London through the Circular Fisheye | Lensbaby Creators

If you’re going to go fisheye, why not go all the way with our unique Circular Fisheye! A portal to otherworldly compositions, this lens allows you to get insanely close with extra fun flare! Discover how Sonni Modi used it to capture London from an unconventional and seriously unique perspective.

What sparked your interest in photography initially?

Having spent several years in the ’90s producing and directing music videos (MD at Atomic Worx & Clockwork Films) I reverted back to my initial passion, photography. I scripted and produced over 200 music videos for a number of international directors, some of whom have become famous in their own right, such as; Guy Ritchie, Alex De Rakoff & David Slade. I've worked with various cinematographers and professional photographers including Nic Sadler, Joe Dyer, Seamus McGarvey, and Julian Barton. Due to lack of creativity in my life, I recently began to take photographs of things that I have an eye for, thus, once again embellishing my creative keenness to produce an original piece of photographic art.

What made you realize that you wanted to pursue photography as more than just a hobby?

I still consider myself an amateur photographer, but I'm slowly making a name for myself in the professional arena and on social media. I was reintroduced to the world of photography via Instagram and quickly began to follow and meet some inspirational photographers, both amateur and professional. Now I wish to take my photography further by promoting my work alongside other photographers and by working with brands and promoting a "community-first" approach.

In your growth as a photographer, what has been the hardest thing (concept, piece of equipment, mindset, etc.) to learn that also provided the greatest reward once you learned it?

I re-engaged my hobby initially as a mobile photographer, using what is now commonly referred to as a selfie-stick and a discreet remote release. I began by taking portrait shots but very quickly realized that my passion was in new architecture (often shots looking upwards), cityscapes, and lately long-exposures. By December 2014, I realized that I needed a better camera to achieve the results I was aiming for, so I entered the world of DSLR’s, SLR’s, full-frame, and Mirrorless Interchangeable-Lens Cameras, also referred to as Compact System Cameras.

My aim is to take photographs of buildings, cityscapes, and occasionally urban portraits that create a mood and evoke a myriad of feelings for me, the photographer, and you, the viewer. I often draw inspiration from sci-fi feature films or from my work as a Promo Producer. I decided to shoot some architectural and cityscape shots of iconic London buildings using the Circular Fisheye Lens and I like to think that I managed to create some interesting perspective shots with this lens that could not be achieved with other lenses or third-party editing apps on the market.

Share a moment when you broke the rules of photography and created something spectacular.

I like to break the rules! Sometimes I like to use a polarizing filter at night-time/blue-hour. Although a polarizing effect will cut down the amount of light getting through to your image sensor, I do find that depending on the set-up, the glare can be reduced to an acceptable level.

How were you introduced to Lensbaby? How have you used Lensbaby lenses to help shape who you are as a photographer?

Having seen some of the amazing shots posted to the Lensbaby Instagram account, I just had to try out the Circular Fisheye to see what new results I could achieve. The Fisheye is a fun and creative lens that gives me the opportunity to see the world in a magnified 185-degree perspective!

Check out more from Sonni Modi on Instagram.