Why Your Telephoto Shots Look Flat (It's Not the Lens)

Most telephoto failures aren't optical — they're compositional. Compression and background isolation only work for you when you're actively using them, which means thinking about layering, negative space, and your shooting angle before you half-press the shutter. If you're not intentionally stacking elements or using that compressed background to frame your subject, you're just shooting with a heavy prime and hoping.