Experiments in Longer Focal Length landscapes

When shooting landscapes there is an almost automatic instinct to reach for the wideangle lens. The phenomenon that cinematographers call ‘exaggerated perspective’, delivered by a wideangle lens, kicks off the motion detectors in the head, activating our attention. It’s a powerful tool. Like all neural signals, however, the brain does eventually accomodate the stimulation, making it harder for the photographer to ‘see’ the Signals in their work. It is a good idea to every now and then forego the wideangle and reach instead for a longer lens to exercise other parts of the neural pathways. Focal length is all about manipulating Figures. Once you understand how to separate the Figures from the Ground in a composition and fit them into their own areas it becomes possible to create landscape photographs at just about any focal length. One of the limitations of this is that Hyperfocality, a very important part of Good Continuation, becomes harder to achieve as focal length increases. The solution is to pay attention to the Figures that are further away from you, leaping past the foreground and building a composition that does not rely on depth but relies on layout and Gradients instead. Some examples below…