Nature Photography How To

Most photographers turn to wide-angle lenses when shooting landscape photos. But every so often, depending upon the situation, it makes more sense to pull out the big guns. And if you’re new to telephoto nature photography, it’s easy to make mistakes that can spoil an otherwise great shot.

We often turn to Danish pro Mads Peter Iversen for solid advice on outdoor photography. In this episode he notes that, “A telephoto lens is a great tool for landscape photography, but there are a few mistakes you want to avoid.” Iversen covers some of the most basic mistakes you can make with a long lens, and he explains how to solve them.

The tutorial begins in the Danish countryside with a discussion of depth of field, which is critically important when shooting with long focal length lenses because of their inherently limited zone of focus. That said, it’s still possible to achieve pin-sharp images if you follow Iversen’s advice instead of committing common errors.

Iversen is known for a unique minimalist style of nature photography. Regardless of your personal approach to composition, he urges you avoid the mistake of not devoting sufficient time to properly frame a scene. The beautiful images he uses to illustrate his tips will provide both inspiration and fresh ideas.

Iversen also warns against forgetting to shoot in the vertical format, and he explains how to avoid blurry photos on windy days. He also discusses exposure settings ,and offers a few gear-specific tips, including the importance of using a lens collar.

The video concludes with a discussion of telephoto sunset photography, and why you should always bring a long lens for unexpected opportunities—even if you don’t anticipate using it.

There are many more outdoor photography tips on Iversen’s YouTube channel. And don’t miss our recent post, explaining a powerful technique for obtaining maximum sharpness in landscape photos.