At a workshop last year, one of the coaches, Victor Blue, spoke a bit about what he called lensing. By that he meant selecting and properly employing the correct lens to get the shot you want. Seems pretty basic and simple, right? It was a photojournalism workshop, with that sort of shooting there's sometimes no opportunity for a lens change when things start happening, so some planning in advance can make or break getting The Shot.
The other half of it was getting the right lens, and employing it correctly. Don't rely on your telephoto when you can get close, but reach for it when you need that compression. Skip the wide angle unless you have a damn good reason for it (none of the coaches there were fond of wide angle lenses or our propensity to use them), use a prime and zoom with your feet if you can. Get close, and then get closer.
Don't know how applicable all this is to shooting outside photojournalism, but it's stuck with me and made me be more deliberate in both lens selection and how I shoot something. Sometimes I get stuck in a rut though. For a while now I've mostly been shooting with a f/2.8 24-70mm lens, mainly because it's the most versatile lens I own. It does many things well but lately I've been getting frustrated with the number of shots that should have been taken with something else.
Made myself switch things up, shot the most recent protest with my 70-300mm, reminded me how much fun that lens can be. Had to get back out with it again, went to the Highlands yesterday to try and play to its strengths. Just barely missed the parking ticket fairy.
Still got some more work to do before I'm consistent with my lensing but more coffee should help. Quicker than practicing too. That's enough Highlands for one day, anyone else have a lens they lean on more than they probably should?