Preview of Scott Kelby's Digital Photography book, Chapter 3, The Truth About Lenses (3)
When you want to get close and zoom in tight, this is the lens for you. You could, of course, use a standard telephoto lens with a fixed focal length, such as 200 mm. But if you then find yourself too far away or too close, your only option is to move closer or farther back.
Instead, you could choose a telephoto zoom lens —for example, one that lets you zoom from 80 mm all the way to 300 mm.
If you are too close or too far away, you can simply zoom in or out without taking a single step. That makes a world of difference to your compositions.
I use my telephoto zoom for everything from portraits and sporting events to photographing buildings. (I usually do not try to fit the entire building into the frame; instead, I zoom in and focus on an interesting architectural detail.) I reach for this lens immediately when I photograph portraits or sporting events .
Jump-Start Your Creativity with Just One Lens
The next time you are feeling creative, try using just one lens for the entire day. If you only have a zoom lens, choose a single focal length—either fully zoomed in or fully zoomed out—and shoot at that focal length all day. You will naturally become more creative when you do not have the ideal lens for a particular shot.
Read more in Scott Kelby's Digital Photography book.
