The Application of Super Telephoto Lenses in Landscape Photography

Super telephoto lenses have extremely long focal lengths, allowing them to bring distant subjects closer and compress the sense of space. Although super telephoto lenses are not the mainstream tool in landscape photography, their unique application effects provide photographers with different creative perspectives and can bring unexpected visual effects to landscape photography.

1.Applications of super telephoto lenses in landscape photography

Super telephoto lenses have unique applications in landscape photography, and their core applications mainly include the following aspects:

(1)Compress the space to enhance the depth and layering of the image

Super telephoto lenses compress the distance between the foreground and background in an image, compressing distant, multi-layered scenes into a compact plane. This makes mountains, buildings, or clouds appear closer together, creating a layered visual effect. This spatial compression reduces the sense of depth between the near and far elements, making the image more focused, unified, and visually layered.

(2)Capturing details, amplifying the beauty of nature

The ability to shoot at long distances is a key feature of super-telephoto lenses.  Their long focal length allows them to bring distant subjects closer, making details clearly visible and revealing the subtle nuances of natural landscapes.

For example, when photographing distant snow-capped mountains, mountain ranges, or buildings, super-telephoto lenses can capture the textures of the mountains, the cracks in the rocks, and other microscopic features, showcasing rich detail.

(3)Simplify the image and highlight the main subject

Super telephoto lenses have a shallow depth of field, which allows them to blur cluttered backgrounds, select the most aesthetically pleasing parts of the scene, and eliminate unwanted elements at the edges of the frame, making the subject stand out from the background.

For example, a super telephoto lens can be used to capture a cross-section of a city building, a single tree, or an isolated lighthouse, creating a simple yet powerful composition.

(4)Highly adaptable and suitable for a variety of scenarios

Super telephoto lenses also offer great versatility, adapting to various shooting scenarios such as landscape photography, cityscapes, and dynamic photography.

For example, when photographing cityscapes, a super telephoto lens can capture distant buildings, bridges, and the sky, making the image more compact and layered; when photographing dynamic landscapes, such as waves crashing against rocks or wind blowing through leaves, a super telephoto lens can better showcase the movement and changes in the scenery.

(5)Overcoming limitations in shooting distance

Using super telephoto lenses, photographers gain significant support from their long-distance shooting capabilities, allowing them to overcome the limitations of shooting distance and capture subjects that are otherwise inaccessible, such as wildlife or waterfalls across a canyon. The application of super-telephoto lenses enables photographers to capture ideal scenes while ensuring their own safety.

(6)Creative composition and photography

The shallow depth of field and spatial compression effects of super-telephoto lenses can also inspire photographers’ creativity, allowing them to experiment with different compositions and shooting techniques, capturing different scenes from different perspectives to create unique visual effects.

In addition, super telephoto lenses also perform exceptionally well under certain weather and lighting conditions.

2.Tips and precautions for using super telephoto lenses

Although super telephoto lenses perform well in landscape photography, their use also presents a series of challenges. Photographers need to master certain techniques and considerations to use them more effectively in everyday shooting.

(1)Pay attention to the stability of the equipment

Super telephoto lenses have a long focal length and are susceptible to camera shake.  Even the slightest movement is significantly magnified with a super telephoto lens, so special attention must be paid to shooting stability.

When shooting, choosing a tripod with a strong load capacity and good stability is essential, as it can significantly improve image stability and sharpness, ensuring that details are clearly rendered.

(2)Pay attention to choosing the right time for shooting

Super telephoto lenses are typically used for long-distance shooting, which makes them susceptible to the effects of heat currents, dust, and moisture in the air. This can lead to blurry images, reduced sharpness, and color distortion, especially during hot summer afternoons.

It’s generally recommended to shoot after rain, in the early morning, at dusk, or on clear days after a cold front has passed, as the atmosphere is usually more stable and transparent at these times. If possible, try to get closer to your subject.

(3)Consider weight and portability

Super telephoto lenses are usually large and heavy, making them inconvenient to carry. Besides requiring a professional tripod for shooting, you also need to consider the weight burden during everyday use. Choosing a suitable camera bag or opting for lightweight solutions is recommended.

(4)Pay attention to composition techniques

Super-telephoto lenses have a narrow field of view, making composition relatively more challenging. Photographers need to practice extensively, mastering composition techniques at medium and long focal lengths before attempting super telephoto composition, which will make the process much easier.

For example, when composing a shot, you can utilize foreground elements, symmetrical elements, and leading lines to enhance the visual appeal of the image.

Furthermore, cropping and color correction in post-processing can further optimize the perspective effect and image quality of super telephoto shots, enhancing the detail and texture of the subject.