"Why I Don’t Always Reach for a Wide-Angle: The Power of the 70-200mm in Landscape Photography"
As a landscape photographer, I used to think a wide-angle lens was the holy grail of scenic imagery. After all, when we think of vast mountains, sprawling valleys, and endless skies, it feels natural to want to “fit it all in.” And while there’s a time and place for going wide, I’ve learned through experience that some of the most powerful landscape images come from a completely different approach , using a telephoto lens like the 70-200mm.
🌄 The Wide‑Angle’s Allure and Its Limitations
Wide‑angle lenses naturally increase the sense of space by exaggerating the distance between foreground and background, and they bring depth into view by pulling the viewer inThey’re perfect when you have a strong foreground element under dramatic skies think leading lines, flowers in focus near the lens, expansive skies above. Ian Plant says: “big clouds + close foreground = extreme photo awesomeness” KelbyOne Insider.
Yet wide‑angle comes with trade‑offs. The same exaggeration that adds depth can flatten distant mountain faces, diminish drama in the background, or include so much in the frame that nothing stands out. “wide angles leave very little to the imagination” everyone sees the whole context, making images feel generic
✅ Why the 70–200mm Telephoto Is a Must
1. Compression Creates Drama
Telephoto lenses compress perspective, bringing distant ridgelines, cliffs, and mountain layers closer visually. This compression intensifies relationships between scene elements giving your viewer a sense of scale and grandeur in a single frame
2. Intimate, Personal Compositions
By narrowing your field of view, you force yourself to isolate what matters: a sunlit peak, a misty ridge, a lone tree illuminated in the early light. You edit the scene in‑camera, creating more personal, unique interpretations of the landscape
3. Focus on Form, Light and Texture
Telephotos demand compositional precision each element matters. You look for layers, textures, contrasts, light hitting a distant ridge, patterns of shadow, or lines winding through dunes
This is beautifully illustrated by photographing Mountain Ranges : when capturing the shapes, ridges, and trees , the telephoto compressed elements to reveal interaction between form, light, and scale
4. Creative Challenges = Rewarding Results
Telephoto work demands sharper focus, accurate aperture selection, and stronger intent, because you’re not relying on vast foreground depth or sweeping skies to save the framing
5. Stand Out from the Crowd
Most photographers gravitate toward wide angles for landscapes so telephoto imagery gives you space to create something less expected. It’s a less populated creative playground with unique visual possibilities
✨ A Real-Life Example
I was photographing at dawn in the Dolomites (light breaking over ridgelines, alpine Mountains ). With my wide‑angle, I captured the classic panoramic vista towering peaks, soft pink alpenglow. Technically good, but emotionally flat.
Then I zoomed in with my 70–200mm at roughly 150mm to 200mm . I framed one ridge glowing in early light, mist curling between ridgelines, a tree at the edge of the foreground adding scale. The image felt intentional and poetic. It carried the emotion I felt which wide‑angle never did from the same spot.
📊 Wide-Angle vs. 70–200mm:
Feature Wide-Angle (14–35mm)Telephoto (70–200mm)Field of View Very broad entire scene Narrow selective framing Perspective Expands distances; exaggerates depth Compresses elements; layers closer Foreground Importance Crucial for depth and interest Optional can work without immediate foreground Compositional Focus Balanced, immersive environment Precise, minimal, graphic storytelling Creativity / Uniqueness Popular, well-trod style Offers a fresh angle, less photographed scenes
🎯 When I Choose My 70–200mm
When light hits a peak or ridge in dramatic fashion.
When I want layers of mountains or ridgelines compressed.
If mist or haze is distancing elements, telephoto draws them closer.
For isolated subjects—a lone cabin, a single tree, a moody cliff face.
When I want simplicity and minimalism—compose only what counts.
Final Thoughts
Wide-angle photography is powerful but not always the right tool. The 70–200mm lens allows me to create emotional, evocative, and unique photographer‑driven images. It forces me to see scenes differently looking not for everything, but exactly what matters.
It’s about capturing essence, emotion, and intention not just expansiveness. If you only ever grab wide-angle, you're leaving a whole world of landscape imagery undiscovered.
