subject: Photography Techniques [print this page] Photographers place a premium on the quality of the photos they take, making sure they are of optimum quality. To get the very best quality we need to know which lenses to use and the best time to use them. Here are the more commonly used lenses together with brief descriptions and tips on how to use them in everyday photography.
By far the most common lens used is the standard lens. With a focal length ranging from 40 to 60 mm, standard lenses can be used for any kind of photography at any time. It's the most flexible of all the lenses and should remain on the camera body at all times.
Telephoto zoom lenses are ideal for nature photographers, as this is perfect for taking wildlife pictures. With a focal length of between 60 mm and 300 mm, this is also a perfect lens for the sport enthusiast. The telephoto lens allows you to capture the far away object and can also be used for landscape images
While these lenses are also versatile, they aren't the ideal lens to use for close-up pictures. Your picture could suffer from blank patches where areas of the actual image should have been.
When using a telephoto lens always make sure that you have the camera supported with a tripod. If you cant use a tripod try using a beanbag - rest the lens on the bag when taking your images.
Wide-angle lens: is the choice of most landscape photographers. They are so popular among landscape photographers as the viewfinder allows you a focal length from 17mm to 40mm - this would result in more of the scene included in the picture. The wider the lens you use, the closer you need to be to an object of foreground interest, to add impact to your photography. There are also ultra wide-angle lenses which have a focal length ranging from 8 to 28 mm.
Macro lenses average 100mm focal length and are best suited for extreme close-up photographs. Nature photographers could benefit from this a lot, as insects and flowers and other small objects can easily be taken with a macro lens. You can also make abstract images with the help of a macro lens. Create abstract figures with your photography by using an aperture - a wide one, preferably - with your macro lens.
It may be difficult, though, to use a macro lens in the event of inclement weather, particularly strong winds.
