For me personally, a telephoto lens is easier to use for landscapes, because I like the perspective-compression effected also because I am used to picking out mini-compositions that I can crop out from the overall scenery by zooming in on them. I developed this skill because my first pro-level lens was Canon’s 70-200mm f/2.8L IS
, which was far superior in quality to any other lens I had. Because of that, and despite its relatively large size and weight, I used to carry it around all the time. As a side note, I still think that it is, perhaps, the most versatile lens in Canon’s lineup.
Wide-angle lenses, in the right hands, can produce spectacular landscapes, but I find it more challenging to recognize a potentially striking photo. To practice this skill, I decided to put a 16-35mm f/2.8L
on my camera for the first half of today’s hike in the East Sook park. I also wanted to practice taking photos of trees, which I find to be a very difficult subject. By the way, I find the following rule of thumb helpful when evaluating “interestingness” of a potential landscape: all other elements being equal, showing inclement weather, cliffs or mountains, shore lines and people makes the picture more interesting.
Related
