Rooftops during sunset are a photographer’s treasure trove, and in Madrid there are a slew of rooftop bars, lounges, and lookouts that it’s hard to stack up the best views against each other. Whether you want to sip on a glass of Rioja while turning the pages of your latest Murakami novel, try a tray-full of gourmet goodies cooked-to-order, or have a pre-panorama wander through the latest art exhibit, there is a rooftop waiting for you in Madrid.

 

While panorama shots are the go-to for cityscape shots, I wanted to play with swapping lenses to show how much of a difference it can make in your composition. To start out, I fashioned my Samsung NX300 with my 18-55mm lens and then backtracked to hone in on some shots with my 50-200mm lens.

 

 

 

As you can see above, the 55mm lens is better used when you want to take a full view of a landscape, while the 200mm is best for emphasizing certain parts of a landscape, whether it be a statue, an interesting architectural feature, or a zig-zagged rooftop. Both can have very powerful responses depending on the scene. With the two photos above, it’s easy to see how a 200mm lens can create something abstract and intense out of a scene that the 55mm captures more casually.

 

Experimenting with your lenses is a great way to expand the variety of your shots when shooting in one place. In the end it’s always fun to check out the difference 100mm can make!

 

 

 

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