The Essentials to Choosing Photography Lenses

By: Randall Stevens

Photography lenses are the key elements in photography. The quality of an image is mainly determined by the lens being used. If you are interested in photography, you should understand the various types of lenses used in photography. Once you have your basics right, you can begin your photography experiments.

The most common photography lenses used are the Wide Angle, Normal and Telephoto. These lenses are defined according to their focal length, which determines the amount of magnification and angle of view a lens can see.

Wide Angle Lenses

A Wide Angle lens has a small magnification and a wide angle view. Lenses with 20mm to 35mm are called Wide Angle lenses. These lenses are the preferred choice when it comes to photographing landscapes, sweeping panoramas and other outdoor scenes. They are also good for group shots. These lenses offer deep depth of field, thereby making constant refocusing less important. This is why they are usually used in photojournalism, in which a subject is frequently moving.

Normal Lenses

Traditional or Normal lenses consist of 50mm focal length. They offer an angle view close to the human eye. These are the standard lenses that are supplied with an SLR.

Telephoto Lenses

Telephoto lenses offer high magnification and narrow angle view. Anything with a focal length of above 135mm is referred to as a telephoto lens. These lenses are used in sports, nature, and documentary style photography.

There is another type of photography lens which is known as Medium Telephoto lens. These lenses have a focal length of 85-135mm. They are perfect for portraits and that is why they are usually used in portrait studio photography. These lenses are able to isolate the subject from the background. Studio photographers use the increased focal length to slightly flatten the image and give it a more natural and flattering perspective.

One thing that becomes clear here is that you simply cannot use a single type of lens for all sorts of photography. For instance, studio photography is very different from wildlife or outdoor photography. Telephoto photography lenses are best suited for wildlife photography, while Medium Telephoto lenses work great for family or kid portraits.

Practicing

Once we have the basic knowledge about various lenses, we can begin honing our photography skills. The best thing to do is start taking pictures of your family. Good family photographers are always ready and are able to anticipate a photographic opportunity. Do not let the subjects know that you are taking pictures because that way you will get natural images. Plus if you set the aperture setting pretty low to narrow the depth of the field you can get some really cool images.

Tips

Another great way to practice your photography skills is to create children's portraits. In fact, kid photography is a very rewarding experience. It is all about being quick and understanding the psychology of the kids. Here are few tips to help you get great pictures.

-Get the kids interested in the settings. Let them explore the surroundings. That way you will get natural pictures.
-Choose the location very carefully. Beach, park, or a bridge over a creek offer a natural setting in which the kids can be kids. Moreover, you get an awesome background.
-Be quick because you never know when you can get that magic moment.
-You have to be patient because it might take some time to get the right pictures.
-Choose your lenses and equipments wisely.

With the right photography lenses and knowledge you can get some amazing shots of whatever that you are trying to take pictures of.

About the Author

For more expert tips and advice on photography lenses, cameras and digital imaging, visit us at http://www.photographynotes.com
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