Telephoto lenses
From distant details to dramatic weather, a telephoto lens is the best option when a shorter focal length simply will not do the shot justice
you may not think of adding a telephoto lens to your kit for a landscape shoot, but they can add extra options to the look of your images. The key to using long lenses for landscapes is paying attention to the distant details that will work in isolation. This can be something as simple as a tree or mountain peak, but it can also be something more subtle, such as the recession of tones due to mist, or the aerial perspective that gives a moody, atmospheric image. These shots often work best when they include very few obvious elements. Enhancing the simplicity and minimalism of one or two objects in the landscape is a great way to use a telephoto lens to produce more abstract images than can be achieved using wider lenses.
When shooting distant details it can be difficult for the viewer to get a sense of the scale of the subjects in the image. So including a recognizable subject – such as a building, boat or other object – in the composition can help to really add a sense of scale to the photograph.
Another advantage of shooting distant subjects is that you can capture the effect of adverse weather without having to be in the middle of the rain, snow or hail. This can be particularly useful when shooting mountains, seascapes or open countryside – you can watch the weather coming in across the landscape, get your shots and be packed-up before the weather reaches your position. When shooting these distant landscapes, look out for conditions where
the sun breaks through the clouds to light up areas of the scene to add some extra drama and interest to the scene.
When using a telephoto lens every part of the scene that you capture is a long way from your shooting position, so they are the perfect way to achieve the classic ‘compressed’ perspective look in your landscapes. If you haven’t got a long telephoto lens to hand it’s worth remembering that this effect isn’t due to the lens, it’s simply your viewpoint. You can achieve the same effect by shooting with the longest lens that you have, and simply cropping the image. This will result in the final photo having a lower resolution, but with the high-resolution sensors in most modern Nikons you can easily lose a little and still get a great result.