As someone who shoots 90 percent of my professional work with wide lenses, it seems like a daunting tasking to go reaching for a 70-200mm or longer when looking to capture a landscape. Long lenses require a lot more thought in how the compression is going to affect the way the viewer sees the image and its a focal length that the human eye can’t really grasp until you look through the viewfinder. With that being said, learning to use these long focal lengths will go a long way in making us more versatile in our craft. Lucky for us, Thomas Heaton has decided to make a video specifically about this.
Miles away from civilization in the dunes of Namibia, Heaton, a landscape photographer based out of the United Kingdom, teaches us how he uses long lenses to compose stunning images in the minimalistic landscape of the desert. He goes on to show us the thought process and workflow he using to really capture the essence of the land. Using specifically his Canon EF 100-400mm attached to his Canon 5D Mark IV, he explains how to use the compression to our advantage, along with using the longer ends of the focal range to really grab the textures off the windswept dunes. He has a great way of putting things that really helps the viewer grasp exactly what he’s saying and put into practice the next time they are out shooting.
