Great advice. Photography is telling a story with still images. If you are shooting ID Pics you want the subject large in frame. If you want to see the habitat for the subject you will zoom out. All are correct.
"learn like a pro, but break the rules like an artist." I love it!! best vid i've seen this week. I feel like you and I are on a similar path. Keep on truck'n bro, great stuff!!
Thanks brother. It's all about the journey and the experience out there. I'd rather be different in my art and criticized, than praised but be just like everyone else.
I grew up on a part of New York state that gave us the opportunity to spend a lot of time near the ocean, I moved to the Hudson river valley of the state for work and this where I live now that I have retired, this past fall I took a ride to a park on the shores of the Hudson river to photograph one of the few lighthouses on the river, this was my first time in this location during the fall and I found a composition in which I was able to frame the lighthouse and center it in a opening of a small tree that was full of fall colors. The lighthouse is located in the middle of the river that is about a mile wide at this point. I took the photo with a Fujifilm XH2 and the 100-400mm lens, the print is on my wall along with other lighthouse photos from Mane and Cape Cod.
Thanks John. I think it's all about branching off into your own style and not conforming to traditional ways. To me anyway, it's more about the experience out in nature than the actual photo. But everyone is different in their approach in the art.
We have a pandemic today where everyone fears expressing their uniqueness. Our individual uniqueness is what we will be remembered for. One should strive to portray that uniqueness in their photos.
@@KevinNordstrom Us current dad's are learning this and passing it on to our children. I have faith that those proceeding us will value their uniqueness. The world hasn't seen greatness in a long time. It's safe to assume we are heading into times of greatness once again. If us dads don't screw it up. 🤣
I sure hope so. God knows we need more men of God and more men that can lead well and stand up for what's right. We are missing a lot of that right now in a society that's backwards
I really like the way you do videos. No nonsense straight from the hip. I will make this comment about getting low. I'm 69 years old and if I get low the only thing I will be intemit with will be the ground because I might not be able to get up. Photography is art painted with the eye not the brush.
Really nice shots and appreciate the advice for beginners. Those lighthouse photos with the sunset are amazing. I like your idea of recording one thing to improve on in photography. Thanks for sharing.
About time someone took these so call pro's on and is telling us out here the actual truth. I know what you are saying is true and I have followed a few to find what they are telling and showing everyone about the perfect shot is an actual composite of about 4 to 5 shots. When I learned this I no longer listed to them. I like how you went about this. Thank for telling the truth.
Thanks Ralph. There's some truth to everything, including from paid professionals that we can learn fom who have a wealth of knowledge. But there's also poor advice to run from as well every walk of skill level lol. Anyway, happy shooting bro. 📸
Love the shots you took I am progressing no more ICU , pacemaker or oxygen hopefully to rehab Monday. Thank you for giving me company with your videos.
Just discovered the channel and am having a good time binge watching the content. The tips and tricks are great and informative, the photos are super and thanks for including the photo info. Also have to mention one of the most important elements of an engaging video is the personality of the host. You seem like the kind the kind of guy it would be fun to shoot the breeze with over a couple of cold ones. Put it all together and you have a great channel here. Thanks.
First, nice Peterson Pipe. Kevin, good stuff in the video. Leslie has had more images published and won / placed in more contests than I have and she shoots with a Sony bridge camera in "P" mode. She couldn't care less about aperture, shutter, ISO, megapixels, sensor size etc. She just wants to be out in nature capturing images of things she sees as beautiful. She has an incredible eye for detail and a natural sense of a good composition.
Haha yeah it's a solid pipe. I don't smoke, just enjoy the taste and aroma. Also yeah, I think we sometimes place a lot of things we learn as gospel which sometimes can limit us.
I really enjoy all your videos Kevin. I am in the very beginning stages of learning about photography, and all your tips are very helpful, and the locations you visit are beautiful. I live in the desert southwest. Not much water out here and marshes are few and far between, but we do have some stunning sunsets and rock formations. Keep putting out your videos. Thanks!
I love auto iso (I choose aperture and shutter but let camera choose iso) because iso is the non-creative setting and I shoot a lot of fast moving action where I choose a creative style and then just ride exposure compensation to influence iso...
When we made the decision to get some new digital cameras a year or two back, I bought the Canon M50 Mk II, and an SX70 Powershot (to replace the old PS1 I had!) I was actually looking forward to playing with the M50 ... but my partner's son took a liking to it, so it's his now! Admittedly I love the zoom capabilities of the SX70, especially for bird photography, but I still want to delve into the world of mirrorless, and start playing with lenses other than the kit lens that came with the M50; maybe I'll buy another one for myself... 🙂 I agree with the "gear is not important until it is" sentiment; certainly there are some shots that just need a decent zoom! 🙂
That m50 mk2, it's a great little camera. I have the same one and the M6mk2 as well both for street and travel photography. I pair them with sigma lenses. Can almost fit in your pocket lol. I use both crop and full frame mirrorless. My first DSLR was a t6i. Glad you're getting out when you can with what gear you have. That's what is important.
Just stumbled across this channel. Point #4 is golden. Absolutely love your position on it, and subscribing to the channel for more 😁 Thank you for sharing! Be different 😊
Kevin: Another great video. I have been using Aperture priority shooting film, a lot of the time since 1975. Photography exposure is a compromise. If I only used manual mode, I would have missed most of my action shots. That being said, most of my low light photography, when I am not using a Z camera is manual. The newer high end cameras just make it easier to get the shot, but are not required. I gave up on noise reduction a long time ago, if noise is the first thing that you see when you look at the image, noise is not the problem, you have a poor image (subject matter).
Another great video! I use aperture priority for the vast majority of my landscape photos. I haven't tried it for shooting birds and other animals, although I should give it a shot. Switching to manual was a bit scary since I shot in Av for so many years. I'm slowly finding my way with manual though. I also agree with the camera gear. I started on a Canon 40D and then upgraded to to a 7D which I used for years. My last trip to Afghanistan allowed me to upgrade for what I thought was the last time to the 5D Mark IV, but the fps is lacking so I'm currently saving to get a mirrorless with a faster fps. The lighthouse shots were excellent. I really dig the framing between the two rocks. I've been wanting to shoot all of the lighthouses here in Michigan... someday I'll get around to actually starting it! lol
Shooting at low iso works for some subjects but if you are photographing sports or wildlife, you need a high enough ISO to get a sharp photo. gear matters to a point depending upon the subject and lighting, when I started photographing events, my gear was catered toward landscapes and wildlife, so that's what I used and I could not get the subject separation I needed when photographing weddings, so you need to taylor your kit to the type of photography you're involved in .so well done video. As for shooting at certain times of day, some years ago I traveled from my house in the Hudson valley of New York state to Cape Cod, I wanted to photograph the lighthouses on the Cape Cod National sea shore. I got there in the middle of the day to look over the area because I had not been there in years, not much had changed but the light was not great, I went back to my hotel room and returned after some much needed rest from the drive , I returned an hour before Sunset and stayed until the moon rose, I was able to get some fantastic shots during this time.
Great info Kevin. Like you I prefer Aperture Priority however, if I'm focusing on getting the shot, I will use manual mode and tailor the settings to get the results I prefer. Gear matters to a certain extent but, a skilled photographer can work with just about any gear. Thant being said, you still want gear that will make your workflow easier.
All true… I still find myself at times comparing my images with others, but others don’t matter. It’s all about what matters to you. Photography is a way to escape and see places you may otherwise never go. If you are always comparing yourself to other photographers you will never be happy with your photography and eventually give up.
I dont have a big budget and my "best" lens i got used and have enjoyed for about 4 years until i messed up the lens. If my body is having a bad day or if im in a new place and dont have the time i shoot auto and only auto I personally go with if i was able to pick up my camera and take some photos it was a good day and everything else like settings photagraphy rules and so on means jackpoop 😊 Great video
As a "beginner" (by which I mean, just starting to step up from phone cameras and point-and-shoots), I found this enormously helpful! I think I'm doing well and learning and growing, but some of the "rules" do make me feel like I'm a bit of a pretender when I'm out at 11:00am with my bridge camera taking pictures. But you're not the first pro I've heard say that using some automatic settings is perfectly fine (Professor Hines is a big one in this regard), and anyway, I tend to be a "Results matter, not the tools" kind of person anyway. I subscribed on the basis of this video, by the way!
Thanks for this video. As soon as the everything between the front element of the lens and the viewfinder ocular or the display becomes more important than everything behind that ocular or display, something is seriously wrong. There is one piece of gear that caught my eye, though. You are not using a photo backpack, but an Osprey hiking backpack. Ever since I bought my first Osprey probably about 10 years ago I found myself not using any of my photo packs anymore, at least when it comes to hiking in conjunction with photography, which is almost always the case. There is simply no photography backpack out there that can compete with Osprey’s carrying comfort and ventilation. I‘d really love to see Osprey venturing into photography backpacks, combining their unparalleled comfort with photography related features. Nature photography usually involves some hiking. Why are we forced to make bad compromises when we want to take our photo gear with us on these hikes?
Yeah I've found the hiking bags work the best for me and most comfortable. The one camera bags that come close are 400-500 dollars. When I can buy a good hiking bag for $150 and an insert for $50 and I save myself $300.
It's funny, I can't really argue with any points you've made. Rules I think are important to learn, and most people don't. You see it on Instagram. The one thing I don't agree with you on is there is no bad photograph...there are a lot of shit images heh. What drives me nuts are people who claim to be pro, when really they haven't actually accomplished anything to make them a pro, never been published in a major publication, never really sold much other than to their mom or some calendars, but decide they will take their limited expertise and charge people for it. You own your journey and don't make any claims to being pro, and just being out there enjoying it and making images and always in pursuit in getting better. You are rare on youtube, the majority of people with channels shouldn't even bother making videos let alone taking money to teach people. So I very much appreciate you being real and showing your process and trying to over monetize what you're doing.
Haha thank you for the kind words Vince. Actually what I mean by there's no bad photographs isn't that there aren't photos I don't like or ones I enjoy over others, or even that there aren't "bad" photos" It's really an illustration I try to convey that if we simply focus too heavily on the outcome, on the finished product, on the photo itself.. then we miss the opportunity to find joy in the process. The joy of being out in nature. I hope that helps explain a little by what I mean when I say "there's no such thing as a bad photograph, only a missed opportunity" take care brother and happy shooting 📸
Also, to me, being a pro is a working photographer full-time making most if not all your income on Photography. If that's not you, then You're not a pro. Just a hobbiest. Or maybe a hobbiest who makes a little money with a side hustle. I don't want to be a pro. Not because I don't have the drive, dedication, and humility.....but because it would rob the fun and joy from me. I'd much rather have it be my escape from all the bullshit out there in the world.
@@KevinNordstrom Hah well being a pro who works about half time I'd say having the freedom to not lose the joy of it is part of being that kind of pro. People need to put the time in, achieve some sort of recognition of work and clientele before they can really be a pro, just knowing how to photoshop crap isn't a photographer. I could name a lot of names but I shan't heh.
Vince, one reason I won't make or sell courses. All the info in those paid courses are free and already out there to learn. The thing with the courses are it's just structured. But I surely wouldn't pay for information that I can search for that's already out there for free information. It's why I just stick to forming a community through paid memberships who want to go further in suporting the channel, merchandise that I create like hats and hoodies with my own designs, and affiliate products I pay with my own money and would recommend to my audience rather than have a sponsorship from a shitty product they sent to me that I'll never use myself. I've turned down a dozen or more shitty products from companies I don't trust or believe in. I'm not against those who have the integrity when doing paid product reviews or sponsors, I'd rather just stay in my own lane and stay true to my audience and more importantly stay true to myself if that makes any sense. Which is why I'll never be a large channel LMAO.
Do you use any filter for the sunset shots? Ive been trying to get that type of shot, but its always too much light so everything ''below'' get blacked out. Love your videoes and photos!
Thanks man. No filters. I use filters for video in harsh light though. Seldom for photos unless I want a slow shutter speed for waterfalls. These photos were just edited in Lightroom and shot at 500mm with the RF 100-500
Let's see, I shoot any time of the day (when I can get out), my ISO is all over the place, my camera is an APS-C enthusiast grade camera, and I mostly shoot semi-manual were I let the camera select the ISO.
I agree with gear, I just read where the lens I used all the time Nikon 18-300 is one of the worst lens...lol That is such BS I have gotten amazing photos that print very well. As for chasing the light, over the years (before I knew better) I have gotten amazing photos not chasing the light.
In terms of gear I learned few things first: You must know what is possible with your gear. Second: If you are not sure, you are coming to a point when you cannot tell if you made of mistake, or gear is not enough. I felt this very good when I moved from entry level D5300 to D500. Three: Which is linked to two previous. When pros are saying that gears don't metter, they really don't tell You that You can make this great BIF photo with your old D3100 and Tamron 70-300.
There is no such thing as the perfect camera! Not even our eyes. Therefore, we should always know the limitations of our equipment and learn to shoot with in those limitations. When you are held back from growing, or ready to move a different form or style of photography, that your current system is preventing you from doing, then it's time to consider upgrading. I shot with the Nikon D550 then the D7500 for about 7 years. My growth stopped, limited by those cameras. after a year of frustration, I upgraded to mirrorless. And going to mirrorless, everything was on the table, I wasn't married to a brand, and chose the Canon R6II. My only regret is the lack of affordable long glass from Canon. Every point you made in this video is valid. The rules of photography are guidelines . Nothing more. There is always an exception to the rule. Keep the Faith
I agree with you entirely, and i can even recall when someone (mr I've got all the gear so i must be right...) every Club's got atleast one said to me thats a great shot how did you do that and when I say i shot in aperture priority they protest. Well full manual would be better. 😮 really
I agree that a budget camera can take awesome photos. I have shot a T6 for 3 years and I have taken some great images with it. I am just now upgrading my camera because I have hit the limits of my camera. Great talk! I love lighthouses! Just sayin'...
If by "pros" you mean self-appointed TH-cam and internet know-it-alls, then you may have a point. But those aren't pros. I've known and interacted with literally thousands of actual professional photographers -- i.e. people who make a living selling their photography -- and I've never heard any of them say these things.
Shots fired lol. I agree, alot of photographers in person are super chill. I've known a few though even offline that have a big head and give bad advice.
I have a bit of an issue with the current trend of using higher ISO. People need to take test shots with their camera to check the effects of higher ISO. My experience this past few weeks with my Lumix camera is that with ISO above 600 the images start to look washed out and the grain is noticable. Looking at photos shot over 1000 reminded me of old developed film pictures when 800 iso film, better than nothing but not worth sharing. Had to use clarity slider and bring up black point to get rid of washed out look. The pictures were very grainy requiring softening of the images. Cropping in on a photo looks aweful. Higher ISO is better on my Nikon d610 where it looks okay up to about 1200.
I'd much rather have a grainy image and fix in post than to pass up a shot because I was using low ISO and it threw off my shutter speed. Today's modern cameras (especially full frame) handle ISO pretty good well past 600. Especially with software editing. I've sold images well past 800 iso
I'm a little confused about the word "Gospel"! As I understand you saying it means like sticking to fixed rules (you called it "box"). Right? For me "Gospel" is a certain type of music. There are a lot of very different gospel songs! Gospel to me is part of art! Therefore I'm a little confused ... 🤔 Canon has a very interesting new mode "Fv" where you can change settings like in manual mode. But you also can use it as Av or Tv or let it do everything like in P mode! Duade Paton made a video on how great this new mode is (especially for bodies that don't have all 3 wheels to change aperture, shutterspeed and ISO)! 😇
Maybe the pros should also be out there with light meters. I mostly use Aperture mode. I have never used full auto or P more, you don't get to control anything.
I find manual mode seems to have a wide range of meanings. I like to have fun with luddites because my conclusion is luddites are people who think the technology they experienced when they were young is the way to go in the future. I like to challenge luddites, strip down till you are nude, go hunt animals and make your clothes and shoes out of the skins of your hunting, build your shelter, etc. You get the picture. Being an old fart, to me being in manual is reading the instructions that came with the film on how to set up your camera as it didn't have a meter. You know what I mean, in bright sun do this, in a cloudy day do that, if it's sunrise or sunset do whatever. That's manual, you don't need any stinking meter. To me semi automatic is aperture or shutter preferred, but more are using auto ISO with manual selection of shutter and aperture. But when I got my first SLR (Konica T3 in 1974) manual was setting all three - shutter, aperture and ISO (actually ASA back in the day) but I've found the meaning of "manual" has shifted over time.
Umm where does this idea of "pros" suggesting low ISOs come from? I've never heard that except for TH-cam. I was taught that setting ISO was what you would do with the expectation of what film speed you would choose if you were shooting a film body. Used to be called ASA. Put another way, there was a hundred years of selecting a film speed for a situation. So just do that with a digital body. The idea of "always set a low ISO" seems like something invented just for the sake of making a talking point.
@@KevinNordstrom They really do, but honestly, I won't be taking close-ups of a guitar solo in a dimly-lit rock concert anytime soon. Nor will most others. I'm ok with a slightly grainy Fuji Natura 1600 ( I have a freezer-full) film shot or a digital 1600 ISO similar. I don't get why people seem to think they need 104k ISO or whatever. Nor have I ever heard a pro say "shoot the lowest ISO." Except for TH-cam, that is. The super high and super low ISOs of modern cameras just seem like selling points. The only true disappointment is that film is getting so darn expensive. So we move to digital and replicate.
Yeah I never played with film. I grew up with them in the 80s and 90s and I think used one once as well as poleroid a few times but by the time I got serious about photography, digital had taken over. I feel like I'm missing out lol. Don't get me wrong, I love the tech today and love digital photography, and what these new camera amd lenses can do, but sometimes I want to slow down and be more focused and intentional the way film used to be. Everything with digital is instant gratification. Can be good and bad I suppose.
90% of the photo is the user's work the other 8% is the lens and the last 2% is the camera body. I know people who have film cameras and early DSLRs that take better photos than some of the people I see at my local eagle spot with Z8s and Z9s.
I use Fv mode. I use Auto ISO, usually a wide open aperture, set my shutter to the given situation, then primarily control the exposure compensation. The RP is a good camera. I started my wildlife photography with the Canon M6 MKII. I now have the R7 and R5. Have my pictures improved? Not as much as most people would think. I certainly didn't need to buy them but I can afford them and they make me happy so it is okay.
I currently vlog with the M6mk2, it's a very useful camera even today, 32mp, 4k 60 with no crop and DPAF, for the price it's still solid and still competitive even though canon abandoned the mount. I pair it with the sigma f1.4 trio lenses. I won't upgrade for another year or two for vlogging. The RP has been solid for me sense 2019 for nature, but soon it will be time to upgrade as 5fps is tough at times with fast birds and the video is lacking. My R7 was damaged at a local pond. I'm looking at the r5mk2 or R1 at release for my next upgrade and will be my forever rig. But I totally agree Jeff. You gotta do what makes you happy and what works for you and your specific needs, and Auto modes will still get the photo for sure.
TH-cam is full of 'professionals' telling us how we should do our photography and what gear we have to use. My simple advice would be, learn how to use your equipment correctly but as far as the rest is concern, just learn by going out and taking photo. I don't think I enjoyed my photography more than when I was just learning by doing. Ignore the gear snobs and if you must take notice of advice from anyone, check their photographs to see if they're actually any good.
Yeah I agree, gotta go out there and enjoy the process. The gear is just a tool. Learning in the field is better than learning on a spec sheet lol. Happy shooting 📸
Your first professional photographer to say it's ok to use auto. I took a couple of amazing photos going about 45 mph and 1/4 mile away from the island with my R10... 100-400 canon lens.. on auto focus..
Oh gosh I'm not a pro lol. 🤣 Don't want to be either. Would ruin the fun of it. I did portrait work full-time for about 2 years then tapped out lol. I don't make a full-time living off of my photography. I'm just a regular hobbiest like alot of you who enjoy just being out. I just hear some pros online mainly and what they teach can often be a brick wall to our growth and creativity. It's definitely ok to use auto modes. Like I said, alot of pros use auto settings. Also, that's super impressive my friend.
Was listening to him and all of a sudden a piano concert began about 2/3 of the way through and drowned out his voice. Weird. I guess he should resist the rules of youtube which includes loud background music. Lol
If you enjoyed these tips, check out this video next th-cam.com/video/L74PJcXwbmk/w-d-xo.html
Great advice. Photography is telling a story with still images. If you are shooting ID Pics you want the subject large in frame. If you want to see the habitat for the subject you will zoom out. All are correct.
Thanks Charles.
"learn like a pro, but break the rules like an artist." I love it!! best vid i've seen this week. I feel like you and I are on a similar path. Keep on truck'n bro, great stuff!!
Thanks brother. It's all about the journey and the experience out there. I'd rather be different in my art and criticized, than praised but be just like everyone else.
I grew up on a part of New York state that gave us the opportunity to spend a lot of time near the ocean, I moved to the Hudson river valley of the state for work and this where I live now that I have retired, this past fall I took a ride to a park on the shores of the Hudson river to photograph one of the few lighthouses on the river, this was my first time in this location during the fall and I found a composition in which I was able to frame the lighthouse and center it in a opening of a small tree that was full of fall colors. The lighthouse is located in the middle of the river that is about a mile wide at this point. I took the photo with a Fujifilm XH2 and the 100-400mm lens, the print is on my wall along with other lighthouse photos from Mane and Cape Cod.
Aren't lighthouses so cool to photograph? Each one is unique
2nd to last photo shown (setting sun and lighthouse) was spectacular!
thank you
Thanks for the openness about the “lies” professionals say. I like your thoughts about using their opinions but developing your own identity
Thanks John. I think it's all about branching off into your own style and not conforming to traditional ways. To me anyway, it's more about the experience out in nature than the actual photo. But everyone is different in their approach in the art.
We have a pandemic today where everyone fears expressing their uniqueness. Our individual uniqueness is what we will be remembered for. One should strive to portray that uniqueness in their photos.
Wow exactly 💯 it's becoming more rare unfortunately and the desire for perfection and conformity is ever increasing
@@KevinNordstrom Us current dad's are learning this and passing it on to our children. I have faith that those proceeding us will value their uniqueness. The world hasn't seen greatness in a long time. It's safe to assume we are heading into times of greatness once again.
If us dads don't screw it up. 🤣
I sure hope so. God knows we need more men of God and more men that can lead well and stand up for what's right. We are missing a lot of that right now in a society that's backwards
Good advice. I enjoyed the video and your humble perspective and encouragement to push for a unique style of Art.
Thank you Barry
Well said. I shoot in aperture priority all the time.
It's a great option to have
in the woods I am in Av my camera knows what shutter I need more then I do when it's shaded.
I really like the way you do videos. No nonsense straight from the hip. I will make this comment about getting low. I'm 69 years old and if I get low the only thing I will be intemit with will be the ground because I might not be able to get up. Photography is art painted with the eye not the brush.
Love that last part Murray. 💯
@@KevinNordstrom you are welcome to use it if it's a help to you
Really nice shots and appreciate the advice for beginners. Those lighthouse photos with the sunset are amazing. I like your idea of recording one thing to improve on in photography. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks yeah it's a new habit I'm taking up.
Thousand thanks! So much wisdom, so true!
Thank you
About time someone took these so call pro's on and is telling us out here the actual truth. I know what you are saying is true and I have followed a few to find what they are telling and showing everyone about the perfect shot is an actual composite of about 4 to 5 shots. When I learned this I no longer listed to them. I like how you went about this. Thank for telling the truth.
Thanks Ralph. There's some truth to everything, including from paid professionals that we can learn fom who have a wealth of knowledge. But there's also poor advice to run from as well every walk of skill level lol. Anyway, happy shooting bro. 📸
The lighthouse shot between the rocks....🤌 my man.
Good stuff.
😎💨✌️
- Doug
Thank you Doug
Love the shots you took
I am progressing no more ICU , pacemaker or oxygen hopefully to rehab Monday.
Thank you for giving me company with your videos.
Wishing you well days ahead Kate
Awesome sunset pictures, and I definitely agree with you on many of the points you put across about photography 😊
Thanks Richard
Just discovered the channel and am having a good time binge watching the content. The tips and tricks are great and informative, the photos are super and thanks for including the photo info. Also have to mention one of the most important elements of an engaging video is the personality of the host. You seem like the kind the kind of guy it would be fun to shoot the breeze with over a couple of cold ones. Put it all together and you have a great channel here. Thanks.
Thank you for the kind words. It lifts my spirits for sure. Happy shooting 📸
First, nice Peterson Pipe. Kevin, good stuff in the video. Leslie has had more images published and won / placed in more contests than I have and she shoots with a Sony bridge camera in "P" mode. She couldn't care less about aperture, shutter, ISO, megapixels, sensor size etc. She just wants to be out in nature capturing images of things she sees as beautiful. She has an incredible eye for detail and a natural sense of a good composition.
Haha yeah it's a solid pipe. I don't smoke, just enjoy the taste and aroma. Also yeah, I think we sometimes place a lot of things we learn as gospel which sometimes can limit us.
@@KevinNordstrom Indeed
awesome video again keep up the great work
Thank you 🙏
Love how you explain things.
Thanks 👍
❤love the video
Thank you 👍
You are such an excellent confidence giver to someone like me (a beginner). I really appreciate it, thank you for all your words of wisdom. ☺️
Thank you. I think it's my gift here on TH-cam. Because it sure isn't taking photos LMAO 🤣
Happy shooting 📸🏕️
I really enjoy all your videos Kevin. I am in the very beginning stages of learning about photography, and all your tips are very helpful, and the locations you visit are beautiful. I live in the desert southwest. Not much water out here and marshes are few and far between, but we do have some stunning sunsets and rock formations. Keep putting out your videos. Thanks!
Thanks Joe. I enjoy making them.
I love auto iso (I choose aperture and shutter but let camera choose iso) because iso is the non-creative setting and I shoot a lot of fast moving action where I choose a creative style and then just ride exposure compensation to influence iso...
I do as well. It allows me to get more shots in the field
Nice to listen to some down to earth comments about the basics of photography thanks 👍
💯
Great tips, I usually dont follow any RULES, and take whatever I like, like I say use the equipment that you have go out and enjoy photography.....
Exactly 💯
great lighthouse pictures ...👍
Thanks 👍
When we made the decision to get some new digital cameras a year or two back, I bought the Canon M50 Mk II, and an SX70 Powershot (to replace the old PS1 I had!) I was actually looking forward to playing with the M50 ... but my partner's son took a liking to it, so it's his now! Admittedly I love the zoom capabilities of the SX70, especially for bird photography, but I still want to delve into the world of mirrorless, and start playing with lenses other than the kit lens that came with the M50; maybe I'll buy another one for myself... 🙂
I agree with the "gear is not important until it is" sentiment; certainly there are some shots that just need a decent zoom! 🙂
That m50 mk2, it's a great little camera. I have the same one and the M6mk2 as well both for street and travel photography. I pair them with sigma lenses. Can almost fit in your pocket lol. I use both crop and full frame mirrorless. My first DSLR was a t6i.
Glad you're getting out when you can with what gear you have. That's what is important.
Just stumbled across this channel. Point #4 is golden. Absolutely love your position on it, and subscribing to the channel for more 😁 Thank you for sharing!
Be different 😊
I agree 💯👍
With great light, you get great photo's. Bad light gives you the opportunity to make great pictures.
Yep. 👍 📸
Kevin: Another great video. I have been using Aperture priority shooting film, a lot of the time since 1975. Photography exposure is a compromise. If I only used manual mode, I would have missed most of my action shots. That being said, most of my low light photography, when I am not using a Z camera is manual. The newer high end cameras just make it easier to get the shot, but are not required. I gave up on noise reduction a long time ago, if noise is the first thing that you see when you look at the image, noise is not the problem, you have a poor image (subject matter).
I've missed shots while in manual that's for sure.
Another great video! I use aperture priority for the vast majority of my landscape photos. I haven't tried it for shooting birds and other animals, although I should give it a shot. Switching to manual was a bit scary since I shot in Av for so many years. I'm slowly finding my way with manual though. I also agree with the camera gear. I started on a Canon 40D and then upgraded to to a 7D which I used for years. My last trip to Afghanistan allowed me to upgrade for what I thought was the last time to the 5D Mark IV, but the fps is lacking so I'm currently saving to get a mirrorless with a faster fps.
The lighthouse shots were excellent. I really dig the framing between the two rocks. I've been wanting to shoot all of the lighthouses here in Michigan... someday I'll get around to actually starting it! lol
Thanks brother 📸I agree I'd love to get all the lighthouses along the great lakes. There's a LOT lol. It would make for a great road trip though.
Shooting at low iso works for some subjects but if you are photographing sports or wildlife, you need a high enough ISO to get a sharp photo. gear matters to a point depending upon the subject and lighting, when I started photographing events, my gear was catered toward landscapes and wildlife, so that's what I used and I could not get the subject separation I needed when photographing weddings, so you need to taylor your kit to the type of photography you're involved in .so well done video. As for shooting at certain times of day, some years ago I traveled from my house in the Hudson valley of New York state to Cape Cod, I wanted to photograph the lighthouses on the Cape Cod National sea shore. I got there in the middle of the day to look over the area because I had not been there in years, not much had changed but the light was not great, I went back to my hotel room and returned after some much needed rest from the drive , I returned an hour before Sunset and stayed until the moon rose, I was able to get some fantastic shots during this time.
Awesome story James. I agree. As nature and wildlife photographers, we often need higher ISO because of the low light conditions we are in.
Great info Kevin. Like you I prefer Aperture Priority however, if I'm focusing on getting the shot, I will use manual mode and tailor the settings to get the results I prefer. Gear matters to a certain extent but, a skilled photographer can work with just about any gear. Thant being said, you still want gear that will make your workflow easier.
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All true… I still find myself at times comparing my images with others, but others don’t matter. It’s all about what matters to you. Photography is a way to escape and see places you may otherwise never go. If you are always comparing yourself to other photographers you will never be happy with your photography and eventually give up.
I totally agree, Preston. It's a life long hobby. Don't rob the joy it brings by comparing ourselves with other people's best work.
That's a never ending road to disappointment.
By the way great sunset pictures..❤
Thank you
That last photo👌
I will remember that. Learn the rules like a pro, to break them later in an artistic way 👍
Thanks 👍
I dont have a big budget and my "best" lens i got used and have enjoyed for about 4 years until i messed up the lens. If my body is having a bad day or if im in a new place and dont have the time i shoot auto and only auto I personally go with if i was able to pick up my camera and take some photos it was a good day and everything else like settings photagraphy rules and so on means jackpoop 😊
Great video
All good points
As a "beginner" (by which I mean, just starting to step up from phone cameras and point-and-shoots), I found this enormously helpful! I think I'm doing well and learning and growing, but some of the "rules" do make me feel like I'm a bit of a pretender when I'm out at 11:00am with my bridge camera taking pictures. But you're not the first pro I've heard say that using some automatic settings is perfectly fine (Professor Hines is a big one in this regard), and anyway, I tend to be a "Results matter, not the tools" kind of person anyway. I subscribed on the basis of this video, by the way!
Thanks for this video. As soon as the everything between the front element of the lens and the viewfinder ocular or the display becomes more important than everything behind that ocular or display, something is seriously wrong. There is one piece of gear that caught my eye, though. You are not using a photo backpack, but an Osprey hiking backpack. Ever since I bought my first Osprey probably about 10 years ago I found myself not using any of my photo packs anymore, at least when it comes to hiking in conjunction with photography, which is almost always the case. There is simply no photography backpack out there that can compete with Osprey’s carrying comfort and ventilation. I‘d really love to see Osprey venturing into photography backpacks, combining their unparalleled comfort with photography related features. Nature photography usually involves some hiking. Why are we forced to make bad compromises when we want to take our photo gear with us on these hikes?
Yeah I've found the hiking bags work the best for me and most comfortable. The one camera bags that come close are 400-500 dollars. When I can buy a good hiking bag for $150 and an insert for $50 and I save myself $300.
I enjoyed your vid and agree with the key points that you made. Hey, you also smoke Peterson pipes like myself!
It's a nice pipe!
It's funny, I can't really argue with any points you've made. Rules I think are important to learn, and most people don't. You see it on Instagram. The one thing I don't agree with you on is there is no bad photograph...there are a lot of shit images heh. What drives me nuts are people who claim to be pro, when really they haven't actually accomplished anything to make them a pro, never been published in a major publication, never really sold much other than to their mom or some calendars, but decide they will take their limited expertise and charge people for it. You own your journey and don't make any claims to being pro, and just being out there enjoying it and making images and always in pursuit in getting better. You are rare on youtube, the majority of people with channels shouldn't even bother making videos let alone taking money to teach people. So I very much appreciate you being real and showing your process and trying to over monetize what you're doing.
Haha thank you for the kind words Vince. Actually what I mean by there's no bad photographs isn't that there aren't photos I don't like or ones I enjoy over others, or even that there aren't "bad" photos"
It's really an illustration I try to convey that if we simply focus too heavily on the outcome, on the finished product, on the photo itself.. then we miss the opportunity to find joy in the process. The joy of being out in nature. I hope that helps explain a little by what I mean when I say "there's no such thing as a bad photograph, only a missed opportunity" take care brother and happy shooting 📸
Also, to me, being a pro is a working photographer full-time making most if not all your income on Photography. If that's not you, then You're not a pro. Just a hobbiest. Or maybe a hobbiest who makes a little money with a side hustle.
I don't want to be a pro. Not because I don't have the drive, dedication, and humility.....but because it would rob the fun and joy from me. I'd much rather have it be my escape from all the bullshit out there in the world.
@@KevinNordstrom Hah well being a pro who works about half time I'd say having the freedom to not lose the joy of it is part of being that kind of pro. People need to put the time in, achieve some sort of recognition of work and clientele before they can really be a pro, just knowing how to photoshop crap isn't a photographer. I could name a lot of names but I shan't heh.
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Vince, one reason I won't make or sell courses. All the info in those paid courses are free and already out there to learn. The thing with the courses are it's just structured. But I surely wouldn't pay for information that I can search for that's already out there for free information. It's why I just stick to forming a community through paid memberships who want to go further in suporting the channel, merchandise that I create like hats and hoodies with my own designs, and affiliate products I pay with my own money and would recommend to my audience rather than have a sponsorship from a shitty product they sent to me that I'll never use myself. I've turned down a dozen or more shitty products from companies I don't trust or believe in.
I'm not against those who have the integrity when doing paid product reviews or sponsors, I'd rather just stay in my own lane and stay true to my audience and more importantly stay true to myself if that makes any sense. Which is why I'll never be a large channel LMAO.
Do you use any filter for the sunset shots? Ive been trying to get that type of shot, but its always too much light so everything ''below'' get blacked out.
Love your videoes and photos!
Thanks man. No filters. I use filters for video in harsh light though. Seldom for photos unless I want a slow shutter speed for waterfalls. These photos were just edited in Lightroom and shot at 500mm with the RF 100-500
Best bit of advice Shoot for yourself.
💯 Paul
Let's see, I shoot any time of the day (when I can get out), my ISO is all over the place, my camera is an APS-C enthusiast grade camera, and I mostly shoot semi-manual were I let the camera select the ISO.
Not a bad situation to be in man. Anytime is a good time to be out. ell unless its a tornado or hurricane lmao.
I agree with gear, I just read where the lens I used all the time Nikon 18-300 is one of the worst lens...lol That is such BS I have gotten amazing photos that print very well. As for chasing the light, over the years (before I knew better) I have gotten amazing photos not chasing the light.
In terms of gear I learned few things
first: You must know what is possible with your gear.
Second: If you are not sure, you are coming to a point when you cannot tell if you made of mistake, or gear is not enough. I felt this very good when I moved from entry level D5300 to D500.
Three: Which is linked to two previous. When pros are saying that gears don't metter, they really don't tell You that You can make this great BIF photo with your old D3100 and Tamron 70-300.
Exactly 💯
There is no such thing as the perfect camera! Not even our eyes. Therefore, we should always know the limitations of our equipment and learn to shoot with in those limitations. When you are held back from growing, or ready to move a different form or style of photography, that your current system is preventing you from doing, then it's time to consider upgrading. I shot with the Nikon D550 then the D7500 for about 7 years. My growth stopped, limited by those cameras. after a year of frustration, I upgraded to mirrorless. And going to mirrorless, everything was on the table, I wasn't married to a brand, and chose the Canon R6II. My only regret is the lack of affordable long glass from Canon. Every point you made in this video is valid. The rules of photography are guidelines . Nothing more. There is always an exception to the rule.
Keep the Faith
Totally agree. It's all subjective. 📸
I agree with you entirely, and i can even recall when someone (mr I've got all the gear so i must be right...) every Club's got atleast one said to me thats a great shot how did you do that and when I say i shot in aperture priority they protest. Well full manual would be better. 😮 really
I agree that a budget camera can take awesome photos. I have shot a T6 for 3 years and I have taken some great images with it. I am just now upgrading my camera because I have hit the limits of my camera. Great talk! I love lighthouses! Just sayin'...
Me too!
If by "pros" you mean self-appointed TH-cam and internet know-it-alls, then you may have a point. But those aren't pros. I've known and interacted with literally thousands of actual professional photographers -- i.e. people who make a living selling their photography -- and I've never heard any of them say these things.
Shots fired lol. I agree, alot of photographers in person are super chill. I've known a few though even offline that have a big head and give bad advice.
I have a bit of an issue with the current trend of using higher ISO. People need to take test shots with their camera to check the effects of higher ISO. My experience this past few weeks with my Lumix camera is that with ISO above 600 the images start to look washed out and the grain is noticable. Looking at photos shot over 1000 reminded me of old developed film pictures when 800 iso film, better than nothing but not worth sharing. Had to use clarity slider and bring up black point to get rid of washed out look. The pictures were very grainy requiring softening of the images. Cropping in on a photo looks aweful. Higher ISO is better on my Nikon d610 where it looks okay up to about 1200.
I'd much rather have a grainy image and fix in post than to pass up a shot because I was using low ISO and it threw off my shutter speed. Today's modern cameras (especially full frame) handle ISO pretty good well past 600. Especially with software editing. I've sold images well past 800 iso
I'm a little confused about the word "Gospel"! As I understand you saying it means like sticking to fixed rules (you called it "box"). Right?
For me "Gospel" is a certain type of music. There are a lot of very different gospel songs! Gospel to me is part of art! Therefore I'm a little confused ... 🤔
Canon has a very interesting new mode "Fv" where you can change settings like in manual mode. But you also can use it as Av or Tv or let it do everything like in P mode! Duade Paton made a video on how great this new mode is (especially for bodies that don't have all 3 wheels to change aperture, shutterspeed and ISO)! 😇
yeah iits just a metifor meaning always truth. You are right, each mode has their place for sure.
Maybe the pros should also be out there with light meters. I mostly use Aperture mode. I have never used full auto or P more, you don't get to control anything.
im almost always on AP as well. Each mode has its place for sure. Happy shooting.
Kevin has some pretty good advice, ....
Thanks Tyson
Some of my best pictures were taken in auto and high noon full sun so yes break the rules
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Good video
Thanks k you
I find manual mode seems to have a wide range of meanings. I like to have fun with luddites because my conclusion is luddites are people who think the technology they experienced when they were young is the way to go in the future. I like to challenge luddites, strip down till you are nude, go hunt animals and make your clothes and shoes out of the skins of your hunting, build your shelter, etc. You get the picture. Being an old fart, to me being in manual is reading the instructions that came with the film on how to set up your camera as it didn't have a meter. You know what I mean, in bright sun do this, in a cloudy day do that, if it's sunrise or sunset do whatever. That's manual, you don't need any stinking meter. To me semi automatic is aperture or shutter preferred, but more are using auto ISO with manual selection of shutter and aperture. But when I got my first SLR (Konica T3 in 1974) manual was setting all three - shutter, aperture and ISO (actually ASA back in the day) but I've found the meaning of "manual" has shifted over time.
They all have their purpose for sure 👍
Umm where does this idea of "pros" suggesting low ISOs come from? I've never heard that except for TH-cam. I was taught that setting ISO was what you would do with the expectation of what film speed you would choose if you were shooting a film body. Used to be called ASA. Put another way, there was a hundred years of selecting a film speed for a situation. So just do that with a digital body. The idea of "always set a low ISO" seems like something invented just for the sake of making a talking point.
I actually agree 💯
Crazy because most modern cameras can manage ISO fairly well.
@@KevinNordstrom They really do, but honestly, I won't be taking close-ups of a guitar solo in a dimly-lit rock concert anytime soon. Nor will most others. I'm ok with a slightly grainy Fuji Natura 1600 ( I have a freezer-full) film shot or a digital 1600 ISO similar. I don't get why people seem to think they need 104k ISO or whatever. Nor have I ever heard a pro say "shoot the lowest ISO." Except for TH-cam, that is. The super high and super low ISOs of modern cameras just seem like selling points. The only true disappointment is that film is getting so darn expensive. So we move to digital and replicate.
Yeah I never played with film. I grew up with them in the 80s and 90s and I think used one once as well as poleroid a few times but by the time I got serious about photography, digital had taken over. I feel like I'm missing out lol. Don't get me wrong, I love the tech today and love digital photography, and what these new camera amd lenses can do, but sometimes I want to slow down and be more focused and intentional the way film used to be. Everything with digital is instant gratification. Can be good and bad I suppose.
@@KevinNordstrom I wish to send an email because you shoot the things I like to shoot.
90% of the photo is the user's work the other 8% is the lens and the last 2% is the camera body. I know people who have film cameras and early DSLRs that take better photos than some of the people I see at my local eagle spot with Z8s and Z9s.
I use Fv mode. I use Auto ISO, usually a wide open aperture, set my shutter to the given situation, then primarily control the exposure compensation.
The RP is a good camera. I started my wildlife photography with the Canon M6 MKII. I now have the R7 and R5. Have my pictures improved? Not as much as most people would think. I certainly didn't need to buy them but I can afford them and they make me happy so it is okay.
I currently vlog with the M6mk2, it's a very useful camera even today, 32mp, 4k 60 with no crop and DPAF, for the price it's still solid and still competitive even though canon abandoned the mount. I pair it with the sigma f1.4 trio lenses. I won't upgrade for another year or two for vlogging. The RP has been solid for me sense 2019 for nature, but soon it will be time to upgrade as 5fps is tough at times with fast birds and the video is lacking. My R7 was damaged at a local pond. I'm looking at the r5mk2 or R1 at release for my next upgrade and will be my forever rig. But I totally agree Jeff. You gotta do what makes you happy and what works for you and your specific needs, and Auto modes will still get the photo for sure.
TH-cam is full of 'professionals' telling us how we should do our photography and what gear we have to use. My simple advice would be, learn how to use your equipment correctly but as far as the rest is concern, just learn by going out and taking photo. I don't think I enjoyed my photography more than when I was just learning by doing. Ignore the gear snobs and if you must take notice of advice from anyone, check their photographs to see if they're actually any good.
Yeah I agree, gotta go out there and enjoy the process. The gear is just a tool. Learning in the field is better than learning on a spec sheet lol. Happy shooting 📸
Your first professional photographer to say it's ok to use auto. I took a couple of amazing photos going about 45 mph and 1/4 mile away from the island with my R10... 100-400 canon lens.. on auto focus..
Oh gosh I'm not a pro lol. 🤣
Don't want to be either. Would ruin the fun of it. I did portrait work full-time for about 2 years then tapped out lol. I don't make a full-time living off of my photography. I'm just a regular hobbiest like alot of you who enjoy just being out. I just hear some pros online mainly and what they teach can often be a brick wall to our growth and creativity. It's definitely ok to use auto modes. Like I said, alot of pros use auto settings. Also, that's super impressive my friend.
Was listening to him and all of a sudden a piano concert began about 2/3 of the way through and drowned out his voice. Weird. I guess he should resist the rules of youtube which includes loud background music. Lol
Thanks for the feedback Adam. I'll work on the volume part in editing. Can't keep everyone happy. Happy shooting 📸
If the image is not extremely sharp it’s useless. No other point. Sorry about that. Thanks for talk anyway
Hey no problem. Love the difference of opinion. I always encourage that. 📸
@@KevinNordstrom yeah, that’s right, and actually both very opposite opinions could be right
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No girls just guys.