Experiments with Wide Angle Lenses

So, it's been quite a long time since my last post, though I have an excuse.  I started a new job and it occupies quite a bit of my time.  However, though my blogging has slowed considerably, I still find the time for my photography hobby and have had a few new developments since my last post.

I'm not a frequent "upgrader," but recently I bought a Canon EF-S 10-18 mm f/4.6-5.6 STM lens to provide me the opportunity for more wide angle shots--whether they're landscapes or close-ups.  The lens was around $300 on Amazon, which is more than I usually like to spend, but it's actually a steal in the world of wide angle lenses.  I've wanted a wide angle lens forever, but was never willing to settle for an edge-darkening, piece-of-junk $20 lens attachment OR to shell out the ridiculous $2000 for a "real" one.  I was browsing Amazon--probably to placate myself after a long day of teaching--and I stumbled across this reasonably priced lens.  My first paycheck was days away, so I thought "what the heck?" and bought it.

So far, I've been pretty pleased, though there's a bit of a learning curve for figuring out which situations are best for this lens.  So far, most of what I've done have been landscape shots, though I would like to use it more for macro shots to get more background in the photo.  I'm getting a little better about figuring out when/how to use it, though I probably won't have time to hone my craft until a major break in the school year.

Below are a few of the test shots I've taken in the month that I've had the lens.  As I said before, I'm still not great with it, but I'm still happy I made the purchase.