Wide angle lenses dominate landscape photography, but they aren’t the only option. Telephoto lenses offer a different perspective, bringing compression, depth, and new composition possibilities. They let you isolate details, enhance layers, and create a more immersive feel in vast environments.
Coming to you from Matt Zefi with B&H Photo and Video, this informative video breaks down how telephoto lenses can change your approach to landscape photography. One key advantage is compression—using longer focal lengths makes distant elements appear closer together, making mountains look grander and forests denser. This effect can transform a scene, adding impact that a wide angle lens might not achieve. Zefi demonstrates this by comparing shots of the Blue Ridge Mountains at different focal lengths, showing how telephoto compression changes the scale and feel of a landscape.
Telephoto zoom lenses provide flexibility, allowing you to pull multiple compositions from a single vantage point. Zefi highlights lenses like the Tamron 50-400mm and 35-150mm, which make it easy to switch between capturing broad scenes and tight details without moving. This is especially useful when working with unpredictable lighting, such as sunrise and foggy conditions, where the ability to zoom lets you adapt quickly. He also explores techniques like frame blending and high-resolution panoramas, merging multiple images to create dramatic, detailed landscapes.
Shooting with a telephoto lens requires a different approach. Zefi emphasizes adjusting settings like aperture and shutter speed to compensate for reduced depth of field and potential motion blur. He discusses focus stacking for sharp foreground-to-background clarity and using auto ISO to maintain flexibility in changing light. Another useful technique is creating stitched panoramas, capturing overlapping frames to produce high-resolution images with stunning detail.
Post-processing plays a big role in refining telephoto landscapes. Zefi walks through his editing workflow, enhancing colors, contrast, and depth to bring out the best in his images. He demonstrates how minor tweaks in white balance and exposure can dramatically improve the final result, particularly in high-contrast scenes like mountain sunrises. His editing also highlights the importance of balancing blues and warm tones to create a natural, visually striking image. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Zefi.
And if you really want to dive into landscape photography, check out our latest tutorial, "Photographing the World: Japan II - Discovering Hidden Gems with Elia Locardi!”
Very VERY good info!!! Just to add some info! There is one big difference between prime and telephoto most to not pay attention to and that is telephotos have OSS/IS and that allows with cameras with IBIS to have better stability when hand holding. I leaned about bracketing hand holding when at Antelope Canyon in Az. when i forgot my camera plate to attach to my tripod. All others in the tour had tripods for long exposures but I using my new A7RM2 (IBIS) first did a single image that was great and then a 3 at +/- 2EV also great so I did the whole tour hand holding and did not have to pay for another tour and was with the FE 12-24mm a non OSS/IS lens. But today with the A7RM5 and a FE 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS you get a range with APS-C added 24-360mm and able to hand hold leaving the tripod alone. Also a wide angle FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS for a wide shot, both in my everyday carry bag. Added info in 2017 only Sony had a 12mm so wider than anyone else. A thing on the old A7RM2 is on the upper dial is a panorama selection you can do on a tripod (suggested) or hand held. Doing a pano with a longer lens you get detail up close.
Today with bracketed capture of Exposure or Focus hand held even pixel sifting. Doing a sunset/rise if sun is above the horizon you get a small sun instead of a big blowen out sun giving more detail of clouds. If below the horizon there is little brightness in your foreground so to get both colors and foreground detail a bracketed exposure close or zoomed is easier.
Lastly primes are Fast Glass like F1.8 etc. but for landscape sharpness is needed near and far so you will be there at f/8 to f/11 whatever is the sharpest of your lens.
Also barely mentioned is the macro use of a telephoto lens where zooming in on a flower or mushroom etc. while walking to or from a spot that lens will also get a close up.
3. A7RM5 handheld with FE 16-35mm F4 G
4. Sony FE 24-105mm F4 OSS (2015) on a A7SM1 at 55mm