This Dramatic Shot Was Done with a 2000mm Lens

Here’s a neat example of an ultra-telephoto lens being used to add a dramatic effect to a scene. For this scene from the 2011 film Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, director of photography Hoyte van Hoytema used a 2000mm lens to compress the foreground and background so that they look much closer than they really are.

The result is that a plane landing on a mile-long runway looks like it’s about to run over the two actors who are discussing a critical issue in the foreground.

“The take-away is to put some extra forethought into your own choices before you shoot,” writes Vashi Nedomansky of VashiVisuals, “so on the day you can confidently create impactful shots, story points and dramatic moments.”

(via VashiVisuals via ISO 1200)