The new Nikon 8-15Fish is really a fun, gorgeous lens that as many have commented, can be over used. There’s no doubt that when you first get it you want to get up really close to your dog, make their nose look ~really~ big and never stop shooting. There is definitely a time and a place for the 8mm end of the 8-15Fish and getting past the “fad” of the new look too serious shooting takes some conscious thought. Let me give you just one thought to get you started.
Here are two examples of the one thought I want to leave with you. You need a defined subject that everything else in the frame is based upon. In the top photo is the open door and prop that comes really darn close to that open door. In the bottom photo, it’s the rag showing what a workhorse this aircraft truly is. The different between the two is the top is shot with the lens at f/8 and the bottom image the lens wide open. Light and depth of field are your main tools for smacking the viewer right between the eyes with the subject when shooting with a Fisheye. Another real helpful element is clouds. You can see how I used them above. Daniel has another great example of what I’m talking about in his 8-15Fish shot. The 8-15Fish brings out the kid in us and that’s a great thing in anything photographic. But once you settle down to serious storytelling, thinking about what is the subject and making sure you smack the viewer between the eyes with it will make this a great lens in your bag!