How to capture globe-shaped photograph?

Question

I am a beginner photographer. How to capture this kind of photograph. Any technique?

Answer 1

For an image like that, a "fisheye" lens was used. This is a specialized lens that covers an extreme wide angle.

What can a fisheye lens be useful for?

Answer 2

You don't even need an expensive fisheye lens to produce this effect. The linked image is a series of multiple shots and stitched in Photoshop http://www.panoramio.com/photo/41726629?tag=best

You can see more images like this at http://www.panoramio.com/user/221285

Answer 3

A fisheye lens was used. It is often used for a comical effect, but they can be very expensive, especially for a beginner.

You can add fisheye effects to the image for free, producing similar results. Try this out at LunaPic (I don't know if they still do this) or you could follow this Photoshop Tutorial.

Answer 4

As MikeW said, it is a fisheye lens. A fisheye lens is generally recognizable from it's characteristic dome shape. It bends the light far more than a typical flat lens and is therefore able to capture an exceptionally wide field of view, but since it is semi-circular, it ends up distorting the edges of the image with the characteristic curvature that you see.