Shooting on a telephoto lens

Shooting on a Telephoto Lens

Using a 80-200mm lens at almost the maximum focal length of 200mm, I'm looking to isolate parts of the garden where I want to focus on the detail.

In My Kit

• Camera
• 80mm - 200mm lens
• Tripod
• Cable release
• Lens hood
• Flag

In This Lesson You'll Learn To:

• shoot with an 80-200mm lens
• compose your background so your subject really stands out
• use varying F-stops to achieve the effect you want
• bracket your focus

Recommended Previous Lessons:

• the exposure triangle
• understanding cameras and lenses
• neutral density filters

Let the Light Help You Find Compositions

I want to showcase the beautiful layering within the planting, so it's crucial to choose a good background that really emphasises the plants and helps them to read well.

When choosing compositions, allow yourself to be dictated by the light, and where it's falling in the garden. As a rule, I am always looking for subjects that are backlit. It's also ideal if you're able to stand in the shade, to prevent the sun from hitting the lens, but this is not always possible.

Exposure

I want the mid-section of this shot to be sharp, and the foreground and background to be soft. My focal length is 180mm and I'm manually focusing on the middle section. The aperture is set to F/11 at ISO 100 and the shutter speed is 1/40.

When Shooting in the Morning, Remember the Light is Getting Harder

As the morning progresses, and the sun continues to rise, the light will be getting stronger and harder. It's important to choose and compose shots that work well with these conditions, rather than fight against them.

Bracket Your Focus as Well as Your Exposure

Just like I bracketed exposure, I will sometimes bracket for focus too. When shooting at a long focal length and a wider aperture, the margin for error can be quite high, so I will bracket around the area of focus to cover all bases.