The art of telephoto landscapes with Joe Cornish

One of Britain's best-known landscape photographers and SIGMA Ambassador, Joe Cornish, has spent four decades documenting Britain's natural environment. In this video Joe shares his approach to capturing telephoto landscapes, and gives his advice on when, why and how to choose a long lens over a traditional wide-angle. Joe takes the SIGMA 85mm F1.4, 135mm F1.8 and 150-600mm F5-6.3 to the incredible North York Moors National Park in northern England.

[@DanDill]

Such a treat to look over Joe's shoulder and to hear this thought process.

[@davidatkinson1413]

Thank you Joe. As an ex-pat Yorkshiremen living near the Canadian Rockies in all its grandeur, I enjoy traveling with you in my beloved Yorkshire.

[@SebastianBevanPhotography]

Lovin that, I was lucky enough to listen to Joe give a talk at the NEC Photography show yesterday, top man and a joy to watch

[@IanMiddletonPhotographyTravel]

Great video. And so true. I love using a telephoto lens for landscapes. The ability to really isolate a part of the scene is priceless.

[@josephstanski5180]

Oh, such beauty - Thank you so very much Joe Cornish. 😄

[@bobmccain1674]

I really like it. Thank you Mr Joe Cornish!!

[@chrisp4170]

Mr. Roseberry Topping - One of my favourites!

[@andrewcroft2570]

Great video Joe with fantastic advice.

[@DavidWilson-vt5uj]

Nice to see the master at work thank you

[@LandscapePhotography]

Wowww so beautifull , 👍👍👍👍👍

[@Zealor365]

Intro was superb. Bravo!

[@huwalban]

Ha ha, I love the way that Joe directs whoever is holding the video camera, " Cummon, we're going to carry on walking"! I use my Sigma 100-400mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS Contemporary a lot in the landscape, especially during the spring and autumn to single out leaves or ferns or other details. It isn't the fastest of lenses but if you choose you subjects carefully then blurred backgrounds are still very achievable. It is great to see Joe out with the fp range of cameras. I really hope that Joe's involvement with Sigma helps to promote this camera system, as it is an excellent tool in the landscape.

[@ianmcdiarmid4563]

Hey Joe, will that blue lens pouch fastened to the tripod whanging about in the strong wind cause shake? Or the tripods so sturdy it stays rock solid? Liked the dappled light over the village shot.

[@pasty1969]

As usual such wonderful advice and wisdom from Joe. Agree with Huw regarding the Sigma fp as it’s also a fantastic little camera. I thoroughly enjoy watching these video as Joe has such a methodical and passionate approach to his photography and has a certain way of conveying this to the viewer that’s captivating.

[@ianbrowne9304]

2:14 "strong shadows'' coming from Australia , I had to smile :)

[@SelaphielGodsAngel]

Great channel and very helpful tips glad i came across subbed and thumbs up.

[@BVCAnand-qe4ft]

Great fan of your videographer from India

[@craigwilliams4161]

Rea;;y enjoyed this video. Excellent advice for a master of landscape photography. I usually leave my telephoto in my bag when shooting landscapes. Not now.

[@jonwoodruffe5479]

Thanks for the vid. Great to hear the thought process of a master at work when you're trying to improve your photography. Just bought my first Sigma lens and impatiently waiting for it's arrival. Looking forward to getting out there shooting with it. Thanks again.

[@DS-ke8pq]

Usual compositional magic from Joe - from one angle could be Sony body, reverse angle it’s a Sigma. Stunning stuff!😂😂 👍

[@willrogers3702]

I was so confused trying to work that out, makes a lot more sense now

[@alangauld6079]

Great to hear practical advice on using long-toms for landscape. There seems to be a real resurgence of interest in longer lenses just now. Also, proof that you don't need to be shooting at the crack of dawn or at sunset for landscape photography. I'm really enjoying this series Sigma, many thanks for putting it out.

[@sanclewphotographic]

Can I just ask Joe as one of the best known and the best Landscape Photographer in the uk and beyond for your impression of the Sigma 61. mp cameras, I know you are an ambassador for Sigma so your general thoughts would be appreciated,( the Cameras look great in the Videos and we all know the excellent quality of Sigma Lenses ). regards, Colin.

[@Pentalvers]

hi Joe, have you tried the sigma 60mm 600mm. if so. what do you think.

[@varunjoel3281]

Would love for someone to name the soundtrack.

[@ggivensjr]

What is blue cover over tripod head?

[@pleatedskirt18]

I have many lenses, but I only tend to use 2 for landscape - my 24mm PC-E and my 70-200 2.8. I have a 24-70 2.8 but rarely use it. Sadly, telephoto lenses are oft overlooked by landscapers, and they jolly well shouldn't be!

[@carlosmm76]

Joe, what camera were you using? cannot recognize it. Awesome video!

[@antonoat]

Sigma

[@igor_timofeev]

One thing I don't really like about telephoto landscapes is distant blur due to air lenses

[@nickgoogle4525]

The weight dances around under the tripod. I think that will introduce shakiness instead of reducing that!

[@carolwaldman6444]

Place the camera bag on a bungee cord hanging from the bottom of the centre column and let it rest on the ground. It will act like a stabilizing weight

[@MrKreweesti]

Ehh, it’s only the empty protection case of his Arca Swiss tripod head.

[@chas1878]

@@MrKreweesti There's no reason to hang an empty bag under the tripod, just put it in your bag or hang it to your bag. If anything it being empty will make it easier for the wind to shake it around

[@davidsmithson9236]

I think Mr. Cornish knows what he is doing. Well done indeed.

[@nocraic]

Ya you tell Joe Cornish how to do his job. Any advice for Lionel messi on how to play football?

[@paulthacker1]

I have always believed that in the end, the work speaks for itself. No matter the personality, the credentials, schooling or technique or equipment employed, the picture in the end stands alone unable to defend its creation. The picture is either evocative or not. Well crafted or not. Powerful or impotent. This Joe Cornish video speaks volumes on much of what I have just listed. Maybe the glow of Mr. Cornish’s personality and previous work has a blinding effect. From the poor compositions and edits - if anyone other than Mr. Cornish were in charge, we’d see it all immediately. This fad of shooting landscape with lens lengths designed for other applications has little in it. I’m glad Mr. Cornish explained several of his pictures to me for the compositions offer little assistance in knowing what the picture is about or where I should be looking. A 135mm on 35mm is the standard lens for photojournalist shooting the President at the podium. That 150-600 is designed to shoot eagles in the high trees or action at the Super Bowl. In cinema, the brief use of a long lens identifies location or an unnatural/fear based separation of individuals. Despite what Mr. Cornish attempts to convince at the end, the long lens does not draw a us “in”, it separates us. Illustrates segregation or fear. An alienation from what is pictured. Whatever you want to call it, working this way conveys an absence of intimacy. Several times during the presentation, Mr. Cornish refers to “pattern” within the frame. Lines of hedgerows, stone fences, boundaries of fields, arrangement of trees in the woods and so on, all piled in upon one another in the optical field created by the long lens cutting obliquely across the landscape. He finishes the presentation with reference to John Szarkowski’s idea that the outer frame of a composition is like the sides of a “billiard table” having the power to ricochet compositional elements around the interior of the frame as a positive quality of a successful picture. Unfortunately, the patterns Mr. Cornish talks about act like straightjackets fastening the pictorial elements of the composition in place. Real and perceived physical distance, the optical compression of the field, the lifeless loss of volume in the landscape's individual elements, inspiteof what Mr. Cornish says, all this drains the picture of any vitality. Hopefully, this awkward way of making landscape photographs will quickly pass.

[@petercollins7848]

Don’t make me laugh!

[@ticticboom1]

What is the camera please?

[@grantnewton5705]

I assume it is the Sigma fp L

[@Stop-All-War]

There's 2x J.C's I'd listen to.. Jesus is 1st & Joe 2nd 🙏 📷 Joe's Composition analysis is deeper than a Politicians Pockets..

[@colintraveller]

Being a owner of the Sigma 150-600c .the tripod mount is an absolute disgrace .. .of a design it offers the lense no stability to the lense what so .. ever .. Am stating the truth .. furthermore . I wasted my money on the USB Dock ...for the simple fact there has no been any firmware update for the lense .. in the years i've owned the lense . It's a massively flawed lense .. when it plays fairs .. it plays fair but when it fubars .. it goes Fubar ,,,bigtime .. Failed on me when i was using it for Aviation .

[@NomadBakchi]

Jeo cornish Instagram id please 🥺❤ 0:25