Picking a lens for nature photography

If the camera is the sketchbook you carry into the field, then the lens is the paintbrush. It’s the part that truly dictates what you can see and capture, and choosing the right one can feel a bit daunting. The catalogues are full of them, all promising the world.

But let me tell you a secret.

You don’t need a dozen of them rattling about in your bag, weighing you down.

Honestly, I’ve often gone out with just one and come back with a memory card full of treasures. It’s about picking the right tool for the job you have in mind.

So, let's talk about the three main types that have made the most difference in my own photography.

The Super-Telephoto: For Reaching Across the Distance

This is the big one.

The lens that makes people in the park comment on the size of your "camera".

We’re talking about something in the 400 to 600mm range, and its purpose is simple: to bring the distant world right to your eye. 

Personally I don't go below 300mm. I only say this from the experience of that mild disappointment when you’re almost close enough, but not quite.

These are the lenses for the shy ones...

For the skittish roe deer at the far side of the meadow, the kingfisher that won’t let you within twenty paces, or the puffin on a cliff edge.

It allows you to keep a respectful distance, causing no stress to the animal, and yet still capture the glint in its eye or the intricate barring on a feather.

They aren’t feather-light, I’ll grant you that. Carrying one all day is a bit of a workout. But they open up a world of private moments you would otherwise completely miss. For birds and most mammals, this is your magic window.

A Word on the 'Big Guns'

Now, you’ve probably seen them on nature documentaries or in the hands of serious-looking people wrapped in camouflage.

Enormous, often white, lenses that look like they ought to be mounted on a ship. These are the long prime lenses. The tools of the pros.

Their superpower is that they have a very wide-open eye (an 'aperture' in photo-speak) which lets them guzzle in every last scrap of available light. This is why they are so brilliant for capturing that fox at dawn or the owl at dusk.

The trade-off?

Well, they weigh about the same as a small badger. You don't just carry them; you haul them. They really are beasts.

And the other tiny detail is the price. They don’t just empty your bank account; they're more likely to require a second mortgage. Best left to the professionals and lottery winners, I think.

The Macro: For Discovering the World in Miniature

This one is for getting up close and personal with the tiny wonders.

The bees, the damselflies, the miraculous little hoverflies that look like miniature stained-glass windows. I’ve crouched in damp grass more times than I care to admit, waiting for a butterfly to pose just so.

A true macro lens (often around 90-105mm) lets you render these tiny subjects at life-size on your camera’s sensor. The results are pure magic. You see the fine dust of pollen on a bee’s back, the delicate veins in a petal, the alien geometry of a fly's eye. It’s a whole universe right there at your feet. The artist in me adores the patterns and textures to be discovered.

The price for these astonishing shots? Muddy knees and an occasional damp bottom. It’s the uniform of the macro photographer, and well worth it.

The Wide-Angle: For Telling the Whole Story

Now, you might think a wide-angle lens (something like a 16-35mm) is just for sweeping landscapes. And it is! But it’s also a secret weapon for a different kind of wildlife photography.

Instead of isolating an animal, a wide-angle lens places it within its world.

It tells a story. Think not just of the badger, but of the badger emerging from its sett into a forest floor carpeted with bluebells. Not just the rabbit, but the rabbit silhouetted against a dramatic, cloud-filled sunset. It captures a mood, an atmosphere, a sense of place.

Curiously, a good one can be just as expensive as a telephoto lens.

But here’s my trick to save a bit of money to begin with (and weight in your bag): get out your trusty smartphone. For those wide, scene-setting shots where you want to show the sheer scale of the landscape, your phone can often do a brilliant job.

My Final Tip: Just Start with One

You really don’t need all three to begin. That’s a quick way to empty your bank account and fill your bag with heavy glass you’re not sure how to use.

Think about what you love to watch most.

• Is it the birds in the treetops? Start with a super-telephoto.
• Are you fascinated by the insects in the flowerbeds? A macro is your friend.

Pick the one that suits your passion, get to know it intimately, and learn its quirks.

The rest can always wait until Christmas, or your next birthday wishlist.

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