Using Various Focal Lengths in Arctic Wildlife and landscape Photography

On the first visit to Svalbard, most photographers concentrate on portraits of polar bears, walrus, and other “locals.” While a good portrait will show a polar bear's phlegmatic muzzle expression and richness of thick, white coat, or a walrus's wrinkled skin, prominent tusks, and funny whiskers it won’t show the Arctic itself. … While taking a good portrait is an engaging and thrilling task, the wider frame would not only portray Arctics' mighty inhabitants but will stress their belonging to this unique habitat – The Arctic. A place where the world turns icy and vast, time seems to slow, and silence resonates through the frozen landscape. … The ultimate solution to achieve this goal is always to have two cameras (one with a telephoto and the other with a shorter zoom lens) handy. Otherwise, you will miss the perfect frame while changing the lenses. … The idea of using a broad focal length spectrum also works well for the landscape, where close-up sometime may look more appealing than wide-angle shots. … This concept is a part of the regular pre-trip briefing I give to my Svalbard expeditions participants, and worked well for many, resulting in creating interesting photo stories. … The pairs of images in this post were taken almost simultaneously with two cameras during the last and previous trips. … Join our 2024 Svalbard Expedition: WORLDPHOTOTRAVELS.COM An early bird discount is now available.

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