Fisheye photos are tricky to do well.

Photo by Scott Cromwell

Sure, the super wide angle and curved distortion makes a lot of these pictures look cool. You don’t even need to know much about photography to impress your friends and get a boatload of “likes” on Facebook. But if you want to capture a unique perspective, you’ll need to do your homework. Then, you’ll have to head out the door and practice, practice, practice.

This lens is just a tool, so it won’t take gorgeous photos for you.

But its originality offers a lot of possibilities, too. As more and more people shoot pics with camera phones and add colorful filters with apps, taking photos that stand out is a challenge. So if you can master this unusual lens, you can not only “wow!” your buddies, but you might show someone another way of looking at the world.

Before you get started, though, why not learn (or “steal”) from those who’ve gone before you. Below are 50(ish) examples of fisheye photography that could take your breath away. Or, at least, you might think they’re pretty cool and “like” them on F-book. :)

Steve Angello at Solaris Festival by Tobias Wang

Sunrise In The Office by Karim Nafatni

Sekundenschlaf by Holger Meyer

Who Needs Sleep by Max Spiker

Dubai Galactica by Daniel Cheong

The Pitt by Andrew Cooney

Nasir Al-Mulk Mosque Panorama by Mohammad Reza Domiri Ganji

Smoking Jungle by Karim Nafatni

Shanghai at Night by Clemens Geiger

Ledscalator by Henri Juvonen

you go where you look by Valentin Kouba

Up and Above by Sebastian Opitz

Paradise Pier Sunset by William McIntosh

Curvation by Aaron Yeoman

Curiosity by Henrik Spranz

contingency by Matthias Koebrich

Milky Way over Jackson Lake by Royce’s NightScapes

Busted !!! by AG Photographe

Infinity by Bipphy Kath

Circle of Life by Luke Popwell

Walls of Light by Marc Adamus

Dancing in the Dark by Dorian Orendain

Stars over Teton Range by Royce’s NightScapes

Tuscany right ahead! by Allard Schager

Wonders Of The Night by Mike Berenson – Colorado Captures

Triple staircase by Ángel Sánchez García

me and my gitarre by Siegfried Heinrich

Moving staircase by Sus Bogaerts

Keep a tight ass by AG Photographe

Papuma Beach Sunset by Rivan Indra

Morning Reflection by art-ditz photography

Camp Trails by Bill Church

Bird Man by Neil Kremer

Blade Runner by Aaron Yeoman

Light My Way by Derek Kind

Different Way by Alfonso Gómez

Around the World in 80…. MINUTES! by S. S.

Azadi Tower by Mohammad Reza Domiri Ganji

the tower by Bildwerker Freiburg

360 Japan with Flo Bastien by Tristan Shu

Caretta caretta by Alp Baranok

Winning in the Rain by Alex Evers

05. Refugee Town by 911

Eastbound Westbound by Aaron Yeoman

All of Moraine by Chris Muir

Chaos Theory by Allard Schager

Eye of Seljalandsfoss by Pai Shaka

Ground Perspective II by Vadim Za

Driving by Joost van Doorn

Trees by Alexandru Lates

Kish Island and The Persian Gulf by Mohammad Reza Domiri Ganji

Arches | stairs by Ali Erturk

Mystical Rail with Gus Kenworthy by Tristan Shu

Skiba Practice by Mark Fuchs

Tropical Bride by Eric Cameron

flying by Sarah Lee

Do any of these shots inspire you to break out your fisheye lens and start shooting?

If so, please share which ones moved you in the comments below. We’d love to hear from you! If you’re fisheye-less and can’t afford a 500$ lens (or even a 15$ knockoff iPhone lens), you can still add fisheye-like filters in Photoshop or Instagram and get started today. Enjoy!