I really don't understand all this talk about being bored and going mad while in isolation. I am having the best of times photographing the laces on my shoes. Do you ever wonder if two 1lb. bags of frozen peas have the exact same count of peas ? They don't, one of my bags was off by 6. Why don't the fish in my aquarium look towards the camera when I have spent a great deal of time setting up the shot ? Why is my cat able to get all the fish to look at him, he doesn't even own a camera !!! Guess the joke is on the fish...
Shooting RAW + jpeg and editing the RAW to resemble the jpeg is one of the best pieces of advice one can give someone relatively new at digital editing. Excellent tip.
I am genuinely watching this two years later, and yes I very much remember covid lockdown. Found these videos actually from the backpack one, and have gone back to the start to go through them all as they're enjoyable and often useful. Keep up the great work.
In teaching, I've noticed that out of a class of 20 students, if I have them all draw or even trace the same thing, I'll have 20 distinctly different results. Your tips will produce in each photographer a variety of workflows and therefore results. So I still see value in the whole photo tips thing. Thanks.
You know I try to post at least one silly comment per video you post, but now I'll be serious: your positivity in this shite storm (and in general) is truly admirable! When I watch other photographers, even if I love their content, I get discouraged because I get self-conscious. I almost quit photography many times, but then I watch your vids and give myself another chance! When I watch your videos I feel like there might be hope for me as a photographer after all. It's in large part due to your personality. Thanks mate. We need more folks like you out there!
You've gotten so good. It feels like a conversation, even though you're in an home office looking into a camera on a desk. The editing is good, including your animated title cards. And the editing intentionally adds to the essential JP humor. It seems as so ... you. We come back every video, strangely less for the tips, more for the James.
This is one of your best videos. You might add "look over your shoulder" if the image in front is not all you want it is possible the one behind is glorious. It may be rare but it does happen.
That happened to me the other day and honestly it's a great feeling to see a 4/10 composition, trying to make it work, then glancing over your shoulder and seeing a 7/10 composition, and you end up getting a much better photo than you would have if you hadn't simply turned around.
You’re the first person I’ve come across that flat out says that we shouldn’t play hard and fast with “your” rules. Skill comes from a collection of instruction and practice. And you’ve hit it on the head my man. Love it.
Hi James, this is me, pretending I'm an intermediate/advanced photographer. Great stuff James! I cannot stand listening to photographers who give their opinions as if they are facts. On the other hand I appreciate good advice, given by those with more experience than I have. Which is just about everyone. Thank you for sharing. Cheers.
If no one has said it: The triangle above you without the motor would be "hang-gliding" and with a motor would probably just be some kind of "ultralight." The people you saw in Switzerland were "paragliding." I know I'm three years late, so you probably already know, but I thought I'd try to help at least a little in return for all the help youve shared with all of us. Your honest delivery is refreshing!
You might think we are all just muddling along and you're probably right. But if just one of your tips connects with one person, causing a lightbulb to go on, then your advice has been extremely helpful. Not only that, it may just give that one person the impetus to keep trying when giving up seems a better option. So keep it up James :)
I love the "exercise" tip, about going out with only 1 lens (a prime). I'm giving that a go. I've also started trying back-button focussing. I've always put it off cos it sounded confusing, but you made the reasoning for it so much clearer. Thanks James. 👍
This is such a breath of fresh air, so many photography videos are chock full of insufferable characters and people shilling expensive gear. Thanks for not being one of them.
I have to say all your tips a great, but number 9 was a real and honest tip. None of us can say we do the best photography, but we can learn and adjust to what is right by us. Well, thank you, James. Keep up the good work
I always love the British Humor. The fact that you have injected that in your videos makes them even more enjoyable than they already are. Cheers, James!
As a predominately wildlife shooter, I find the custom presets very useful - and I usually switch it to the custom preset before switching the camera off. That way if I'm in a hurry, I know it'll switch on with a wide aperture and wide Auto ISO range for a fast emergency shot before fine tuning settings to get a better short
I'll have to remember this (whenever I can get the "buying" process to actually complete... MPB needs a call, I think for some kind of glitch since the order only half-completed and then canceled itself...)
I did the same with a 50mm. It was liberating. Using zooms can be strangely stressful as there should be no excuse for not getting a great shot. A prime gives restrictions that force creativity and also sometimes mean I put the camera away and just enjoy the scene with my own eyes.
This video auto-played after I'd been watching a lecture playlist for uni (because TH-cam clearly knows me too well). I had the lecture videos playing at 1.25x speed, and it took me a while to figure out why you sounded so funny
The "photo about" tip really made sense. I do automotive photography and I always was moved by the shots where the subject (the car) wasn't exactly blown up in the shot but couldn't figure out why I liked them so much and what I was missing in my shots but now I think I know :)
"If you're watching this in 2 years time, it's currently the corona lockdown. Remember that?" *me, who is from about 1 year in the future:* Heh.. heh.. y.yeah, I, eh.. I remember that. *nervously looks around , still in lockdown*
Slowly making my way through your channel. When you put up "ABOUT > OF," I paused the video and texted that tip to three people. That's how good I thought the tip was. Great content. Keep it up!
Quick question, in your jigsaw tip you had a photo of Tom at a stream. Did you ask Tom to go and "complete" your jigsaw, or was he in that position anyway?
Cheers James. For me the main tip from this video is adding seasoning into landscapes. Not really a fan of landscapes, but let's see what a bit of flavouring will do... for me, the greatest show on earth is humanity. So capturing it at it wildest, bizarrest, funniest etc.. moments, is what photography is about. Photography is remembering all things past. And that's the beauty
Might not apply to you, but if you use Premiere Pro CC to edit your videos, a great challenge (which helps you self isolate) is to move to DaVinci Resolve! I'm learning it now, and it's excellent!!! And I hope everyone in lockdown is OK 😔
The only channel where you can find the theory and approach to photography in stead of the usual technical stuff. This is much more valuable - how to think about your photography.
Some things in this video reminded me of... I am new to photography competitions and I have been chuffed by some of the judges comments I've got: - "I won't forget THIS photograph" (a rather scratched and stained aluminium teapot) - "The exposure is well controlled" (a snow scene in a local park taken with a cheap camera: Pentax Optio W30, on totally automatic) - "Exceptionally striking" (the water-stained underneath of a stone archway, taken with a fairly cheap phone. It looked more boring than I expected so I turned the saturation all the way up, and some amazing blues, greens and yellows appeared out of nowhere, but it still looked like an actual physical thing that could have been painted that way. It was a bit of a fluke that such a simple technique worked so well).
I really like doing the "one prime lens" thing. Sometimes I will miss a shot I really would have liked to get, but most of the time I find many more shots I would not have tried if I did have the ability to swap lenses. Often when I'm out with multiple lenses, I think more about 'should I change my lens' rather than about taking pictures.
I waited all day to enjoy a new James Popsys video, and you never disappoint. How you do not have millions of subscribers dumbfounds me. Stay safe James.
The thing I like about your channel is you show me how to take better pictures without spending a fortune on gear. I keep improving with my second hand canon 760D, basic lenses, Newner £40 tripod and I think I’m starting to produce pictures people might want to put on their wall. Following one of your videos I decided not to upgrade to full frame as I really thought about it and carrying a heavier camera around as well as the family picnic and 2 flasks of tea with tripod in my backpack might just finish me off. 😂 I do want to try photostacking in the autumn to get nice stars in my night shots. I don’t have a tracker. Any tips.
Aaaaaahhhhhh i REALLY like the use of a jpeg as a guide. I have never done any photo editing and find it hard to adjust a picture without just randomly moving sliders and “see what happens”. But with the jpeg as a “baseline” to shoot for in your editing is a great idea. Good on you brother 👍
I got a DSLR, I heard about Back Button Focus and gave it a try. 4 years later I don't even know I'm doing it, even to the point of forgetting to tell people who pick up my camera for that group shot, that they have to do it. On my 70D it engages the IS as well, which is helpful when composing. I find it's easier to hold that AF-ON button tightly than to half press the shutter button and move around.
Rite on Back button, focus I challenged myself for one whole outing. I won't go back, instantly I was getting more useful shots. It's not really that hard to learn. It becomes intuitive very quickly. Weather for sports, action, or wildlife (my kind) of photography. It's balls to the wall best for me. Ironically I was taught this by well someone that doesn't use it.
Hi James, I just discovered that if you use your phone to take photos, and you want to try to take a shot with a long exposure and you have your phone on a little tripod, in order to avoid camera shake, plug in your headphones into a headphone jack and click the volume control to operate the shutter. Not sure if the same is true of wireless airbuds....
I was really thinking about how I was approaching my daily routine photography (street, architecture, food, lifestyle) and the best photos usually were the ones i was trying to talk about something, not showing something. So, it matches a lot with the photos of/about relation. especially in mundane places or situations. This is where it is the most important thing to bring the photo to a story mode.
Regarding anticipation and your custom setting you can switch quickly to- I like to use the "One Push AE" FN button on the G9 to quickly set proper exposure if I get caught in the wrong exposure settings and need to correct everything at the quick push of a button.
Another fantastic video James. Loved the analogies, the humour and the tips you offer. All good. Sorry you had to get a photo of the Wanaka Willow without its lower branch. I think it was vandalised about 2020 just after I got my opportunity. Probably NZs most famous tree. Anyway, this is just to say thanks for the effort you put in and the 'lessons' laced with your sense of fun. Cheers from NZ.
2:28 - "Of" vs "About" - I think you made an excellent point. With which i totally disagree in the given example: 1st photo - an Island, Monastery, Solitude, Gloomy Calmness, Mystery man stepped off a gondola boat - a messenger, a monk, a plumber - we don't know, it's a mystery. We also see two school buses parked in water because someone forgot about the high tides. 2nd photo - it's just a lake! Can't even tell if there's an island. Bunch of tourists, dropped off by a water taxi, complaining about the stairs they are just about to take to get some photos "of" a church at the top. Oh and we also see two campervans stuck in water cos someone forgot about the high tides. My point is: Narrative is provided by the photograph - Story is made up by the viewers. "Story telling" (in every facet of life these days) is overrated the same way the golden hour lighting is. Good video, like your channel, thanks for sharing! ;)
I did the same with a 50mm. It was liberating. Using zooms can be strangely stressful as there should be no excuse. A prime gives restrictions that force creativity and also sometimes mean I put the camera away and just enjoy the scene with my own eyes.
James Popsys.............the thinking man's or woman's photographer. You're absolutely right, a story is so important, far more so than what gear was used to capture it and I think it's how you are able to make the mm4/3rds system work so well. In some ways photography has become boring, your "seasoning" which you do so well makes a massive difference, it's why I really enjoy your work, your videos are equally enjoyable . For me your work does stand out it's because you use your imagination as well as your camera gear! Cheers.
Hi James, Great video again, loving the beard and hair - excited to see how big they get in the coming weeks. A few weeks ago I mentioned that I saw Saturday as being “Popsys day”. I need you to know I waited all day yesterday for your update. You were late....... by 24hours. I think you need to think about whether you want “Popsys day” to be Saturday or not. :) Would have messaged earlier however my 6 year old has recently discovered you and wouldn’t let me message as she wanted to watch more and learn more about photography. She’s my favourite child ;) On a serious note, keep the videos coming, they are so welcome in this unfathomable time. You are a pleasure to watch .
Thanks so much Kate! I managed to miss my Saturday deadline despite having literally nothing else to do - magic! I'll try and ensure it doesn't happen again :) And great to have your daughter on board too!!
Any restriction in one's equipment or media can often generate better creativity. I knew a guy with an early digital camera which he had dropped in some water. After drying, it "worked" but the colors and shading was totally spastic. He decided to see what he could do with that. He eventually learned what colors and lighting would give him the best effects on which part of the sensor (the damage was not even). He was turning out some amazing photos. It looked as if he had posterized the crap out of them, but they were all straight out of the camera.
@@JamesPopsysPhoto -- seriously, experience tells me that adult cats can recognize all forms of camera and carry complex release forms on themselves at all times. Note that kittens can be easier to fool 😺😼😸🐱
I have a variation on James single focal length exercise. I have an old lens that I have not liked much. It surfaced recently after having spent at least a year in storage. So I went out on a few shoots where I limited myself to just this lens. And, sure enough, I did learn a thing or two by forcing myself to use just this lens.
I'm currently on, I think, my 10th camera (several Panasonic m43's and several Fuji aps-c's) and the only time I have ever had any recognition for any of my photos, was a photo I took on my cheap smartphone. It won a local calendar competition. So that was money well spent! Thanks for the tips, I hope I can start to improve! :)
I enjoyed that, thank you. Since we have been in lockdown. My camera has always been with me when I'm walking the dog by our local river. I give myself little projects. ie, birds one day, reflections another etc etc. Just by doing that. I have found my photography has improved, (In my eyes anyway).
Love this digest of your best photography tips so I can find them in one place, experiment with them, and discover the ones that work best for me. Thanks heaps for this video and your ever-entertaining natural humor. Stay well & safe, Sylvia
We've never met, but I cannot STAND back button focusing. I have been doing the "default" way for as long as there have been auto focus cameras and I just can't change now. I feel like I miss shots when using it.
James, you've once again provided valuable insight and entertainment in one fell swoop. Cheers for that. I particularly liked your puzzle piece comment, that hit home as an approach to dealing with too much info in a scene. Thanks. BTW, your cheeky music at the end is too snarky and appreciated.
Since memory cards are quite cheap these days (considering what they were just 2-3 years ago, especially for XQD and CFExpress) you might as well shoot RAW+JPEG in the camera. That way you have a backup file if you need to in a pinch, but more importantly, the JPEG as mentioned, can be used as a guide. Sometimes I'll even use the JPEGs when it's a shot of something I won't be editing (say from a family vacation) and I can just give someone the JPEG and not have to bother doing post processing on that image. For BBF I know some people will say "don't modern ML cameras have near-full sensor coverage in terms of AF?" Yes they do, but sometimes doing back button focus and more importantly, focus-and-recompose is faster than moving the focus point because you simply move the camera, versus pressing the focus point selector stick/button repeatedly to get your focus point. Depending on how your AF is set up this could take you a few seconds and you may have just lost the shot. Focus and recompose is less than a second usually. To your last point, I think people would classify those two types as working by rote (memory) with little thought in the process, and those who take the tips, interpret them, and apply them to their own photography but don't just take them blindly and try to reproduce the same images. They may be similar, but those who can break themselves of simply copying others based on tips and ideas, tend to stand out a bit more and can develop a style themselves while employing tips from photographers at the same time. Those who generally just go by rote tend to have the same type of shots over and over again, or they aren't thining creatively enough, but rather just gong by memory or doing the movements but not putting in as much thought as they could or should.
Hey James I just wanted to say that i really love your picture of lake bled, in 2019 I went to that lake and walked the same trail around the lake. I made a picture quite simular to yours. it is not exact the same but I really like the idea that we both saw that island framed by the branches and both liked the shot. Also to see the differences and learn from it. Keep safe
Tip #1 was a light bulb moment for me (and the pinch of salt one to some degree). I now know why my pictures are so unimpressive. Also I can see how to try and recover some of them with Affinity Photo. Thank you sir.
First view of your channel and it’s made me realise how badass micro 4/3s cameras can be! So much for APS-C users thinking they need full frame 🤦♂️ I love the 4:3 aspect ratio - stands out among the hoards of 3:2s
Another great video James, you mentioned: "if you are watching this in two years it is currently the CV lockdown, remember that?" I guess we all are longing for the "memory of it" rather than the "experiencing it". And it cheered me up to think that we will get over this. All good "tips" especially the back button focusing. I changed to this after your previous video and would not go back now. I have been trying hard to get the "about something" not "of something" right, it's not easy, but most things worth doing do not come easy eh! Thanks for continuing to upload, stay safe, you and everyone.
I've never really been too concerned about "golden hour". But back-button focus... ever since I first started using it, never went back. My Lumix LX-100 point & shoot even has it.
I have three presets on my camera. I set one for indoor, one for outdoor sunny and one for outdoor gloomy. Saves lots of time when traveling with non-photographers!
Love you James 💕 Thanks for keeping me entertained during this “stuck at home” pandemic. It helps the insanity of feeling like a prisoner in our own homes
I really don't understand all this talk about being bored and going mad while in isolation. I am having the best of times photographing the laces on my shoes. Do you ever wonder if two 1lb. bags of frozen peas have the exact same count of peas ? They don't, one of my bags was off by 6. Why don't the fish in my aquarium look towards the camera when I have spent a great deal of time setting up the shot ? Why is my cat able to get all the fish to look at him, he doesn't even own a camera !!! Guess the joke is on the fish...
Haha, I needed that belly laugh, thanks!
username checks out
You need a fisheye lens, make them feel comfortable, talk to them. Try to be on the same Zen level.
@@joostgerritsen7104 Fisheye lens. Why didn't I think of that. I believe you have solved my dilemma. Thanks Joost.
There was an old guy on the Caribbean coast who said one was not accomplished in life until he learned to enjoy watching the zinc (roof) rust.
Shooting RAW + jpeg and editing the RAW to resemble the jpeg is one of the best pieces of advice one can give someone relatively new at digital editing. Excellent tip.
I am genuinely watching this two years later, and yes I very much remember covid lockdown.
Found these videos actually from the backpack one, and have gone back to the start to go through them all as they're enjoyable and often useful.
Keep up the great work.
In teaching, I've noticed that out of a class of 20 students, if I have them all draw or even trace the same thing, I'll have 20 distinctly different results. Your tips will produce in each photographer a variety of workflows and therefore results. So I still see value in the whole photo tips thing. Thanks.
Thanks Troy! :)
You know I try to post at least one silly comment per video you post, but now I'll be serious: your positivity in this shite storm (and in general) is truly admirable!
When I watch other photographers, even if I love their content, I get discouraged because I get self-conscious. I almost quit photography many times, but then I watch your vids and give myself another chance!
When I watch your videos I feel like there might be hope for me as a photographer after all. It's in large part due to your personality.
Thanks mate. We need more folks like you out there!
Thanks so much mate! Don't give up - we're all making it up as we go along :)
Only photography TH-camr who actually makes me laugh, keep it up James!
Cheers buddy! :)
@@JamesPopsysPhoto I agree. Good use of humour and enthusiasum. Not overdone like some others. No names mentioned.
Couldn't agree more: a wonderful, wry sense of humor.
Check grainydays too mate!
Highly agree
You've gotten so good. It feels like a conversation, even though you're in an home office looking into a camera on a desk. The editing is good, including your animated title cards. And the editing intentionally adds to the essential JP humor. It seems as so ... you. We come back every video, strangely less for the tips, more for the James.
That's so heartwarming to hear Greg - thanks so much :)
I think that's so true of all the good tubers, they all do it their way. But create an engagement between viewer and viewer.👍
This is one of your best videos. You might add "look over your shoulder" if the image in front is not all you want it is possible the one behind is glorious. It may be rare but it does happen.
Thanks Andrew! And nice tip :)
That happened to me the other day and honestly it's a great feeling to see a 4/10 composition, trying to make it work, then glancing over your shoulder and seeing a 7/10 composition, and you end up getting a much better photo than you would have if you hadn't simply turned around.
You’re the first person I’ve come across that flat out says that we shouldn’t play hard and fast with “your” rules. Skill comes from a collection of instruction and practice. And you’ve hit it on the head my man. Love it.
Hi James, this is me, pretending I'm an intermediate/advanced photographer. Great stuff James! I cannot stand listening to photographers who give their opinions as if they are facts. On the other hand I appreciate good advice, given by those with more experience than I have. Which is just about everyone. Thank you for sharing. Cheers.
If no one has said it:
The triangle above you without the motor would be "hang-gliding" and with a motor would probably just be some kind of "ultralight." The people you saw in Switzerland were "paragliding."
I know I'm three years late, so you probably already know, but I thought I'd try to help at least a little in return for all the help youve shared with all of us. Your honest delivery is refreshing!
One of your best videos yet... Rather than just the usual very funny rambling, it's loaded with useful info.
You might think we are all just muddling along and you're probably right. But if just one of your tips connects with one person, causing a lightbulb to go on, then your advice has been extremely helpful. Not only that, it may just give that one person the impetus to keep trying when giving up seems a better option. So keep it up James :)
Thanks Claire :)
I love the "exercise" tip, about going out with only 1 lens (a prime). I'm giving that a go.
I've also started trying back-button focussing. I've always put it off cos it sounded confusing, but you made the reasoning for it so much clearer. Thanks James. 👍
Your directness, and self-deprecation approach is refreshing.
This is such a breath of fresh air, so many photography videos are chock full of insufferable characters and people shilling expensive gear. Thanks for not being one of them.
You are a breath of fresh air, you don't try a push your view across as your way is the only way. Just honest and good advice. Keep up the good work.
The most entertaining while educational photography channel on TH-cam. Keep up the good work
I have to say all your tips a great, but number 9 was a real and honest tip. None of us can say we do the best photography, but we can learn and adjust to what is right by us. Well, thank you, James. Keep up the good work
OMG I'm watching this after 2 years just like you said at the start of the video! Oh and yes I definitely remember the covid lockdown!
I always love the British Humor. The fact that you have injected that in your videos makes them even more enjoyable than they already are. Cheers, James!
Cheers Daniel, much appreciated my friend :)
As a predominately wildlife shooter, I find the custom presets very useful - and I usually switch it to the custom preset before switching the camera off. That way if I'm in a hurry, I know it'll switch on with a wide aperture and wide Auto ISO range for a fast emergency shot before fine tuning settings to get a better short
I'll have to remember this (whenever I can get the "buying" process to actually complete... MPB needs a call, I think for some kind of glitch since the order only half-completed and then canceled itself...)
I did the same with a 50mm. It was liberating. Using zooms can be strangely stressful as there should be no excuse for not getting a great shot. A prime gives restrictions that force creativity and also sometimes mean I put the camera away and just enjoy the scene with my own eyes.
This video auto-played after I'd been watching a lecture playlist for uni (because TH-cam clearly knows me too well). I had the lecture videos playing at 1.25x speed, and it took me a while to figure out why you sounded so funny
The "photo about" tip really made sense. I do automotive photography and I always was moved by the shots where the subject (the car) wasn't exactly blown up in the shot but couldn't figure out why I liked them so much and what I was missing in my shots but now I think I know :)
"If you're watching this in 2 years time, it's currently the corona lockdown. Remember that?"
*me, who is from about 1 year in the future:*
Heh.. heh.. y.yeah, I, eh.. I remember that. *nervously looks around , still in lockdown*
The more I watch your videos the more I like them. THANKS A LOT for sharing these accidental nuggets of wisdom...
Slowly making my way through your channel. When you put up "ABOUT > OF," I paused the video and texted that tip to three people. That's how good I thought the tip was. Great content. Keep it up!
Quick question, in your jigsaw tip you had a photo of Tom at a stream. Did you ask Tom to go and "complete" your jigsaw, or was he in that position anyway?
To tell you the truth I can't remember for sure - but I think I got him to crouch at the stream :)
Cheers James. For me the main tip from this video is adding seasoning into landscapes. Not really a fan of landscapes, but let's see what a bit of flavouring will do... for me, the greatest show on earth is humanity. So capturing it at it wildest, bizarrest, funniest etc.. moments, is what photography is about. Photography is remembering all things past. And that's the beauty
your humor...! Love it! great video again! Happy to be a new follower!
Might not apply to you, but if you use Premiere Pro CC to edit your videos, a great challenge (which helps you self isolate) is to move to DaVinci Resolve!
I'm learning it now, and it's excellent!!!
And I hope everyone in lockdown is OK 😔
The only channel where you can find the theory and approach to photography in stead of the usual technical stuff. This is much more valuable - how to think about your photography.
Thanks mate, great to hear :)
Some things in this video reminded me of...
I am new to photography competitions and I have been chuffed by some of the judges comments I've got:
- "I won't forget THIS photograph" (a rather scratched and stained aluminium teapot)
- "The exposure is well controlled" (a snow scene in a local park taken with a cheap camera: Pentax Optio W30, on totally automatic)
- "Exceptionally striking" (the water-stained underneath of a stone archway, taken with a fairly cheap phone. It looked more boring than I expected so I turned the saturation all the way up, and some amazing blues, greens and yellows appeared out of nowhere, but it still looked like an actual physical thing that could have been painted that way. It was a bit of a fluke that such a simple technique worked so well).
Great video James. Really funny at points. Keep up the great work. Thanks for sharing 😊
Seen hundreds of videos.. This one here stands above alot.
I really like doing the "one prime lens" thing. Sometimes I will miss a shot I really would have liked to get, but most of the time I find many more shots I would not have tried if I did have the ability to swap lenses. Often when I'm out with multiple lenses, I think more about 'should I change my lens' rather than about taking pictures.
I waited all day to enjoy a new James Popsys video, and you never disappoint. How you do not have millions of subscribers dumbfounds me. Stay safe James.
Thanks so much David :)
I just came across your videos. They're great, so I subscribed. Haven't learned a whole yet, but I will be looking for more from you. Thanks, James.
The thing I like about your channel is you show me how to take better pictures without spending a fortune on gear.
I keep improving with my second hand canon 760D, basic lenses, Newner £40 tripod and I think I’m starting to produce pictures people might want to put on their wall.
Following one of your videos I decided not to upgrade to full frame as I really thought about it and carrying a heavier camera around as well as the family picnic and 2 flasks of tea with tripod in my backpack might just finish me off. 😂
I do want to try photostacking in the autumn to get nice stars in my night shots. I don’t have a tracker. Any tips.
Aaaaaahhhhhh i REALLY like the use of a jpeg as a guide. I have never done any photo editing and find it hard to adjust a picture without just randomly moving sliders and “see what happens”. But with the jpeg as a “baseline” to shoot for in your editing is a great idea. Good on you brother 👍
Awesome to hear mate :)
I love backbutton focusing, but not to keep from accidentally taking a photo. More to keep from accidentally refocusing.
Me too :)
I got a DSLR, I heard about Back Button Focus and gave it a try. 4 years later I don't even know I'm doing it, even to the point of forgetting to tell people who pick up my camera for that group shot, that they have to do it. On my 70D it engages the IS as well, which is helpful when composing. I find it's easier to hold that AF-ON button tightly than to half press the shutter button and move around.
Love this and glad to have found you. So much sense and great humour.
Rite on Back button, focus I challenged myself for one whole outing. I won't go back, instantly I was getting more useful shots. It's not really that hard to learn. It becomes intuitive very quickly. Weather for sports, action, or wildlife (my kind) of photography. It's balls to the wall best for me. Ironically I was taught this by well someone that doesn't use it.
Hi James, I just discovered that if you use your phone to take photos, and you want to try to take a shot with a long exposure and you have your phone on a little tripod, in order to avoid camera shake, plug in your headphones into a headphone jack and click the volume control to operate the shutter. Not sure if the same is true of wireless airbuds....
I was really thinking about how I was approaching my daily routine photography (street, architecture, food, lifestyle) and the best photos usually were the ones i was trying to talk about something, not showing something. So, it matches a lot with the photos of/about relation. especially in mundane places or situations. This is where it is the most important thing to bring the photo to a story mode.
Regarding anticipation and your custom setting you can switch quickly to- I like to use the "One Push AE" FN button on the G9 to quickly set proper exposure if I get caught in the wrong exposure settings and need to correct everything at the quick push of a button.
Another fantastic video James. Loved the analogies, the humour and the tips you offer. All good. Sorry you had to get a photo of the Wanaka Willow without its lower branch. I think it was vandalised about 2020 just after I got my opportunity. Probably NZs most famous tree. Anyway, this is just to say thanks for the effort you put in and the 'lessons' laced with your sense of fun. Cheers from NZ.
Love your approach and humility and honesty. Refreshing and more engaging so you gained a fan. Keep up the great content.
Thanks for the tips, you inspire me to get to photography again. More power to you sir! The humor is a big plus, I personally dig it! cheers!
2:28 - "Of" vs "About" - I think you made an excellent point. With which i totally disagree in the given example: 1st photo - an Island, Monastery, Solitude, Gloomy Calmness, Mystery man stepped off a gondola boat - a messenger, a monk, a plumber - we don't know, it's a mystery. We also see two school buses parked in water because someone forgot about the high tides.
2nd photo - it's just a lake! Can't even tell if there's an island. Bunch of tourists, dropped off by a water taxi, complaining about the stairs they are just about to take to get some photos "of" a church at the top. Oh and we also see two campervans stuck in water cos someone forgot about the high tides.
My point is: Narrative is provided by the photograph - Story is made up by the viewers. "Story telling" (in every facet of life these days) is overrated the same way the golden hour lighting is.
Good video, like your channel, thanks for sharing! ;)
Cheers Matt - and nice points :)
I did the same with a 50mm. It was liberating. Using zooms can be strangely stressful as there should be no excuse. A prime gives restrictions that force creativity and also sometimes mean I put the camera away and just enjoy the scene with my own eyes.
James Popsys.............the thinking man's or woman's photographer. You're absolutely right, a story is so important, far more so than what gear was used to capture it and I think it's how you are able to make the mm4/3rds system work so well. In some ways photography has become boring, your "seasoning" which you do so well makes a massive difference, it's why I really enjoy your work, your videos are equally enjoyable . For me your work does stand out it's because you use your imagination as well as your camera gear! Cheers.
Thanks so much mate :)
Thanks James . Another great video your approach to this channel is informative and always a joy to watch , Thank you
Thanks for watching Paul :)
Best concept by far: "Create curiosity" Rock on!
Thanks for watching :)
The fact he keeps dropping salt on the table without throwing some over his left shoulder is DIABOLICAL! May the gods protect you
Excellent. Best thoughts I have ever heard on Photography.
Your intro is hilarious because I actually am watching this in 2 years time hahahaha
Excellent! Very concise and insightful. There are lots of nuggets to take away and digest contained within. Excellent content, James!
Thanks for watching Mark :)
Best photography youtuber yet
Thanks so much :)
Hi James, Great video again, loving the beard and hair - excited to see how big they get in the coming weeks.
A few weeks ago I mentioned that I saw Saturday as being “Popsys day”. I need you to know I waited all day yesterday for your update. You were late....... by 24hours. I think you need to think about whether you want “Popsys day” to be Saturday or not. :)
Would have messaged earlier however my 6 year old has recently discovered you and wouldn’t let me message as she wanted to watch more and learn more about photography. She’s my favourite child ;)
On a serious note, keep the videos coming, they are so welcome in this unfathomable time. You are a pleasure to watch .
Thanks so much Kate! I managed to miss my Saturday deadline despite having literally nothing else to do - magic! I'll try and ensure it doesn't happen again :) And great to have your daughter on board too!!
Any restriction in one's equipment or media can often generate better creativity. I knew a guy with an early digital camera which he had dropped in some water. After drying, it "worked" but the colors and shading was totally spastic. He decided to see what he could do with that. He eventually learned what colors and lighting would give him the best effects on which part of the sensor (the damage was not even). He was turning out some amazing photos. It looked as if he had posterized the crap out of them, but they were all straight out of the camera.
Next video: "indoor photography tips", then "how to convince cats that your camera is not a gun so they don't stop goofing around and run away".
haha! Coming right up! :)
@@JamesPopsysPhoto -- seriously, experience tells me that adult cats can recognize all forms of camera and carry complex release forms on themselves at all times. Note that kittens can be easier to fool 😺😼😸🐱
this is the best darn video i've seen for photography
Thank you James - picked up some great tips and love your humour!
Hey thanks for sharing these advices I found them very helpful
I have a variation on James single focal length exercise. I have an old lens that I have not liked much. It surfaced recently after having spent at least a year in storage. So I went out on a few shoots where I limited myself to just this lens. And, sure enough, I did learn a thing or two by forcing myself to use just this lens.
ALL HAIL KING JAMES!!! bravo sir!!!
Cheers mate :)
I'm currently on, I think, my 10th camera (several Panasonic m43's and several Fuji aps-c's) and the only time I have ever had any recognition for any of my photos, was a photo I took on my cheap smartphone. It won a local calendar competition. So that was money well spent! Thanks for the tips, I hope I can start to improve! :)
Your facial expressions have to be the funniest, it cracks me up
I enjoyed that, thank you. Since we have been in lockdown. My camera has always been with me when I'm walking the dog by our local river. I give myself little projects. ie, birds one day, reflections another etc etc. Just by doing that. I have found my photography has improved, (In my eyes anyway).
Love this digest of your best photography tips so I can find them in one place, experiment with them, and discover the ones that work best for me. Thanks heaps for this video and your ever-entertaining natural humor. Stay well & safe, Sylvia
Thanks so much Sylvia :)
Tip #10: If you cant' find a person to add scale and story to a photo then sheep will work in a pinch. Baaaa.
Not your first rodeo I see :)
You have a wonderful presentation personality and a real skill at conveying worthwhile, helpful information. Thanks
Thanks for watching Keith :)
Good tips all. For me, the standout is # 3 Speed. Speaks to capturing moments, not just scenes. Thanks!
Thanks so much :)
Brilliant as always...my Mr Miagi of photography 😆
Thanks James! Great advice!
We've never met, but I cannot STAND back button focusing. I have been doing the "default" way for as long as there have been auto focus cameras and I just can't change now. I feel like I miss shots when using it.
James, you've once again provided valuable insight and entertainment in one fell swoop. Cheers for that. I particularly liked your puzzle piece comment, that hit home as an approach to dealing with too much info in a scene. Thanks. BTW, your cheeky music at the end is too snarky and appreciated.
haha, cheers David :)
Since memory cards are quite cheap these days (considering what they were just 2-3 years ago, especially for XQD and CFExpress) you might as well shoot RAW+JPEG in the camera. That way you have a backup file if you need to in a pinch, but more importantly, the JPEG as mentioned, can be used as a guide. Sometimes I'll even use the JPEGs when it's a shot of something I won't be editing (say from a family vacation) and I can just give someone the JPEG and not have to bother doing post processing on that image.
For BBF I know some people will say "don't modern ML cameras have near-full sensor coverage in terms of AF?" Yes they do, but sometimes doing back button focus and more importantly, focus-and-recompose is faster than moving the focus point because you simply move the camera, versus pressing the focus point selector stick/button repeatedly to get your focus point. Depending on how your AF is set up this could take you a few seconds and you may have just lost the shot. Focus and recompose is less than a second usually.
To your last point, I think people would classify those two types as working by rote (memory) with little thought in the process, and those who take the tips, interpret them, and apply them to their own photography but don't just take them blindly and try to reproduce the same images. They may be similar, but those who can break themselves of simply copying others based on tips and ideas, tend to stand out a bit more and can develop a style themselves while employing tips from photographers at the same time. Those who generally just go by rote tend to have the same type of shots over and over again, or they aren't thining creatively enough, but rather just gong by memory or doing the movements but not putting in as much thought as they could or should.
Back-button focusing gives you instant focus-lock when you remove your thumb. That, for me, is a huge advantage. I wish it was on every camera.
Hey James I just wanted to say that i really love your picture of lake bled, in 2019 I went to that lake and walked the same trail around the lake. I made a picture quite simular to yours. it is not exact the same but I really like the idea that we both saw that island framed by the branches and both liked the shot. Also to see the differences and learn from it. Keep safe
Awesome to hear! What an incredible place :)
Tip #1 was a light bulb moment for me (and the pinch of salt one to some degree). I now know why my pictures are so unimpressive. Also I can see how to try and recover some of them with Affinity Photo. Thank you sir.
First view of your channel and it’s made me realise how badass micro 4/3s cameras can be! So much for APS-C users thinking they need full frame 🤦♂️ I love the 4:3 aspect ratio - stands out among the hoards of 3:2s
Top class advice mate.
Another great video James, you mentioned: "if you are watching this in two years it is currently the CV lockdown, remember that?" I guess we all are longing for the "memory of it" rather than the "experiencing it". And it cheered me up to think that we will get over this.
All good "tips" especially the back button focusing. I changed to this after your previous video and would not go back now.
I have been trying hard to get the "about something" not "of something" right, it's not easy, but most things worth doing do not come easy eh!
Thanks for continuing to upload, stay safe, you and everyone.
Thanks for watching David :)
"Two years' time" feels a little optimistic now, doesn't it
I've never really been too concerned about "golden hour". But back-button focus... ever since I first started using it, never went back. My Lumix LX-100 point & shoot even has it.
Cracking photos there matey! ...Love the dog sled/whip picture.....I’d be well pleased with that one!...stay safe..🌈😎
Cheers Peter, I really like it too :)
Outstanding as usual. Maintain sanity my friend!
Cheers mate, thanks for watching :)
I have three presets on my camera. I set one for indoor, one for outdoor sunny and one for outdoor gloomy. Saves lots of time when traveling with non-photographers!
Nice! :)
Thanks for making me smile James.
Thanks for watching Steve :)
This is two years time, thanks rona is over in Alaska
Love you James 💕
Thanks for keeping me entertained during this “stuck at home” pandemic. It helps the insanity of feeling like a prisoner in our own homes
Thanks for watching and hang in there :)
Lot of great photos and tips. I believe the other one is hang gliding.
Yeah, I think you’re brilliant mate. Should be a tv host. X
The about/of tip - spot on.
Awesome to hear :)
I love how im watching this video in the background while taking photos of pencils at home.
haha! :)
And here I am, watching this in two year's time.