Of all the lenses in İlhan Eroğlu’s Camera bag, the Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM is one of his most important and most used creative tools. “It plays a major role in my landscape photography,” says the Turkish landscape and travel photographer. “The main purpose isn’t what most people think - it is not to simply capture as wide an area as possible. It is about creating a story, using a strong subject in the foreground, and using perspective to make it appear larger and more impactful.”

Although he is based in Turkey, İlhan has a portfolio spanning the world, creating stunning landscape images from the rugged ancient landscapes of his homeland to the flat lowlands of the Netherlands. Wherever he is, the 12-24mm focal length offers İlhan a creative choice to place the viewer within the landscape, being close to the foreground while the wider view fills the background. “It creates depth,” explains İlhan. Much of this is made possible thanks to the optical design of the 12-24mm GM lens itself.

Building on Sony’s range of wide-angle zoom lenses, the FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM utilises Sony’s latest lens technology to create super-wide-angle images with edge-to-edge sharpness and minimal curvilinear distortion. It is these features that enable İlhan to create spectacular landscape images with rich detail in the foreground and corners. “It maintains excellent sharpness and remarkably low distortion, even at 12mm,” he says. “I can capture natural proportions with the typical warping that you often see in lenses of this focal length.”

İlhan travels the world, pairing his 12-24mm GM with his Sony Alpha 7R V. Interestingly, he doesn’t use a 16-35mm zoom lens in his landscape kit. “Although the difference between 12mm and 16mm is just 4mm, it actually provides a 30% wider field of view.”

The implications of that wider view go beyond simply capturing more of the scene. It also allows İlhan to get closer to the subject in the foreground with a wider background view - the classic wide-angle perspective exaggeration. As he explains, ‘”it gives a much more immersive and dramatic perspective, especially for landscapes where scale and depth matter.”

When deciding whether to reach for his 12-24mm GM, İlhan always starts by carefully considering the scene in front of him. “The choice of lens depends on the place I discover. When using a wide-angle lens, getting close to an object in the foreground, such as a rock, a small flower or a puddle. Having that interest in the foreground can create a powerful composition that leads the viewer’s eye through the scene, all the way to the background, while also incorporating the sky as an essential part of the composition.”

Of course, the lens is only part of the equation, and as with all landscape photography, light is everything. Invariably, İlhan is drawn to Golden Hour - the brief period around sunrise and sunset where the light is warm and low in the sky, creating long, dramatic shadows and lighting specific parts of a scene. It is in these moments that the 12-24mm GM’s Nano AR coating comes into play, reducing lens flares and preserving contrast in the scene, even when shooting directly into the light.

Technically, İlhan uses a tripod to maximise the potential of each scene and get every detail as sharp as possible thanks to the 61-megapixel BSI-CMOS sensor and XA elements of the 12-24mm GM lens. “You want every part of the image to be perfectly sharp so that the final image looks consistent and detailed across the entire frame.”

The tripod also has another use, with İlhan sometimes using it to ‘stack’ images. This is where multiple photos of the scene are taken at different focus points, covering the foreground to the background. The images can then be ‘stacked’ in software, creating a final photo that is perfectly sharp and in focus from its closest point to the furthest. It is a technique that requires precision and patience, but for İlhan, techniques such as these allow him to get the very best from both the lens and the camera.

Mounted onto his Alpha 7R V, the 12-24mm GM is the perfect partner. “I find the focusing of the lens to be fast, accurate, and very smooth - ideal for capturing scenes where precision is key. The image quality is outstanding, with excellent sharpness, rich colours, and beautiful contrast. Even when shooting wide open, the clarity and detail are impressive. It is a perfect lens for capturing the depth and texture of natural landscapes.”