Equipment, Photographic Myths and Platitudes

Photographic Myths and Platitudes — ‘Landscape Photography Lenses’ (Part II)

January 10, 2015 G Dan Mitchell 4 Comments

(The “Myths and Platitudes” series of posts concerns common photographic beliefs that may be open to question. This article has been updated periodically.)

Recently a reader asked about lenses for landscape photography. As part of my reply (see “Landscape Lenses” in my “reader questions” series) I referred him to the older article on landscape lenses: .”Photographic Myths and Platitudes – ‘Landscape Photography Lenses’ (Part I).” In doing so I realized that “Part I” had been written way back in 2009, and that Part II was long overdue! (And… in the years since I originally wrote that article, parts of it have also needed updating.)

The myth or platitude that I left out of part I is a perennial one: Primes lenses are best for landscape photography. Given how often this comes up, it might seem surprising that I didn’t write about it sooner, but I put off dealing with it for several reasons. It can become a very big subject. Not everyone cares, since today most photographers have moved happily to zooms. The “primes are best” notion has been cherished by some for a long time. It is a subject about which folks can become quite passionately partisan, perhaps in part because it is one of the gear issues that lend themselves to technical arguments, or because lens choices can be a way to try to align oneself with certain approaches to landscape photography.

We often hear arguments for using prime lenses in landscape photography that include the following:

Primes can produce higher resolution
Primes may better control certain kinds of image distortion
Using primes will slow you down and make you think more about your photography. (Conversely, using zooms will make you lazy.)
Great landscape photographers have relied on primes for a long time.
Primes provide some features that aren’t available from zooms

Before dealing with the question, let me reveal my own background and point of view.

Continue reading →

Equipment, Reader Questions

Reader Questions: Landscape Lenses

January 10, 2015 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

From time to time I get questions from readers, and I usually like to share the answers so that other might learn something, too.

Recently “Gregory” wrote:

I just read one of your articles on appropriate lenses to use for landscape photography. I’m a hobbyist photographer in California that has a passion for landscape photography. I sold my Canon equipment and will be purchasing some Nikon lenses and camera body. I wanted to get your input as to what the majority of landscape photographers use – prime lenses or zoom lenses? Based on my limited budget, here is what I am thinking of:

Option A — Primes: 20mm, 28mm, 50mm, 85mm
Option B — Zooms: 24-70mm, 70-200mm
Option C — Zooms: 16-35mm, 24-70mm

I don’t have the budget to purchase both a super wide zoom AND a telephoto. I’ll have to settle for one of these and then acquire an additional zoom later on. I’m thinking the primes maybe slightly sharper in the borders and lighter to carry, but what about the hassle of constantly switching lenses back and forth? Not sure I want to do this. I would appreciate any recommendations/suggestion you might have.

Before I reply here, let me share a couple of articles that I wrote about more or less this topic:

“Photographic Myths and Platitudes – ‘Landscape Photography Lenses’ (Part 1)” focuses on general issues related to landscape photography lenses.
“Photographic Myths and Platitudes — ‘Landscape Photography Lenses’ (Part II)” focuses on the “primes or zooms?” question.

By the end of this article… I probably will not tell you which lenses to select! But perhaps I’ll help you consider factors that will assist in making a good personal decision that is right for your photography.

To a great extent, many of these decisions are personal and they come down to your own personal preferences and the ways in which you approach your subjects. Some people have reasons for preferring prime lenses, some have reasons for preferring zooms, and others have good reasons for wanting both. Some are comfortable working with a relatively narrow range of focal lengths, while other feel the need for a wider range. Some have a predilection for wide-angle lenses, while others are drawn to longer focal lengths. And this doesn’t even get into the questions about tilt/shift lenses and other variables.

I mention this for a couple of reasons. First, there are going to be people who disagree with my preferences — listen to their perspectives, too, and then use your own judgment. Second, consider your own preferences at least as much. Continue reading Reader Questions: Landscape Lenses →

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Autumn Leaves, Tahoe Shoreline

January 10, 2015 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Colorful autumn leaves along the northern shore of Lake Tahoe, California

As part of a project that I’m working on I spent a few days photographing and exploring in the greater Lake Tahoe area in early October. I’ve gone to Tahoe for years, but mostly in the winter for cross-country or Telemark skiing or in the summer for family trips, back when we would occasionally get a cabin up there. Oddly, my experience with the lake in the fall was almost nonexistent.

So this trip was part of a process to fix that omission. I spent time in some of the surrounding areas where there can be some spectacular autumn color and I spent one full day circumnavigating the lake. It was on that day that I paused at the north end of the lake, just inside the California border, to photograph these colorful trees against the deep blues of the sky, mountains, and lake.

Text, photographs, and other media are © Copyright G Dan Mitchell (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: Wildlife

Winter Geese, San Joaquin Valley Farm

January 9, 2015 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Flock of migratory winter geese circling above a San Joaquin Valley farm

Every winter California’s Great Central Valley becomes the home of astounding collections of migratory birds. (I’m still a bit surprised that folks from the state will travel great distances to other states to photograph some of the very same birds, when they are at their backdoor!) Historically the Central Valley (consisting of the Sacramento Valley to the north and the San Joaquin Valley to the south) supported even larger populations of birds, but as the area was developed for agriculture the majority of the wetlands were lost. However, places were set aside, and in many areas the agriculture areas become the homes of the birds in the winter.

We visited one of these protected areas late December, an area where I frequently photograph throughout the bird season. The photography in this area was good, but it still seemed like there were not as many (mostly) Ross’s geese as we would expect. We figured out why — huge numbers of them were settling in just outside the area where we usually find them, and across a nearby road on farmland. Here the flock of thousands of geese takes to the air above one of these Central Valley farms on this foggy morning.

G Dan Mitchell Photography

Photographic Myths and Platitudes — ‘Landscape Photography Lenses’ (Part II)

Reader Questions: Landscape Lenses

Autumn Leaves, Tahoe Shoreline

Winter Geese, San Joaquin Valley Farm

Photographer and visual opportunist. Daily photos since 2005, plus articles, reviews, news, and ideas.