Photographing landscapes using longer lenses

Think of dramatic vistas and the first lens that comes to mind is probably a wide-angle lens. There's nothing wrong with this as after all, they're great for getting huge amounts of the landscape in shot but next time you venture off into the hills, take your telephoto lens along too.


Gear

• Lens that will let you play with longer focal lengths
• Tripod – Longer lenses are more prone to camera shake
• Remote/cable release - Minimise the chances of shake

Technique

Why use a longer lens?
Find a spot high on a hillside that gives you a view of mountains/hills off in the distance as well as interesting foreground detail and you'll have the perfect set-up for your longer lens. If it's the shapes of the mountains you like don't shoot it with an empty, dull field in front of it. Instead use the pulling power of the longer lens and bring the mountains to you, filling the frame as you do. This gives you the chance to photograph an over-done scene in a different way, bringing details not usually picked out with wide-angle lenses to you.

Lead the eye in
Leading lines such as fences and paths leading down the side of the mountain make good foreground interest particularly as they can be used to lead the eye through the frame to the detail that sits in the background. Look for large rocks, single trees, barns and other buildings that could give your foreground that little bit of interest it needs. If you don't mind waiting around until the sun sets these features look great silhouetted against the landscape that's still illuminated by the late evening sun.

Misty mornings
If you have a misty morning, make the most of it using the perspective on your telephoto lens to photograph the distant hills which appear as stacked shapes. To emphasis this, make sure you're shooting in the direction of the light and watch your exposure as the bright sky can fool your camera. If this happens, try using a plus exposure to rectify the problem.