Video: Why you need a telephoto in your landscape kit

While most landscape photographers will typically reach for a wide angle lens for most subjects, there's a lot to be said for the versatility of a telephoto lens, especially those in the 100–400mm range, for bringing a different perspective to your landscape captures.

Coming to you from Andy Mumford, this great video explains why.

One of the strengths of a telephoto lens comes from its ability to help you isolate details and subjects and compress perspective.

They can also be particularly useful when you're subject is surrounded by elements you want to exclude, such as dull skies or bland foregrounds, and you want to simplify the frame.

There's more too, and we especially liked how Mumford looks at how they give you the ability to make subjects appear more immense. A good example is where a photographer intentionally cuts off the tops of subjects like dunes or waterfalls. As the viewer can't see where these structures end, our imagination takes over and they appear more immense. 

Perhaps our favourite application of a telephoto lens though is when you want to compress a scene. For subjects like distant mountain ranges, a telephoto will bring elements closer together, creating layers and adding depth to your photos.

The other reason you might want to include a telephoto in your kit is in case you fancy shooting other subjects too - a 100-400mm is a great wildlife lens.

You can see more of Andy Mumford's excellent videos on YouTube.

Cover image: Mike O'Connor