Over the years, I've spent a lot of time studying and practicing photography. At the age of 73, I can honestly say that you are the best teacher of photography that I've ever found. Your ability to make people understand its concepts, while never talking down to anyone, is superb!
About 8 years ago I started watching your vids, you helped me start my hobby which turned into career as a creative. I was happy when I came back to this page & seen you still make videos, thank you Mike for years of content.
Thanks Dj W . That's really interesting you made a career as a creative. Please would you consider sharing your story with our readers in one of our Zero To Hero articles? There's a link to the page below where you can see what others have shared and find out how to tell your own story. Be great if you're up for it... MIKE www.photographycourses.biz/zero-to-hero
I feel exactly the same way, 'I'm nearly there' (as far as working fulltime as a pro). Mike is humble, he's a great teacher and he's pretty funny too. I did a gig recently where a dude followed me around all day asking me why I don't shoot Sony and generally being a jerk, making snide remarks about my camera gear and trying to put me off. I just thought: "What would Mike do?" Easy, he'd just keep shooting and stay true to being a 'photograph creator' so that's what I did.
Mat Teakle I agree, he’s a great teacher he genuinely cares & haha that’s a great motto, got to stay focused and ignore those who try to get a rise out of us. Keep shooting 🤙🏽
Thanks Mat Teakle. And good on you for having the confidence to ignore the jerk at the gig. None of their business what you're doing or shoot on... MIKE :-)
This is the best video on camera settings I have ever seen. In fact it is great advice for mastering ANYTHING. Practice is the difference between someone who who does a given task or skill automatically seemingly without thinking, fast and with seemly little effort and ends up with high level results and someone who struggles, takes twice as long, and gets mediocre results. All you see is the amazing photo on a gallery wall or in a wedding album or online with 2000 likes. You don't see the blood, sweat, tears, hard work, and 1000s of hours of practice that happened before that moment that gave the person making them the ability to do it. It's not natural talent or luck or birth right, or any of the other things people think because they only see the end result. The major difference between you and the photographer who's work you admire the most is dedication and practice practice practice.
Only found this channel in the last few days. Mike you explain things very simply. I have just taken taken up photography in my retired years. Thank you.
I missed you Mike, I (I suppose all of us) want you to be more here. I know its selfish but IMHO this is one of the greatest chanells. Hope this comment could encourage or motivate you a little bit more for anything! Cheers
Wonderful, Mike. I agree 100% that settings don't translate automatically. I do however like to hear the reasoning behind your shot - Thinking Like a Photographer. Keep them coming!
Mike Sir you are what every person starting out on their photography journey should take guidance from, I myself have watched hundreds of different clips and photographers..you explain things very well, simple to understand and keep up the good work.
Rather than using your settings...........I think the important thing is to understand your settings. So from that perspective, I can see a lot of value in your posting of your settings on shots. Along with that, when you explain how you arrived at those settings (which you've done a lot) it really helps.
Jim Thornton it is definitely beneficial understanding the thought process and rational as to how a seasoned professional arrives at their settings for a given environment, in that particular moment. Developing a basic understanding of the fundamentals is critical for a person like myself (hobby) which he explains wonderfully in other vlogs. But like you I do enjoy vlogs that share the settings and explain why they have picked them.
You know, I've been struggling to try and understand better how my settings are affecting my pictures, and this video has really helped me remember what photography's really about: finding potential images that inspire me, images I want to capture. I'm an historian, and advice I give to my students usually includes something about "letting the sources speak for themselves" so that they don't go into an essay or project with a pre-existing assumption of what their conclusions ought to be - to inspire them to think critically about the sources they're engaging with. It strikes me that you're offering similar advice here: find the image, and let the images speak for themselves, telling me what settings to use to get what I want.
Absolute truth and a brilliant sense of humour to boot. ‘Practice with your lobster folks’!! Thank Mike for illuminating so many photography mysteries for me with you simple and educational videos. I have learned loads in the last few weeks just following your advice. Brilliant.
Careful. I know this lovely man. For goodness sake make sure the lobster practicing is not overrun and you end up watching far too much TH-cam instead.
You remind me of the angler John Wilson, he had the same level of passion for fishing and narrated his videos in a very similar way. Your videos are very clearly spoken and easy to understand. I'm not a beginner but I like to see how other people explain the same things as I do to others. Awesome videos and thanks for taking the time to share you knowledge.
Wow! This has boosted my confidence a bit. "The images make the settings - not the settings make the images". You have helped me to understand why when I use the same settings as someone else the image wasn't the same. The lighting, composition, distance isn't the same, ever. This is so true and while I still have a lot to learn about settings and better grasping how to apply them for my image, I know that I will keep practicing to understand and gain experience. Thank you so much for making this video and explaining so well without a bunch of mumbo jumbo!
Happy to help Leanne. It's a common mistake which I made when I was learning too... Most of photography is kinda back to front. If you're really keen to get to grips with this please take a look at my online courses. I know there's free info here and everywhere else but without a guide to take you through it in the right order and give you exercises to get real experience it can be confusing. I put a link below if you'd like to check my curriculum pout and try a sample... MIKE www.photographycourses.biz/courses
This topic and recommendations are very important. They also justify the rant, as you called it. Too many people don't realize that thinking is necessary for consistently taking good photos. Also, too many worry about the settings used by others instead of learning the basics and figuring them out for themselves. Great video, Mike!
Well done, Mike. Am never disappointed in your vids. One observation - going back to analog photography days, I recall that photo mags would routinely publish gear and camera settings used for each pic. Perhaps the persistent question is a carry-over from that era.
Love the simple direct vocabulary, no sugar coating it but calling it as it is, which is how I was brought up. I have been out practicing, practicing, practicing in manual and I am still on the learning curve. I don’t have the latest camera or best lense, what I do have is passion and willingness to try. Not to be scared to fail (queue Churchill quote on failure) “success is going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm”. However with the help of Einstein’s definition of insanity “doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results”. With the likes of Mr Browne’s help, we can only get better as photographers. I wish I had found this channel 5 months ago when I was just getting into my new hobby of photography. If this guy can’t inspire or motivate you, head to the morgue. Thanks for the advice......love it
Thank you so much Brian. I have the Churchill quote on the office wall... Delighted to have helped. Please help me make more by sharing the vids around wherever appropriate.. Stay well my friend... MIKE 🙏🙂
I have learnt so much from your tutorials. And I have gone out and practiced many of the techniques that you have taught me. I'd say that only now is this video more relevant than any of your others, because I am not thinking about cameras or settings or the shot, I could actually listen to what you said, understand what you said and why, and made me think again about practice. The best lesson of all that you have taught me, is the best camera in the world is the one in your hands. Thank you
I use my granddaughters Dolls head and shoulders. One of these make up dolls. Helps me practice my composition and lighting and shade along with using a 50 mm prime. I have to do all the hard work as opposed to zooming in and out. It gets me moving. What you did with the lobster is what I have been doing with the dolls head . I am really enjoying learning this stuff . Have been watching your vids for a while and learn so much from them. Thankyou very much.
Excellent tutorial, straight up logical thinking. Love the rants that’s when creativity comes out. Being scripted doesn’t allow for further creativity. Thanks !
Brilliant Mike, I'm a newbie kind of, been taking photos all my life, I'm 54, but because of COVID killing our work for a year I was able to get serious and I'm loving it. I totally agree with what you said but I must say once I work out who I trust and like on youtube I do use settings as a guide. I for instance take lots of sunsets, I'm on a property, in the beginning I wasn't quite happy with the results so I'd look at the settings one of my fav you tubers used on some of hers then I would try that track, then I'd modify it to suit myself and grow from there. So sometimes its good for a guide to have settings. You can work out that the conditions are all different but I still find it a help. I absolutely love photography and love learning more and more stuff. One day when we can travel again would love to come to the UK and take lots of images. xx
I know what you mean about settings Mike but I do think they do help us beginners a little , I have used your settings in one of your vids just to give me a place to start from . I then adjust my settings to get the image I’m after . So your right in saying your exact settings won’t be for me , but they do give me a base to start from if the light etc is similar. Keep the videos coming mate and keep up the good work 📷
I’m currently using a Sony hx400 V. It has helped me learn framing a picture and using full manual. I’m getting ready to go to to dslr and interchangeable lens. Thank you for all this information and the tangents.
Mike you really explain things so ANYONE can understand ...I’ve suggested you site to everyone that shows interesting in photography...thank you so much for all you do and share with us...we were blessed when we came across your site...
As usual mesmerising and helpful guidance.....when I watch your presentation I always feel like learning from an elder brother......so honest and gentle your teachings are.....I learned a lot from your free teachings and I have no words expressing my thanks. One small request sir, I am facing difficulty understanding concept of visual balance in photography, I would be grateful if you teach us how to get it in our images. Thanks again.
perhaps you may start on focusing on your composition, this all boils down to visual balance - Melissa pp Mike www.photographycourses.biz/videos/creative/composition/how-to-learn-composition
Spot on the money Mike !! Soooo many people on TH-cam always asking photographers for their settings. Sometimes wonder if they really Listen to what you are saying !?!?
Excellent thinking Mike, and well explained. These things never really occurred to me. I am interested in the settings more out of curiosity than anything else.
"Practice with your lobster!" This has been one of my favorite videos of yours that I've seen. You verified what I have determined for myself a while ago. Your settings aren't my settings. Thanks for sharing!
I get your point but I would still ask the settings or if the photo is edited because I would try those setting out in a similar composition. And if the photo is not just setting and if photo used HDR or something then you would mention that when asked for the setting. And knowing which competition works is pure experience, even experienced photographers take multitude of photos and select single one. So for someone who is in the process of learning, it's like a starting point or a lesson in understanding the relation between setting and composition.
Another terrific video in your usual down-to earth delivery. I definitely recommend the 7 building blocks. It was one of the best decisions I made when I enrolled for this super course.
Great advice as usual. I direct any new photographers I meet to your page because of videos like this one. I personally see my growth and improvement since I started watching your channel. Thank you
This has to be the most useful information I have seen on settings.....a natural rant gives more information than the usual 'photographers nice youtube image' type of video which actually tells us very little. I get so bored of twenty minute vids that tell me f' stop all !! ( did you see what i did there kids)...anyone with cake in their vids has to be worth listening to.
Hey Mike, My better half and myself think the world of you and your videos. This one was terrific. Keep up the good work. Many photographers have a very great fear and it is well founded (not myself or yourself of course, and I digress from your video - please forgive me.) The biggest fear a photographer really has is that his or her spouse will at the end of the photographers life, sell on their photo equipment at the price they said was paid for it. Ha ha. Ouch! Cheers’s
Great rant, Mike! I am fed up with people seeing my pictures and asking what camera I use; no-one seems to realise that I took the pictures and the camera was only a tool...
Really really wonderful video. I really loved the way you explained how to think as a photographer. Cameras don’t take pictures, the photographer takes a picture. The same way you made a big point very clear that settings don’t give the picture but a picture gives you the appropriate settings. Awesome sir. Thank you for sharing such a wonderful video. Keep it up 👍. Take care.
Another great video Mike! I post on a couple of camera specific groups on social media, often the settings question is raised, I often respond with 'the ones suitable for the conditions', which are met with accusations of being sarcastic and unhelpful. It is as simple as you describe, the settings I have used are down to the light, and how I have initially seen the shot, then taken several compositions with varied settings to see what works. Do people really think there is a template for every photographic scenario ? I get the most fun out of my photography by experimenting, not reading from a rule book
Love it Mike. No nonsense crap just straight to the point, just what I need to wade through the mele of miscellaneous on my camera (in other words I don’t need to) And also encourages me that taking loads of photos and changing settings while shooting the same scene is ok.........Thank you
Thanks Winston. I didn't say you don't need to wade through learning what the settings are. You do it's very important because in some situations the settings will give the same result - but in others they won't. You have to learn what they do so you'll know which times you do need to work hard with settings and when you don't... MIKE
Cheers Mike. Yes I know you didn’t say you don’t need to wade through the settings. I know doing that is very important......I meant that your video has helped me to be able to do that.....any chance you could do a night shoot or night time sky shoot tutorial as I am struggling big time lol. Thanks again
Great rant, Mike! I love showing your videos in my photo classes - you now have hundreds of happy informed followers from my photography students. This video in particular places dealing with prescribed settings in perspective - it is on the photographer to work with ever-changing lighting conditions, pre-visualization - and takes lots of practice. Thanks again.
Soooo true. Same rationale for "what camera do you use" or "what lens is that". I think some people just think there is a silver bullet or shortcut when the reality is practice, light and composition whether you are using a dslr or mobile phone. If you take crap photos on a £200 camera guess what you'll still take crap photos on a £2000 camera. And yes, I speak from experience!
It’s amazing how whenever I go out on a shoot, it’s like I hear Mike in my head from the time I raise the camera until I take the shot!!🤣👍 it’s like he’s following me around! But, his advice has never failed me, and I know a darned side more today than before he started trailing me around. I have also learned his art of locating shoots near coffee shops and bakeries! Strange, isn’t it? And I have not yet found the pastry setting on my camera!!🤣🤣🤣
As far as i remember, this is the third time Mike had to bring up this topic lol 😂 cannot stress enough about ppl asking about settings. Then again, sometime you need to ask about setting in regarding to bokeh, dof and such effect, not to copy it, but for reference of what a lens could do at certain setting
Oh, I think I've got it now. Where can I buy a lobster like that? But seriously ... I've been asked so often for the settings I used for a specific shot but even more often "which camera did you use and which lens?" And when I answered "Who cares?" some guys really got angry and thought I would try to keep "my secrets". From now on I can simply place a link to this video and that's it :-D. Thank you for making this clear :). Keep going!
Such good advice for people who are wanting to start taking photography a little more seriously. I think you got out of bed the wrong side today Mike, but viewers benefited from it! :-)
Mike, I've just recently found your youtube page and have reckon you have one of the best teaching styles I've seen to date, really enjoy your style and your humour.(similar accent to John Cleese lol)
Love your common sense approach, and your down to earth delivery. I never felt the need to take notice of other peoples settings, so it was great for you to put into words what I innately knew. Thank you so much.
Nice to see you get back to more direct photographic topics from the psychological and business ones. As always you are super in this and your points are key to folks getting away from the idea that if they only know the setting used, they can take the same photo. By the way love that building behind you when you are sitting on the bench. Is that in the Lymington area??
Thanks Erich. It's not far away, it's Christchurch Quay... MIKE www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Old+Mill+Tea+Rooms/@50.7310013,-1.7772256,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x48739ea24bf01905:0xe5a8432d72bc9a6f!8m2!3d50.7310013!4d-1.7750316?hl=en
hello mike and what a treat to find you on here and what fun you make things i am only just working with the manual mode on my nikonD7100 so i hope to be a lot better with the help from you and thanks again all the best from trev in sussex
I was literally practicing on my kitchen table yesterday, with a plastic top (my lobby😂) and a fake bunch of flowers. i'm new to photography, and trying to get my head around all the camera functions. Great vid, thanks
Great job! @liamdoran2257 - that's the best way to get going. If you would like me to clear the confusion of watching endless free vids and not being sure how to sequence them, enrol on my 4 week Masterclass course. According to reviews on Trustpilot it's taken hundreds of photographers from Zero to hero. Link below with all the info and a free sample... MB Trustpilot: uk.trustpilot.com/review/photographycourses.biz?search=Masterclass Masterclass: www.photographycourses.biz/masterclass
I just purchased my first camera and I have to say this video is quite liberating. I'm glad I found your channel here. The internet is full of useful information but wading thru the ocean of misinformation to get to it, ...well, that becomes a battle in itself. I did have a good salesperson at a local camera shop who presented about 5-6 options and discussed many things with us to widdle it down. I ended up choosing the Lumix FZ1000. I'm glad to know that it is partly / largely irrelevant which platform I ended up with. The key in photography is the same as with any other area of interest / hobby I've looked at. In guitar playing, so many want to buy guitars until they get that magic one that makes them play like a virtuoso. But the virtuoso they are so influenced by became who they are on a cheap guitar that was nothing special and all they could afford. A great photographer could take a great shot with a disposable camera, the same as a guitar virtuoso could play a opus on a cheap guitar.
Thanks Tony. Love your comment about it's not the guitar - it's the musician. Have you seen Seasick Steve playing a cheap japanese guitar from a junk shop that's only got 3 strings? Link below... MIKE th-cam.com/video/pNoPNC3ebYQ/w-d-xo.html
Came accross your channel purely by chance, i have seen other photography channels but you really explain each lesson, these are the best on youtube,..Brilliant...subscribed !
Bravo Mike Browne, Bravo. Tony Northrup covered this as well because he was so tired of people asking him the same question, so it's not a rant, it's the truth, nothing can take the place for experience and shooting.
Thank you, I was the guy looking at lenses, cameras and working out what would be best for me. I was advised to use the fixed 50mm lens by an experienced friend, it's helped a lot. I was then advised to use manual settings to take pictures, I did and most of my pictures were black (yes I had taken the lens cap off). Now I am going to play with manual mode and adjust settings on a picture in my garage, then same settings in a bright garden and see what happens... I need "lobby" to practice with, I will grab something to stick in my bag!
Thanks John. You don't have to shot manual, but it will help you understand how the camera does things and help you choose settings for creative reasons, because it's us who makes a picture, not the camera. And experimenting is indeed the way to understand it. I can help you master both technical and creative aspects (there's only 5 controls you need) with my online Masterclass In Photography. You can even try a free sample which is valuable in itself. Please take a look at the link below... MIKE🙏😊 www.photographycourses.biz/courses/photography-masterclass
Great video Mike. I'm in a beginners photography group on fb. I see people ask almost on a daily basis what settings to use for weddings, children or portraits. The only thing I can think of that might be the same every time is if you're taking pictures of the moon or milky way. And that depends on what the limitations are on your camera. Some cameras handle higher ISO than others so the settings for my camera may not be the same for others for the milky way but they're always the same for me. I think what you said about the pictures make the settings not the settings that make the picture is profound.
I did ask someone for their settings once, many years ago. My excuse was that the battery on my OM1 had failed and I didn't have enough left on the roll to bracket my way out of difficulty... That apart, I can't understand what is going through peoples heads when they pester for "the right settings". Its always been obvious to me that exposure details are specific to a time and a place. Having said that, I often find it useful when a photo is accompanied by its exposure details - for example, at the moment I am interested in moving water. When I can see what shutter speed was used for a moving water image it can give me a little help in planning future attempts. Sure, with digital, experimentation costs nothing, but I'm much more likely to get somewhere if I can pin down my objectives for the day. So your settings can be worth having after all... Ooh, perhaps I shouldn't have written that! Sorry...
Hi David. Yes they can be handy as a rough guide in some circumstances like you suggest. I wanted to help the many many people who are mistaken that settings will always be the same for a certain type of image. ... MIKE :-)
People always like settings and I understand why, but just remember your settings will be unique to your camera, subject and environment so don't get too hung up on mine :-)
Hi Mike. Yesterday I was in Pollensa Mallorca and went to see the exhibition of photography by Guillem Bestard. Absolutely spellbinding and a wonderful insight into life in the early 20th century.
Mike Thanks for the great video and I agree with everything you have stated. Perhaps there is just one side bar exception that I wanted to post in response to "the value of knowing a shot setting". For myself, the only real help to know a setting, has been "shots in Manual mode at night." To me, this is the time to be the most creative. Auto settings for the most part do not work and one has to really think outside the box to get the desired shots at night. I never knew what "bulb setting" or "how to do a long term exposure" until I started looking at settings. A person can have great difficulty taking a shot at the moon with detail unless they employ some simple setting that work in most cameras. Please don't take my comment as a nit pick because I do not mean it to be that way. It actually is better and much faster to learn the camera if a person would just Do what you described in your video! I am a huge fan of yours and your a main reason why I have had the degree of success I have had so far. Many family and friends complement my work as if I have been at it for a long time. It has really only been one year but I feel confident I can shoot just about anything. If I fail, I come back and look for some of your older videos that gives me inspiration and creativity to give it a go again. Few things you have done a video on I haven't gone out and tried in real life. I will purchase your course when I get two nickles together, even if I have learned everything I would do it just to support the person who has helped me the most! Thank you for all you do Mike Brown! Rich
MrMoonpie001 taking shots of the moon with detail is dead easy because by default your camera will expose ' the metererd area' at midtone so place your spot meter on the moon & take your shot ( just check you have a fast enough shutter speed. If doing it in manual, move your exposure triangle values until your meter is in the middle, it does the same thing.
Chris, I just get blown out whites when I try it any other way. I am only one year into this and have much to learn. For myself, night photography is probably the last frontier I will go after, once I get a handle on the rest of it. I appreciate your comment and suggestion. I put all good comments into a folder and come back to them later and try to replicate the idea. Thank you in advance, the idea sounds solid, thanks for taking your time. Rich
MrMoonpie001 Hi Rich it sounds like you may be in evaluative/matrix metering which meteres the whole frame if you don't apply any negative exposure compensation you are actually asking your camera to expose all that black area at 'midtone' which will take the exposure of the moon up to 'blown out white' in evaluative you will need to dial about 2 stops of negative exposure comp. In spot metering anywhere around midtone ' no exposure comp' should be very close. Perhaps lock the exposure on the lighter part of the moon if you can zoom close enough. Happy to walk you through exposure if you'd like. My page on facebook: facebook.com/oakwoodportraits
Thanks Chis will give it a shot, also thanks to the link to your page. Just looking things over briefly I see you did a posting on shooting the moon back in July. Will take a harder look at what ya got there, looks great, and again, thank you for your suggestions, I am here to learn and get better, thats it!!! LOL, have a great week! Rich
Thank you Mike for this wonderful video. I really loved the fitness coach part. As a tennis coach myself, i know how it feels to push people for more practice. All your tutorials are great. Thank you once again for the great work...
Hey Mike, Just watched a vid of you 2012 and I thought you looked quite puffed out and worn down. I was intrigued to see how you were going ever since. You look terrific now and a lot healthier great to see Mike
hi mate. well knowing what setting you had helps me to understand why and what the thought behind the picture was. but if you dont talk about the settings its a hit and miss. then i start to guess. just the lobster makes a lot of sense to me.. thanx for the video mate
Hey no worries Sæsi Second son. But I promise you, studying other people's settings is more likely to confuse rather than help. Maybe more usefull if you are right there with them but when watching a video and you don't know anything about light levels at time of shooting, I don't think they're beneficial. You are better to learn what settings do, one at a time, then work backwards from the image you have in your head and that will tell you which settings you need to make it work. Which is the message of this video and why I suggest learning it all in the correct sequence, rather than watching random free vids which may have excellent information - but are you getting that information in the correct order? If you were learning to drive a car and learnt about changing gear and accellerator pedal - but didn't know what a clutch or brake pedal did, you'd be in a mess... Photograpny is the same... Please take a look at my beginners course which will clear all this up for less than the cost of a cheap 2nd hand lens. You can try a free sample at the link below - and it's 100% guaranteed... MIKE :-) www.photographycourses.biz/ubc
Greetings from the Bahamas, thanks for your rant, I know you are speaking the truth clearly, I am completely new to this art form. I am learning and applying ideas on an old Samsung point and shoot using only manual settings, taking pictures seeing results, deleting and trying again, learning a lot from all you videos, cheers.
Another great video Mike ! It is always nice to get honest advices from an experienced (And friendly🙄) pro. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and wisdom!
Top video Mike. About time "somebody" put this info Out There !!!!! Soooo many people about that Don't Know they Don't Know !!!! Tooo Lazy to read their User Manual !?!? Keep up the Great work. Cheers from Oz.
Mike teach us about composition. I have been watching hundreds of hours videos about it and my pictures still sucks lol. I understand the lighting, i understand the setting but when it comes to composition i feel like walking in dark tunnel. I've learned alot from your videos mike, i really2 like how you teach people.
Quietly laughed to myself when you started talking about safari shooting. All I had with me recently was a little compact that I could do some creative shooting with. And we saw another vehicle where the people had humongous lenses on big bodies. . . . . And we all laughed and got our nice little shots and enjoyed just watching. We were taking the photos, not trying to keep big lenses still. Mind you, I would like to go back with my dslr . . . . . and sensible sized lens.
i really enjoyed this video Mike,it reminded me of saying on my walk up Bardon hill in one of my videos how i was going to try and get this look or that view for a particular subject ,in my photograph,in this case a side wall of a quarry,but the principal it the same,what and how you want a photograph to look like dictates,the settings,there is no way i could lie in bed on the morning of my shoot and know what they would be.
Mike I like your straight talking, not all this poncing around like some do, I was in a club once to many ego's you've heard the expression all the gear no idea, there was plenty of that.
Thanks Paul. Yep - awesome images always come from the photographer - not the camera. Look at the wonderful images taken say 50 years ago on the most basic of cameras... MIKE
Mike I like old pictures, especially my parents, who had a box brownie for many years, my dad bought a modern camera Practica zenith lens !! as I recall At this so called club, they're excuse I'm still getting used to it, whilst my canon 50d & I kept winning the club prizes, she's had a NEW shutter movement fitted now, so that will keep me going my chosen subject is WW2 Aircraft, and try to take all different angles of the aircraft, Starting to take pictures of Trains more, anyway I just love it I get a spring in my step still at 67.
Mike Browne, I've been to 2 different high schools in different continents and 3 different universities (yes, I love learning and new challenges), in 3 different countries. I wish 1 out of 10 lecturers had been as good at transferring knowledge as you are. BTW, I'm 40 years old, so it's not just a long weekend experience I'm talking about.
Over the years, I've spent a lot of time studying and practicing photography. At the age of 73, I can honestly say that you are the best teacher of photography that I've ever found. Your ability to make people understand its concepts, while never talking down to anyone, is superb!
Thank you Virginia Frank... MIKE
Seriously what a lifesaver!
About 8 years ago I started watching your vids, you helped me start my hobby which turned into career as a creative. I was happy when I came back to this page & seen you still make videos, thank you Mike for years of content.
Thanks Dj W
. That's really interesting you made a career as a creative. Please would you consider sharing your story with our readers in one of our Zero To Hero articles? There's a link to the page below where you can see what others have shared and find out how to tell your own story. Be great if you're up for it... MIKE
www.photographycourses.biz/zero-to-hero
Mike Browne of course, I’d love to 😁
I feel exactly the same way, 'I'm nearly there' (as far as working fulltime as a pro). Mike is humble, he's a great teacher and he's pretty funny too. I did a gig recently where a dude followed me around all day asking me why I don't shoot Sony and generally being a jerk, making snide remarks about my camera gear and trying to put me off. I just thought: "What would Mike do?" Easy, he'd just keep shooting and stay true to being a 'photograph creator' so that's what I did.
Mat Teakle I agree, he’s a great teacher he genuinely cares & haha that’s a great motto, got to stay focused and ignore those who try to get a rise out of us. Keep shooting 🤙🏽
Thanks Mat Teakle. And good on you for having the confidence to ignore the jerk at the gig. None of their business what you're doing or shoot on... MIKE :-)
This is the best video on camera settings I have ever seen. In fact it is great advice for mastering ANYTHING. Practice is the difference between someone who who does a given task or skill automatically seemingly without thinking, fast and with seemly little effort and ends up with high level results and someone who struggles, takes twice as long, and gets mediocre results. All you see is the amazing photo on a gallery wall or in a wedding album or online with 2000 likes. You don't see the blood, sweat, tears, hard work, and 1000s of hours of practice that happened before that moment that gave the person making them the ability to do it. It's not natural talent or luck or birth right, or any of the other things people think because they only see the end result. The major difference between you and the photographer who's work you admire the most is dedication and practice practice practice.
Only found this channel in the last few days. Mike you explain things very simply. I have just taken taken up photography in my retired years. Thank you.
Thanks Michael Ellard
and welcome... MIKE
I need a plastic lobster! As I dip in and out of photography, I always come back to Mike’s videos. Wonderful teacher. Thank you.
You are so welcome Soar. Lobsters Rock ... MIKE 🙏😊
I missed you Mike, I (I suppose all of us) want you to be more here. I know its selfish but IMHO this is one of the greatest chanells. Hope this comment could encourage or motivate you a little bit more for anything! Cheers
thank you for the warm comments! Mike misses you all - Melissa pp Mike :)
Wonderful, Mike. I agree 100% that settings don't translate automatically. I do however like to hear the reasoning behind your shot - Thinking Like a Photographer. Keep them coming!
Mike Sir you are what every person starting out on their photography journey should take guidance from, I myself have watched hundreds of different clips and photographers..you explain things very well, simple to understand and keep up the good work.
thank you so much night sky for that wonderful comment! please do share it too so we can make more - Melissa pp Mike
Rather than using your settings...........I think the important thing is to understand your settings. So from that perspective, I can see a lot of value in your posting of your settings on shots. Along with that, when you explain how you arrived at those settings (which you've done a lot) it really helps.
Jim Thornton it is definitely beneficial understanding the thought process and rational as to how a seasoned professional arrives at their settings for a given environment, in that particular moment. Developing a basic understanding of the fundamentals is critical for a person like myself (hobby) which he explains wonderfully in other vlogs. But like you I do enjoy vlogs that share the settings and explain why they have picked them.
I think I've seen most of your videos Mike but have to say this is one of the very best many thanks indeed.
Thank Oliver.. MIKE
Mike, you’re the teacher I’ve been looking for for years… Thanks for the brilliant work!
I'm alive and kicking!!!
You know, I've been struggling to try and understand better how my settings are affecting my pictures, and this video has really helped me remember what photography's really about: finding potential images that inspire me, images I want to capture. I'm an historian, and advice I give to my students usually includes something about "letting the sources speak for themselves" so that they don't go into an essay or project with a pre-existing assumption of what their conclusions ought to be - to inspire them to think critically about the sources they're engaging with. It strikes me that you're offering similar advice here: find the image, and let the images speak for themselves, telling me what settings to use to get what I want.
This is just so powerful, I love how you say it too Andrew Kloiber, letting the sources speak for themselves" - Melissa pp Mike
Absolutely bloody fantastic Mike; not only a top notch photographer but an amazing motivational speaker too.
Thank you Eric.. MIKE
Absolute truth and a brilliant sense of humour to boot. ‘Practice with your lobster folks’!! Thank Mike for illuminating so many photography mysteries for me with you simple and educational videos. I have learned loads in the last few weeks just following your advice. Brilliant.
Thanks James. Happy to help. Please keep sharing my vids with other photographers as it helps us keep them coming... Best wishes... MIKE
Careful. I know this lovely man. For goodness sake make sure the lobster practicing is not overrun and you end up watching far too much TH-cam instead.
You remind me of the angler John Wilson, he had the same level of passion for fishing and narrated his videos in a very similar way. Your videos are very clearly spoken and easy to understand. I'm not a beginner but I like to see how other people explain the same things as I do to others. Awesome videos and thanks for taking the time to share you knowledge.
Thank you @Dean Morter Photography .. MIKE
Wow! This has boosted my confidence a bit. "The images make the settings - not the settings make the images". You have helped me to understand why when I use the same settings as someone else the image wasn't the same. The lighting, composition, distance isn't the same, ever. This is so true and while I still have a lot to learn about settings and better grasping how to apply them for my image, I know that I will keep practicing to understand and gain experience. Thank you so much for making this video and explaining so well without a bunch of mumbo jumbo!
Happy to help Leanne. It's a common mistake which I made when I was learning too... Most of photography is kinda back to front. If you're really keen to get to grips with this please take a look at my online courses. I know there's free info here and everywhere else but without a guide to take you through it in the right order and give you exercises to get real experience it can be confusing. I put a link below if you'd like to check my curriculum pout and try a sample... MIKE
www.photographycourses.biz/courses
You don't get enough credit, I don't know why you don't have more followers. You explain everything so easy.
thank you Vaneh, please do share so we can get more - Melissa pp Mike
This topic and recommendations are very important. They also justify the rant, as you called it. Too many people don't realize that thinking is necessary for consistently taking good photos. Also, too many worry about the settings used by others instead of learning the basics and figuring them out for themselves. Great video, Mike!
thank you for the support Virginia :) Melissa pp Mike
Well done, Mike. Am never disappointed in your vids. One observation - going back to analog photography days, I recall that photo mags would routinely publish gear and camera settings used for each pic. Perhaps the persistent question is a carry-over from that era.
Thanks Paul. Yes I'm pretty sure it is too. I think they just wanted something to say because the info was no more use then than it is now... MIKE
Love the simple direct vocabulary, no sugar coating it but calling it as it is, which is how I was brought up. I have been out practicing, practicing, practicing in manual and I am still on the learning curve. I don’t have the latest camera or best lense, what I do have is passion and willingness to try. Not to be scared to fail (queue Churchill quote on failure) “success is going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm”. However with the help of Einstein’s definition of insanity “doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results”. With the likes of Mr Browne’s help, we can only get better as photographers. I wish I had found this channel 5 months ago when I was just getting into my new hobby of photography. If this guy can’t inspire or motivate you, head to the morgue. Thanks for the advice......love it
Thank you so much Brian. I have the Churchill quote on the office wall... Delighted to have helped. Please help me make more by sharing the vids around wherever appropriate.. Stay well my friend... MIKE 🙏🙂
I have learnt so much from your tutorials. And I have gone out and practiced many of the techniques that you have taught me. I'd say that only now is this video more relevant than any of your others, because I am not thinking about cameras or settings or the shot, I could actually listen to what you said, understand what you said and why, and made me think again about practice. The best lesson of all that you have taught me, is the best camera in the world is the one in your hands. Thank you
Thanks Martin - it's funny how sometimes were only able to truly receive the message when the time's right!
I use my granddaughters Dolls head and shoulders. One of these make up dolls. Helps me practice my composition and lighting and shade along with using a 50 mm prime. I have to do all the hard work as opposed to zooming in and out. It gets me moving. What you did with the lobster is what I have been doing with the dolls head . I am really enjoying learning this stuff . Have been watching your vids for a while and learn so much from them. Thankyou very much.
Probably one of the best, straight forward videos on photography that I have ever watched. I'll be rewatching it again for sure.
Thanks Robert. 🙏😊
Excellent tutorial, straight up logical thinking. Love the rants that’s when creativity comes out. Being scripted doesn’t allow for further creativity. Thanks !
Thanks Randy... MIKE :-)
Brilliant Mike, I'm a newbie kind of, been taking photos all my life, I'm 54, but because of COVID killing our work for a year I was able to get serious and I'm loving it. I totally agree with what you said but I must say once I work out who I trust and like on youtube I do use settings as a guide. I for instance take lots of sunsets, I'm on a property, in the beginning I wasn't quite happy with the results so I'd look at the settings one of my fav you tubers used on some of hers then I would try that track, then I'd modify it to suit myself and grow from there. So sometimes its good for a guide to have settings. You can work out that the conditions are all different but I still find it a help. I absolutely love photography and love learning more and more stuff. One day when we can travel again would love to come to the UK and take lots of images. xx
One day Lisa! In the meantime practice, practice practice.... glad you're loving it
One of the finest video Mike. The comparison of different setting to take the similar pic was awesome. Thanks for sharing.
I know what you mean about settings Mike but I do think they do help us beginners a little , I have used your settings in one of your vids just to give me a place to start from . I then adjust my settings to get the image I’m after . So your right in saying your exact settings won’t be for me , but they do give me a base to start from if the light etc is similar. Keep the videos coming mate and keep up the good work 📷
Recently found your channel, one of the most easy videos to follow, really like your teaching style.
Awesome, thank you for your kind words. Delighted to have helped ...
I could watch your videos all day. Oh, I forgot! I have done that. Another excellent video. Thanks!
Ha ha - thanks Ed... MIKE
I’m currently using a Sony hx400 V. It has helped me learn framing a picture and using full manual. I’m getting ready to go to to dslr and interchangeable lens. Thank you for all this information and the tangents.
Thanks Petes1800
I do find a tangent hard to resist... MIKE :-)
Mike you really explain things so ANYONE can understand ...I’ve suggested you site to everyone that shows interesting in photography...thank you so much for all you do and share with us...we were blessed when we came across your site...
thank you isabella for the kind words, we are blessed too, to have you here - Melissa pp Mike
Mr Browne sir you always get to the point and make a person like me understand so easily.
As usual mesmerising and helpful guidance.....when I watch your presentation I always feel like learning from an elder brother......so honest and gentle your teachings are.....I learned a lot from your free teachings and I have no words expressing my thanks.
One small request sir, I am facing difficulty understanding concept of visual balance in photography, I would be grateful if you teach us how to get it in our images.
Thanks again.
perhaps you may start on focusing on your composition, this all boils down to visual balance - Melissa pp Mike www.photographycourses.biz/videos/creative/composition/how-to-learn-composition
Spot on the money Mike !! Soooo many people on TH-cam always asking photographers for their settings. Sometimes wonder if they really Listen to what you are saying !?!?
Excellent thinking Mike, and well explained. These things never really occurred to me. I am interested in the settings more out of curiosity than anything else.
Glad these opened a new perspective to you - Melissa pp Mike
"Practice with your lobster!" This has been one of my favorite videos of yours that I've seen. You verified what I have determined for myself a while ago. Your settings aren't my settings. Thanks for sharing!
I get your point but I would still ask the settings or if the photo is edited because I would try those setting out in a similar composition. And if the photo is not just setting and if photo used HDR or something then you would mention that when asked for the setting.
And knowing which competition works is pure experience, even experienced photographers take multitude of photos and select single one. So for someone who is in the process of learning, it's like a starting point or a lesson in understanding the relation between setting and composition.
It is me again. I just wanted to say how much I appreciate the effort you have put in subtitles. Thank you!
Thanks - you've reminded me to do some of the latest ones too!
Another terrific video in your usual down-to earth delivery. I definitely recommend the 7 building blocks. It was one of the best decisions I made when I enrolled for this super course.
Thanks Dawn. ... MIKE :-)
It's so refreshing...
I totally agree with you
Thanks Martin
As always, your videos are always simple, to the point and no hanky-panky big things, just about basics, looking forward for the next one 🙂
Great video and good practical advice without any bull.
I appreciate the comment 😌
Great advice as usual. I direct any new photographers I meet to your page because of videos like this one. I personally see my growth and improvement since I started watching your channel. Thank you
Thank you for the support Freeman! people like you make us hustle! - Melissa pp Mike :)
This has to be the most useful information I have seen on settings.....a natural rant gives more information than the usual 'photographers nice youtube image' type of video which actually tells us very little. I get so bored of twenty minute vids that tell me f' stop all !! ( did you see what i did there kids)...anyone with cake in their vids has to be worth listening to.
Ha ha ha thanks Soothing Sounds. Love that you noticed the cake theme which is in several now... MIKE
Hey Mike,
My better half and myself think the world of you and your videos. This one was terrific. Keep up the good work. Many photographers have a very great fear and it is well founded (not myself or yourself of course, and I digress from your video - please forgive me.) The biggest fear a photographer really has is that his or her spouse will at the end of the photographers life, sell on their photo equipment at the price they said was paid for it. Ha ha. Ouch!
Cheers’s
Great rant, Mike! I am fed up with people seeing my pictures and asking what camera I use; no-one seems to realise that I took the pictures and the camera was only a tool...
Really really wonderful video. I really loved the way you explained how to think as a photographer. Cameras don’t take pictures, the photographer takes a picture. The same way you made a big point very clear that settings don’t give the picture but a picture gives you the appropriate settings.
Awesome sir. Thank you for sharing such a wonderful video. Keep it up 👍. Take care.
Thanks for the reply Dr. Nimish 🙏
Another great video Mike!
I post on a couple of camera specific groups on social media, often the settings question is raised, I often respond with 'the ones suitable for the conditions', which are met with accusations of being sarcastic and unhelpful.
It is as simple as you describe, the settings I have used are down to the light, and how I have initially seen the shot, then taken several compositions with varied settings to see what works.
Do people really think there is a template for every photographic scenario ?
I get the most fun out of my photography by experimenting, not reading from a rule book
Thanks @Andy Dean. ... MIKE
Love it Mike. No nonsense crap just straight to the point, just what I need to wade through the mele of miscellaneous on my camera (in other words I don’t need to) And also encourages me that taking loads of photos and changing settings while shooting the same scene is ok.........Thank you
Thanks Winston. I didn't say you don't need to wade through learning what the settings are. You do it's very important because in some situations the settings will give the same result - but in others they won't. You have to learn what they do so you'll know which times you do need to work hard with settings and when you don't... MIKE
Cheers Mike. Yes I know you didn’t say you don’t need to wade through the settings. I know doing that is very important......I meant that your video has helped me to be able to do that.....any chance you could do a night shoot or night time sky shoot tutorial as I am struggling big time lol. Thanks again
Great rant, Mike! I love showing your videos in my photo classes - you now have hundreds of happy informed followers from my photography students. This video in particular places dealing with prescribed settings in perspective - it is on the photographer to work with ever-changing lighting conditions, pre-visualization - and takes lots of practice. Thanks again.
Thank you @Laura Hoffman... MIKE
Soooo true. Same rationale for "what camera do you use" or "what lens is that". I think some people just think there is a silver bullet or shortcut when the reality is practice, light and composition whether you are using a dslr or mobile phone. If you take crap photos on a £200 camera guess what you'll still take crap photos on a £2000 camera. And yes, I speak from experience!
It’s amazing how whenever I go out on a shoot, it’s like I hear Mike in my head from the time I raise the camera until I take the shot!!🤣👍 it’s like he’s following me around! But, his advice has never failed me, and I know a darned side more today than before he started trailing me around. I have also learned his art of locating shoots near coffee shops and bakeries! Strange, isn’t it? And I have not yet found the pastry setting on my camera!!🤣🤣🤣
🙏 Thanks John. Strange you can't find the pastry setting. Maybe the handbook has something to say... MIKE ☺️
As far as i remember, this is the third time Mike had to bring up this topic lol 😂 cannot stress enough about ppl asking about settings. Then again, sometime you need to ask about setting in regarding to bokeh, dof and such effect, not to copy it, but for reference of what a lens could do at certain setting
Great video Mike. Thought the 'pictures make setting' not the other way round was particularly pertinent. Keep em coming!
Thanks again Mike. I enjoyed your rant. Keep it up. Your are right.
Oh, I think I've got it now. Where can I buy a lobster like that? But seriously ... I've been asked so often for the settings I used for a specific shot but even more often "which camera did you use and which lens?" And when I answered "Who cares?" some guys really got angry and thought I would try to keep "my secrets". From now on I can simply place a link to this video and that's it :-D. Thank you for making this clear :). Keep going!
Such good advice for people who are wanting to start taking photography a little more seriously. I think you got out of bed the wrong side today Mike, but viewers benefited from it! :-)
glad you take it positively :) - Melissa pp Mike
Mike, I've just recently found your youtube page and have reckon you have one of the best teaching styles I've seen to date, really enjoy your style and your humour.(similar accent to John Cleese lol)
Thanks David, plenty more of me on my website! www.photographycourses.biz/
Such a natural teacher! Thanks for the reminder, Mike. Some day, I’ll get myself across the pond to take a course with you. 😀
Thank you Vanessa :) - Melissa pp Mike
Love your common sense approach, and your down to earth delivery. I never felt the need to take notice of other peoples settings, so it was great for you to put into words what I innately knew. Thank you so much.
Thank you @Riga Walsh... MIKE
Well said Mike...as a photographer you need to be brave enough to practice and not just copy other people
Nice to see you get back to more direct photographic topics from the psychological and business ones. As always you are super in this and your points are key to folks getting away from the idea that if they only know the setting used, they can take the same photo. By the way love that building behind you when you are sitting on the bench. Is that in the Lymington area??
Thanks Erich. It's not far away, it's Christchurch Quay... MIKE
www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Old+Mill+Tea+Rooms/@50.7310013,-1.7772256,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x48739ea24bf01905:0xe5a8432d72bc9a6f!8m2!3d50.7310013!4d-1.7750316?hl=en
hello mike and what a treat to find you on here and what fun you make things i am only just working with the manual mode on my nikonD7100
so i hope to be a lot better with the help from you and thanks again all the best from trev in sussex
thank you trevor, glad you find us here - Melissa pp Mike
I was literally practicing on my kitchen table yesterday, with a plastic top (my lobby😂) and a fake bunch of flowers. i'm new to photography, and trying to get my head around all the camera functions. Great vid, thanks
Great job! @liamdoran2257 - that's the best way to get going. If you would like me to clear the confusion of watching endless free vids and not being sure how to sequence them, enrol on my 4 week Masterclass course. According to reviews on Trustpilot it's taken hundreds of photographers from Zero to hero. Link below with all the info and a free sample... MB
Trustpilot: uk.trustpilot.com/review/photographycourses.biz?search=Masterclass
Masterclass: www.photographycourses.biz/masterclass
I just purchased my first camera and I have to say this video is quite liberating. I'm glad I found your channel here. The internet is full of useful information but wading thru the ocean of misinformation to get to it, ...well, that becomes a battle in itself. I did have a good salesperson at a local camera shop who presented about 5-6 options and discussed many things with us to widdle it down. I ended up choosing the Lumix FZ1000. I'm glad to know that it is partly / largely irrelevant which platform I ended up with. The key in photography is the same as with any other area of interest / hobby I've looked at. In guitar playing, so many want to buy guitars until they get that magic one that makes them play like a virtuoso. But the virtuoso they are so influenced by became who they are on a cheap guitar that was nothing special and all they could afford. A great photographer could take a great shot with a disposable camera, the same as a guitar virtuoso could play a opus on a cheap guitar.
Thanks Tony. Love your comment about it's not the guitar - it's the musician. Have you seen Seasick Steve playing a cheap japanese guitar from a junk shop that's only got 3 strings? Link below... MIKE
th-cam.com/video/pNoPNC3ebYQ/w-d-xo.html
Came accross your channel purely by chance, i have seen other photography channels but you really explain each lesson, these are the best on youtube,..Brilliant...subscribed !
thank you so much for subscribing! please do share it too to other photographers so we can make more free videos! - Melissa pp Mike
Bravo Mike Browne, Bravo. Tony Northrup covered this as well because he was so tired of people asking him the same question, so it's not a rant, it's the truth, nothing can take the place for experience and shooting.
Chelsea Northrup can cover it better
Hi Michael. I'd love to see how she tackled it. Please can you post a link?.. MIKE
I think Minton Christian was trying to be funny, the video has nothing to do with Chelsea, here is the link, th-cam.com/video/e2aOLOWc8Ls/w-d-xo.html
Thank you, I was the guy looking at lenses, cameras and working out what would be best for me. I was advised to use the fixed 50mm lens by an experienced friend, it's helped a lot. I was then advised to use manual settings to take pictures, I did and most of my pictures were black (yes I had taken the lens cap off). Now I am going to play with manual mode and adjust settings on a picture in my garage, then same settings in a bright garden and see what happens... I need "lobby" to practice with, I will grab something to stick in my bag!
Thanks John. You don't have to shot manual, but it will help you understand how the camera does things and help you choose settings for creative reasons, because it's us who makes a picture, not the camera. And experimenting is indeed the way to understand it. I can help you master both technical and creative aspects (there's only 5 controls you need) with my online Masterclass In Photography. You can even try a free sample which is valuable in itself. Please take a look at the link below... MIKE🙏😊
www.photographycourses.biz/courses/photography-masterclass
What settings did you use?🙂
😆😆😆
Great video Mike. I'm in a beginners photography group on fb. I see people ask almost on a daily basis what settings to use for weddings, children or portraits. The only thing I can think of that might be the same every time is if you're taking pictures of the moon or milky way. And that depends on what the limitations are on your camera. Some cameras handle higher ISO than others so the settings for my camera may not be the same for others for the milky way but they're always the same for me. I think what you said about the pictures make the settings not the settings that make the picture is profound.
Hi Mike, so what settings should I use on my Canon 80D?
All of them
duhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh - one who fails to see the light
Ha ha ha ha ha... Like Ali commented... All Of Them... MIKE :-)
Great video Mike. I value your photography videos!!
Thanks Eric.. Please keep sharing them around buddy... MIKE :-)
I did ask someone for their settings once, many years ago. My excuse was that the battery on my OM1 had failed and I didn't have enough left on the roll to bracket my way out of difficulty...
That apart, I can't understand what is going through peoples heads when they pester for "the right settings". Its always been obvious to me that exposure details are specific to a time and a place.
Having said that, I often find it useful when a photo is accompanied by its exposure details - for example, at the moment I am interested in moving water. When I can see what shutter speed was used for a moving water image it can give me a little help in planning future attempts. Sure, with digital, experimentation costs nothing, but I'm much more likely to get somewhere if I can pin down my objectives for the day.
So your settings can be worth having after all... Ooh, perhaps I shouldn't have written that! Sorry...
Hi David. Yes they can be handy as a rough guide in some circumstances like you suggest. I wanted to help the many many people who are mistaken that settings will always be the same for a certain type of image. ... MIKE :-)
I like that you post the settings, so I get a idea where the settings should be.
People always like settings and I understand why, but just remember your settings will be unique to your camera, subject and environment so don't get too hung up on mine :-)
Hi Mike. Yesterday I was in Pollensa Mallorca and went to see the exhibition of photography by Guillem Bestard. Absolutely spellbinding and a wonderful insight into life in the early 20th century.
Mike
Thanks for the great video and I agree with everything you have stated. Perhaps there is just one side bar exception that I wanted to post in response to "the value of knowing a shot setting". For myself, the only real help to know a setting, has been "shots in Manual mode at night." To me, this is the time to be the most creative. Auto settings for the most part do not work and one has to really think outside the box to get the desired shots at night. I never knew what "bulb setting" or "how to do a long term exposure" until I started looking at settings. A person can have great difficulty taking a shot at the moon with detail unless they employ some simple setting that work in most cameras. Please don't take my comment as a nit pick because I do not mean it to be that way. It actually is better and much faster to learn the camera if a person would just Do what you described in your video!
I am a huge fan of yours and your a main reason why I have had the degree of success I have had so far. Many family and friends complement my work as if I have been at it for a long time. It has really only been one year but I feel confident I can shoot just about anything. If I fail, I come back and look for some of your older videos that gives me inspiration and creativity to give it a go again. Few things you have done a video on I haven't gone out and tried in real life. I will purchase your course when I get two nickles together, even if I have learned everything I would do it just to support the person who has helped me the most!
Thank you for all you do Mike Brown!
Rich
MrMoonpie001 taking shots of the moon with detail is dead easy because by default your camera will expose ' the metererd area' at midtone so place your spot meter on the moon & take your shot ( just check you have a fast enough shutter speed. If doing it in manual, move your exposure triangle values until your meter is in the middle, it does the same thing.
Thanks Rich. ... MIKE
Chris, I just get blown out whites when I try it any other way. I am only one year into this and have much to learn. For myself, night photography is probably the last frontier I will go after, once I get a handle on the rest of it. I appreciate your comment and suggestion. I put all good comments into a folder and come back to them later and try to replicate the idea. Thank you in advance, the idea sounds solid, thanks for taking your time.
Rich
MrMoonpie001 Hi Rich it sounds like you may be in evaluative/matrix metering which meteres the whole frame if you don't apply any negative exposure compensation you are actually asking your camera to expose all that black area at 'midtone' which will take the exposure of the moon up to 'blown out white' in evaluative you will need to dial about 2 stops of negative exposure comp. In spot metering anywhere around midtone ' no exposure comp' should be very close. Perhaps lock the exposure on the lighter part of the moon if you can zoom close enough. Happy to walk you through exposure if you'd like. My page on facebook: facebook.com/oakwoodportraits
Thanks Chis will give it a shot, also thanks to the link to your page. Just looking things over briefly I see you did a posting on shooting the moon back in July. Will take a harder look at what ya got there, looks great, and again, thank you for your suggestions, I am here to learn and get better, thats it!!! LOL, have a great week!
Rich
Thank you Mike for this wonderful video. I really loved the fitness coach part. As a tennis coach myself, i know how it feels to push people for more practice. All your tutorials are great. Thank you once again for the great work...
Hey Mike, Just watched a vid of you 2012 and I thought you looked quite puffed out and worn down. I was intrigued to see how you were going ever since. You look terrific now and a lot healthier great to see Mike
Thanks JACK SPARROW
. I always wanted to be a pirate too... MIKE :-)
Mike Browne you have many years left in you mate. try it out?
As usual a great video and golden tips, Mike !!! Appreciate.
Every budding photographer should watch this. Great information. Thanks Mike!
Thanks Chris - I appreciate the support.
As a pro photographer I want you to know that you are spot on mate. Great video and I have forwarded your channel to a friend learning photography 😀
Thanks for sharing Mike.
Great video Mike, really enjoy your honest no bull approach to these important subjects thank you 🙏🏿
You are my all time best Photography mentor. May you live long
Thank you for your kind words!
So True. I always tell people who ask Practice experiment and enjoy I am still using old cameras make as they are just a tool
hi mate. well knowing what setting you had helps me to understand why and what the thought behind the picture was. but if you dont talk about the settings its a hit and miss. then i start to guess. just the lobster makes a lot of sense to me..
thanx for the video mate
Hey no worries Sæsi Second son. But I promise you, studying other people's settings is more likely to confuse rather than help. Maybe more usefull if you are right there with them but when watching a video and you don't know anything about light levels at time of shooting, I don't think they're beneficial. You are better to learn what settings do, one at a time, then work backwards from the image you have in your head and that will tell you which settings you need to make it work. Which is the message of this video and why I suggest learning it all in the correct sequence, rather than watching random free vids which may have excellent information - but are you getting that information in the correct order? If you were learning to drive a car and learnt about changing gear and accellerator pedal - but didn't know what a clutch or brake pedal did, you'd be in a mess... Photograpny is the same... Please take a look at my beginners course which will clear all this up for less than the cost of a cheap 2nd hand lens. You can try a free sample at the link below - and it's 100% guaranteed... MIKE :-)
www.photographycourses.biz/ubc
As always, great advice. Don't be afraid to experiment, you can do it anywhere.
Thanks Alan 🙏. Wishing you a fab 2020 buddy... MIKE 🙂
Greetings from the Bahamas, thanks for your rant, I know you are speaking the truth clearly, I am completely new to this art form. I am learning and applying ideas on an old Samsung point and shoot using only manual settings, taking pictures seeing results, deleting and trying again, learning a lot from all you videos, cheers.
Dear Mike, to come straight to the point: Thank you once more for the great inspiration! :-)
Thank you Karsten.. MIKE
Another great video Mike ! It is always nice to get honest advices from an experienced (And friendly🙄) pro. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and wisdom!
L G thank you for the support and please do share the videos too so we can make more! - Melissa pp Mike
As a newbie... These are the best videos I've found. Thank you Mike.
Great to hear - thank you!
Top video Mike. About time "somebody" put this info Out There !!!!! Soooo many people about that Don't Know they Don't Know !!!! Tooo Lazy to read their User Manual !?!? Keep up the Great work. Cheers from Oz.
Mike teach us about composition. I have been watching hundreds of hours videos about it and my pictures still sucks lol. I understand the lighting, i understand the setting but when it comes to composition i feel like walking in dark tunnel.
I've learned alot from your videos mike, i really2 like how you teach people.
Hi ascherith ubel blatt There's 30 vids about composition at the link below... MIKE
www.photographycourses.biz/videos/creative/composition
One of your best video's this one. Good stuff
Thanks Martin... Please share it around and help me make more... MIKE :-)
Quietly laughed to myself when you started talking about safari shooting. All I had with me recently was a little compact that I could do some creative shooting with. And we saw another vehicle where the people had humongous lenses on big bodies. . . . . And we all laughed and got our nice little shots and enjoyed just watching. We were taking the photos, not trying to keep big lenses still. Mind you, I would like to go back with my dslr . . . . . and sensible sized lens.
Another great video. Thanks. Wish I could attend one of your workshops
That would be lovely! - Melissa pp Mike
i really enjoyed this video Mike,it reminded me of saying on my walk up Bardon hill in one of my videos how i was going to try and get this look or that view for a particular subject ,in my photograph,in this case a side wall of a quarry,but the principal it the same,what and how you want a photograph to look like dictates,the settings,there is no way i could lie in bed on the morning of my shoot and know what they would be.
Thanks Graham. Love that. ... MIKE :-)
By the way, What are the settings used for this video?
Ha ha ha... MIKE :-)
Mike I like your straight talking, not all this poncing around like some do, I was in a club once to many ego's you've heard the expression all the gear no idea, there was plenty of that.
Thanks Paul. Yep - awesome images always come from the photographer - not the camera. Look at the wonderful images taken say 50 years ago on the most basic of cameras... MIKE
Mike I like old pictures, especially my parents, who had a box brownie for many years, my dad bought a modern camera Practica zenith lens !! as I recall At this so called club, they're excuse I'm still getting used to it, whilst my canon 50d & I kept winning the club prizes, she's had a NEW shutter movement fitted now, so that will keep me going my chosen subject is WW2 Aircraft, and try to take all different angles of the aircraft, Starting to take pictures of Trains more, anyway I just love it I get a spring in my step still at 67.
Excellent video Mike
Mike Browne, I've been to 2 different high schools in different continents and 3 different universities (yes, I love learning and new challenges), in 3 different countries. I wish 1 out of 10 lecturers had been as good at transferring knowledge as you are. BTW, I'm 40 years old, so it's not just a long weekend experience I'm talking about.
Thank you Fernando Sanz... MIKE :-)