willing to spend more on the glass than the camera itself…whether it is Century Optics, Canon, or Sigma lenses.

From the earliest days of my career in broadcast television as a photojournalist, I have always used this perspective…to me this makes the picture warm, visually interesting, and intriguing. Most people react to the style with strong opinions…you either like it or you don’t. Trust me…I have many mixed reviews, regardless I love this style and look. These perspectives sometimes bring a sense of curvature to the image.

So I just purchased my first GoPro camera, which is a small compact camera with the ability to capture HD 1080p images using a standard wide angle lens. This perspective gives an 170 degree perspective. These cameras have taken on the extreme sport scene, providing a rich perspective as they are mounted in places like the front of a surf board or the wing of a plane. But…what you will notice are the wide angle perspectives in the videos captured, giving a complete viewpoint of the whole “subjects’” surroundings.

If you watch the video above, you can see all the different ways people are using these cameras…making the wide angle look and interesting, appealing, and widely accepted practice of capturing images.  I love this look and love the warmth it brings to the screen.

I also like what GoPro is doing on the digital/social media front. Their website is rich with lots of product descriptions, images, and YouTube videos showing how customers/professionals are using these cameras. They also have a place for people to submit videos they have shot with their GoPro cameras for use in future promotions. Even better, they have the Daily Giveaway where people sign-up to win their products daily.

If you go to their Facebook Page, it is nothing extravagent…just fans submitting videos and pictures shot with their GoPro cameras. “Simple” must work for them in the social media world…they have over 1.3 million “Likes” on their Facebook Page.

Bottom line…GoPro is making the wide angle and fisheye look cool, innovative, and mainstream. I am a fan of the look and the camera!

Do you notice these types of shots in videos? Do you like the fisheye look? Love to hear your thoughts!

This past October my mother was married in the Charleston Harbor in Charleston, SC. The following pictures were a select few that I took some time to touch-up then enlarge to give to my mom for Christmas this year.

If you look above, this is majority of the wedding party and family with my mom, she is the one in the white dress, slightly off-centered to the right. Steve is the hugging her just to the left. My sister Jennifer is is the one in the blue dress to the left. I took this picture at the last second, and luckily had my 11 mm wide angle lens on the camera. We are on a old-timey cruise boat with this main area that had us packed in like sardines. I took this picture and had it enlarged. I did not do much to it other than removing some dust particles that appeared in the image from the lens and also giving it a hint of a vignette. I think this image captures the moment of happiness right after mom and Steve cut the cake.

Here is the boat we set sail on named Innisfail, it was built in the 1930′s. Click Here to learn more about the boat. The picture above I took of the yacht right before departing for the ceremony in the Charleston Harbor. Steve loved this boat and thought it looked vintage…so I thought I would give it more of a vintage look with the black and white effect. We were only allowed to bring 65 people on the boat, that is including wedding party, family, and guests. Needless to say  that if you did not RSVP, you did not get on the boat, unless someone dropped out at the last second. One of my cousins was not able to take the cruise, he forgot to send in his RSVP card. Big dummy!

This final image is my favorite. I had it enlarged and put on canvas with the wooden backing. We cruised under the new Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, the bridge that replaced the two older Cooper River Bridges. This is my favorite image of the bunch, with a slight sepia effect (outside of converting to black and white). As we were going under the bridge, I ran to the front deck and and held the shutter button down. I had just putting my 11 mm lens on the camera and some dust was trapped inside on the back of the lens. It actually produced a very cool grainy effect on the image giving it a vintage look. Mom loved this when she opened it, and now it is hanging in their living room.

If you want to see all the images from the big ole wedding day and the cruise on the harbor, CLICK HERE for the Facebook Page.

Merry Christmas Mom!