Using a Long Lens Shot

The long lens shot is a favorite among many outdoor photographers. This shot enables you to capture distant objects without disturbing them. In this video lesson, you will learn about the value of the long lens shot. Outdoor Photography Guide’s pro Tom Peters takes you to a three-thousand-acre woodland in the United Kingdom and demonstrates how he employs the telephoto lens to capture distant sites. To him, the long lens shot means using a telephoto lens of 70mm and above.

In the woodlands, Tom sets up his tripod with a 100-400mm telephoto lens and shares his tips and tricks. The day is cold, misty and messy, and the scene is monochromatic. Instead of wide shots, Tom employs the long lens shot to pick out details he discovers. He zones in on a twisted oak tree covered in green moss. In a long lens shot, the goal is to eliminate distractions—in this case, the dull wet floor of the forest. He also eliminates another distraction, the gray sky, which takes away the central focus of the image, the oak tree.

Tom’s other tip is to shoot the long lens shot from a higher angle, again to eliminate competing distractions. He shoots some images at f2.8 to create a blurred background. Depth of field compresses a scene. He focuses on a single point on the oak tree to highlight his subject. The purpose of this type of shot is often to guide the viewer into your central character. Tom likes to tell a story through his photography. Another important tip is to avoid camera vibration. His camera is always clamped on a sturdy tripod, and he uses a remote to trigger a two-second exposure.

In this premium video lesson, Outdoor Photography Guide’s pro Tom Peters shows you ways to use the long lens shot to narrow the subject of your telephoto images.