Shoot a focal length blend

CAPTURE ONE FRAME FOR THE VITAL FOREGROUND DETAILS, THE OTHER FOR THE BACKGROUND

Compose the shot 1

Focal blending lets us emphasize backdrops by making them larger in the frame. As such, it’s an ideal technique to try out when you have a combination of foreground interest and distant scenery. A tripod can be helpful as it keeps the camera position consistent throughout, although it’s not essential.

Ultra-wide shot 2

Take a shot with a wide angle lens – here we used 16-35mm lens at 16mm. Frame to include foreground details that lead the eye towards the distant scenery – in this case we used the trails of foam in the reservoir, shot using a 20-second exposure in the fading twilight to blur the water into attractive streaks.

Zoom in and reshoot 3

Switch focal lengths and take a closer shot of the distant scenery. If your lens is a zoom you may be able to simply zoom in (as we did here by zooming to 24mm) but if not switch to a longer lens. Don’t make the jump in focal length too extreme or it won’t work.

Switch focus point 4

As we’ll be blending the foreground with a different shot for the background, we’re free to adjust the focus point too. So focus on the foreground details for the wide shot, then focus on the background once you’ve switched to the longer focal length.

Consistent exposure 5

We need to keep the exposure consistent in both frames. So after taking your first frame, make a note of the exposure and ensure the second frame is the same. Use manual mode to dial in the exact exposure if necessary. Be as quick as you can between frames so that the light doesn’t change.

Narrow apertures 6

Whenever framing to include foreground details we need to be extra careful that everything is in focus, especially if the details are very close to the lens. It helps to use a narrow aperture. Here we shot at f/11 with shutter speed 20 secs, ISO100.