Gear Matters, but...
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 มิ.ย. 2024
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This week I'm talking about 10 things I've learned about photography over the years - I'm hoping it's useful. Here are some time stamps...
0:00 Intro
0:38 Speed
3:30 Wide Eyes
4:46 Gear
6:32 Use it or lose it
8:21 Pull it back
9:43 Hours not years
11:08 What's next?
11:50 Phun
12:45 "I wonder..."
13:37 Simples
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Your channel is the only one that I have found that makes genuine photography videos and not just reviews of every product coming out, I really appreciate it!
Check out Sean Tucker mate, you will enjoy him!
yes! i love James' content for this reason! His images are incredible, and he talks mostly about the philosophy and enjoyment of photography, and he's damn funny lol.
Nigel Danson who he makes videos with is another great option. Mark Denney as well.
Check Sean Tucker definitely. Thomas Heaton, Mark Deeney and Nigel Danson (James' mate) are also good options in the landscape segment of photography.
Also recommend The Photographic Eye! it's a lot of theory and discussion of the process of past and contemporary photographers, and how we can best approach our craft
So after watching your recent video with Ricoh GRiii x, I went and spent a lot of my hard earned cash and bought one. Perfect. Love it. Took it to Lake Garda in northern Italy, loved it. Then, I slipped. Fell in the lake. Camera fully submerged. Dead. Done. Gutted. Prepared to fork out another £900 for a begrudging replacement. However, five days later. Having had sufficient time to dry, it’s alive. It’s fully alive. Fully working. No issues at all. Not really relevant to todays video but thought you should know. If your GR gets wet, let it dry. It might survive!!
The comment on people with “years” vs how many photos taken is a great point. Not just for photography but anything in life. We should judge experience on how many photos taken rather than years 👏🏻
And the best tip in my book: take your camera allways with you. Even if it is a small lens or phone and shoot on the way to work, shopping or with friends. You can incoporporate allmost all of James' tips.
I keep my camera on the seat when I drive to and from a spot - I see so many cool things en route and have gotten some of my best shots that way.
@@mishkalarsoncreations that is also a good way. But don't get distracted from traffic
Oh I don’t photograph while driving. I park and then photograph lol.
@@mishkalarsoncreations I ment by looking at things rather than take photos while driving. It can be quiet distracting. And annoying if you can not stop
James- I think I have now watched virtually every video you have ever done. I would leave something incredible funny and witty to say but my child is trying to kill me slowly with sleep deprivation, so I’ve got nothing.
I think your photography advice and ethos speaks volumes. And it is the curiosity and the questioning of your photographs that keep me coming back for more and more. You are a bit of a gem sir. Thank you. If ever you do a workshop that isn’t in the bloody Arctic sea and somewhere a bit more civil- say wales or Scunthorpe … I’ll sign up in a heart beat ❤🎉
it's interesting the relation between "gear" youtubers, whether it be cameras or anything else and the actual videos on the equipment. In the same way you really don't need all the gear, settings, etc and it's more about the bigger picture idea. TH-camrs can basically keep making the same video(gear) slightly different over and over and people will keep watching (buying, discussing, etc) until the end of time, even though the underlying ideology never changes.
I like watching certain gear youtubers but I try to keep them in balance with youtubers who discuss technique, theory, and/or philosophy of photography.
@@mikeuptonphoto same
Very true. My Fuji X-T1’s are both rocking outstanding images while so many obsess about latest and greatest. 2014 era still getting it done.
@@billb8262 here I am with my XH2S wondering if 26mp is “enough” due to massive marketing right now
@@djstuc I’m looking at GFX oops
Your videos are not only educational but entertaining as well. The segment about using your gear and not just protecting it brought on a good and extended laugh when you were laying on the shore and realized there was a huge wave crashing in on you and you jumped up frantically trying to save your gear. That was funny! Hope your next outing exceeds your expectations. Thanks.
I'm a photographer based in Seoul, Korea! I found these tips extremely informative, ESPECIALLY "If I'm outside, my camera is outside..." I love that. Thanks for these tips! Subbed!
5:55 Some people came up with another purpose: Making those cameras subjects of the same photos of an upside-down view of a camera, on a black background, lit in product-photography style, to show people that they have those gears.
Love this video, you're right about photographers who have shot for decades almost looking down on someone who hasn't been shooting as long.
Awesome video James! Haven’t seen it yet but I know it will be
Edit: it was
Me too!..😂🎉
Honesty lol
I bought a Sony Alpha 7 II New for 500€ and i love it. Dont eyeball the newest and most expensive. Buy what you can afford and let your creativity work. Great Video!
Editing, Historically what that actually meant was sitting with a pile of contact sheets or transparencies, choosing and then in some cases subsequently sequencing your chosen shots for there intended purpose. It boils my p**s when people talk about “the edit”. Nice video by the way.
James "Quick-Draw" Popsys 😂
Totally agree your thinking. I'd also add that experience leads to "intuition" in placing yourself in the right place at the right time without conscious thought. This is also one definition of becoming an Expert
8:21 I prefer getting it all in camera. But sometimes it really helps to "Expose To The Right", i.e. expose in a matter that the highlights are at the edge of being to bright, therefore keeping details in the shadow. That helps me with my legacy Canon 6D and its limitations to get shadowy areas with less noise in post. just my 2 cents
1/X f8 and auto iso are my walkaround settings. Just a metering to check for the shutter to be at and ready to go. Spotmetering and spotfocus, like for concert.
It impresses me more when someone says, I really don't know. Then I get to think about it. So often you will bring an issue to our attention without claiming to have an answer. Interesting.
Started photography.
Has been great so far but i want to buy a lens for wildlife.
Getting better every day. And that is something that keeps me going outdoors.
That really cool.
Great Video
Love the “I wonder…” point. Gives me much to ponder.
you are a very level headed person, with a great attitude towards photography
and how to do that thing.
my thought to reinforce your "be aware" dictum is "if you see it, take it"
which makes me sounds like I am a shoplifter, so I don't post that on ig any more.
I now write, I stop for foto ops.
Your 6th point does make a ton of sense. They might have owned a camera for years. But how much actual experience do they have? How long did they actually spend taking photos etc.
Great video mate. Always appreciate the authenticity
Fantastic! I'm always impressed by your honesty when it comes to photography.
I have several cameras, including a fujifilm X-T30 and a Fujifilm x20, the first I got with a huge discount & the second being free. I love both of them for different reasons and it's easy to take them out and shoot with them.
I bought an E-M10 like 8 years ago, along with 25 and 45 primes. Now I upgraded to OM-1 with 12-40 and 40-150. Now I just need to get the teleconverter and I'll be set for another 8 years.
There will be a lot of gear released in the meantime, but I'll be too busy taking pictures to care. Quadrillion megapixels may sound impressive, but you won't be able to notice it on a print or instagram.
One of your best "conversations"!
I’m not some pro photographer but I use photorgrpahy for references for my painting so I kind of take photos for what I feel pleasing in a painting or drawing I don’t know if using photography for that reason is the best but I guess it works
We all love our gear, and gear matters.
But often not for the reason pixel peepers running over spec sheets will claim, and never as much as the TH-cam algorithm (and the consumerism trend that drives it) wants.
Great content James.
Tools not jewels is a great thought! Just destroyed my 20mm 1.4 Art lens in Iceland on a glacier, worth every penny (cent)!!
You never disappoint, James. I’ve been shooting for over 40 years (daily for about a third of it), and I agree with every single point you made.
Time off work to go take photos, HAHAHA good one. Fat chance. That's my biggest issue, finding good time to go and enjoy a day of photography, especially when working 40 hours per week, week in and week out. Weekends are usually full too, with other "life" things. Ugg the struggle.
I took a 3h photowalk with my Leica M10 in a snow blizzard. I was 100% sure that I’ve read that the camera was WR, but it wasn’t. No problem thou, and I still use it every day! It’s a tool, no interior design for the house! Great points here! Use it or sell it to someone that does!
I just sold off all of my canon DSLR 5DMark Iv Andy lenses. I used the cash to buy a great USED Olympus E-M1 Mark III with some great USED PRO glass and still have some money left over for a nice road trip.
Had a great laugh at 7:22. Good video mate, grateful you don't put on distracting & irritating background music like so many others.
Saw a potential photo a week or so ago, I didn't catch it because I was driving at 70mp, the focus was driving towards me at 40 mph and the light was fading fast, but it was so nice!
That experience point is bang on. I have shot everyday for about 5 years now, before that it was about once or twice a month.
The difference is staggering.
Just for a visual reference:
My hands have taken the paint off of my X-T2 almost entirely. It's not been dropped or anything, maybe the hand sanitiser years didn't help, but it's largely just been grappled in my violently disgusting mitts for years.
I actually travelled for a year where I didn't bring a strap so I just held it in my hand all day from dawn until dusk.
Superb. Well said. Excellent core principles.
Sage, thoughtful, and eminently watchable. Thanks a lot for inspiring me to pick up a camera again, I benched my disappointing Canon 710 a few years ago when smartphones were getting better shots. now sold, and prompted by your £52 Lumix walkabout, i picked up a used Lumix TZ100 from MPB for not much (top tip also). Having fun, and take it everywhere. Taking the camera makes be observe, and gets me out of my head. As a rookie to manual mode, and the exposure triangle business.. my cheat of the week is to first snap in a couple in auto to have some idea as a diving in point for the 3 main settings - at least in very low or very bright light. Also along the lines of your advice to print your photos to look at them, I find it useful to not judge / delete any based on the camera screen, but force my self to look at them all on a decent screen..thanks again
God content, Hames..inspired to get me a cam, and go out with you..keep it up
James I've been subscribed to your channel for years and I want to thank you for your honesty.
Thank you for your tips. I enjoy watching your videos and learning.
Just found your channel and THANK YOU!!! That’s it brother🎉
Thanks for sharing these good tips James. I've been photographing since age 12 as a hobby, holidays and also experimenting. Later with DSLRs it also became more than holidays and I now shoot on average every 1-1.5 weeks. I have two uncles who are professional photographers but they but sticked too long with film photography and missed out on the whole digital thing and post-processing a bit. GAS is of course a thing. I have a Canon 6D mk. II and I hate the low-light / high ISO performance. On the other hand, I can bracket most contrasty scenes and have the Topaz noise reduction software so I actually may not need to buy a nice Sony. I'll talk to my wife about spending the savings for that on another Iceland trip ;-)
Agreed,, Buy the camera that you will use ( I've tried more modern bodies but prefer my A100 )
Yes it's nice having " live view " the ability to shot 10 frames a second etc.
Yes both are really handy to have, especially the ability to talk photos without the need to look through the viewfinder..
But my goto remains my trusty A100 ( hence I'm presently keeping a eye out for its full frame, weather resistant Big Brothers ( i.e 850 & 900 ) 🤗
I use the Peak Design clip as well, and like you, If I'm out my camera is out. I also typically set it up like a point and shoot so all I have to do is turn it on and shoot. However, the best example I have of being ready was while driving through the San Juan mountains of southern Colorado this last Spring. Suddenly, this beautiful image presented itself. A huge peak with patches of light shining down on it through the clouds. I banged the car to the shoulder, jumped out, composed as fast as I could and shot. Afterward, I walked across the road to get a better comp but the light was already gone. It was thirty seconds or less. It has turned out to be one of my best photos of the year. Great video James. You always keep us up to speed, show us some excellent photos and keep us laughing. Thanks!
Funny you say to not buy a camera and can't even afford to get a lens. So it just sits. For me I had old nikon lenses from my first camera. A d5000, and once I went with a a6300 I adapted my 50mm 1.8. I loved it and used it for one year until I could afford a sigma 16mm. Then sold my a6300 for an a7r3, and couldn't be happier.
Excellent presentation with a lot of good common sense advice.
I've heard you suggestion before about simplifying your photos and I always try to keep that in mind when I'm out. It's really helped me grow as a photographer. It causes me to stop and pin down exactly what it is I'm photographing, and figure out what is necessary to convey the subject to the viewer and what is just noise. I often times find that things I want to include because they look nice are often their own separate subject of photos rather than putting everything in a single photo.
really love how your content doesn't feel rushed or speed up. I just feel so relaxed watching your videos. The honesty also. You made me save a bunch going for the Lumix system as opposed to more expensive competitors. I bought a g85 after your review and I've been so happy ever since. the g85 and now the g90 really hit the sweet spot for me in terms of cost vs outcome! thanks for what you do, it really inspires me in my craft. staying tuned for the next one!
Excellent summary of ideas. I get the take your camera with you...every time I don't the wildlife in our garden does something that should be captured in a photo.
As always, awesome video and very inspiring. Never thought about the tips you gave on the speed topic and I will definitely start doing all that.
Simply epic production quality, every video is like an episode from TV.
Keep up the top work mate!
Love your advice. Thank you, sir!
Thanks for sharing.
Great comment about using the gear. I splashed out on some high end gear and take it everywhere. I’m not precious about it. You’ll find scratches in the body and I have at least two broken lenses from mishaps. Insurance is key, but so is trust in the gear. As long as I don’t swap lenses in poor conditions, I get the best images to work on at home.
Really helpful way of putting things. Thanks for making these videos, and for taking photos that make me wonder.
Thanks James, I hope you never change. Love your videos and so down to the earth. You make me wanna keep doing photography! Haha. Great tips, thanks for sharing!
Food for thoughts, James.
Thanks!
I stumbled to your channel few weeks ago and I'm very glad I did, this video as many other are enjoyable as informative. Not rushing not pushing mindsets just expressing. Thank you! As a somewhat beginner/enthusiasts photographer your videos had helped challenge my limits in photography.
I wonder is my favorite one. Great advice!
It was interesting thanks James always enjoy your muses
I have to agree with everything you said.
This was great James. One of your best IMO. Especially your thoughts about hours/days and years
personally when i havent got a shot that im happy with i look through them to see what i could do better to get a better shot next time, also feel that this has helped me with anticipating things. always enjoy your videos and have learned a lot thank you:)
On your 6th point, I think to further your hours vs years, you have to add variety. If you shoot the same image 8 hours a week you will be highly skilled at that one task but not necessarily photography in general. If those 8 hours are spent taking different shots in a variety of condition then the experience will be greater.
Decades ago, Dennis Reggie, famous wedding photographer, railed against "McPortraiture" in a similar vein. He pointed out that many wedding/portrait photographers would shoot the same setup/lighting/pose and you could just cut out faces with scissors and replace them with someone else's to make "new" work. In fact, a lot of PPA and WPPA seminar attendees pursued exactly that.
Great points, thank you 🙏
I've been back to this video a couple of times - just to remind myself of your tips. For the record, you always make me think.....and you always make me laugh. A good combo - keep it up !
Great set of advice James, thank you.
Great tips and beautiful work, well done!
I needed to hear a few of these... thanks for the video
Some excellent points, thank you James.
Your videos are always genuine & out of this world 😇
Really great and helpful video, James. Keep up all your great work.
Love the tip about leaving the aperture set to f8 and setting a minimum shutter speed!
Great points, very helpful 👍 Thanks!
Been listening to audiobooks and podcasts while out shooting for years now, great tip!
I sold up all my Nikon gear back in 2016, and it was a lot of gear I used for studio, landscape, portrait, arty shots, street, travel... anything that took my fancy. But, I got tired of carrying around heavy burdensome gear, and my career was making time a premium for me as well as other life changes (e.g. getting a dog, which is a time sapper too!) So I changed to a Sony RX1RII (I had looked at a Leica Q) too. I still wanted exceptional imaging quality, and I also wanted full manual control of the camera. I decided to specialise, and that was to move to fixed focal length photography. Zoom with the feet, and move left and right, back and forth to get composition. I have to say, I have loved it ever since, and I still use it almost exclusively! The most important thing to do is to focus on your skills. If you are a pro photographer, you will need a bigger range of gear though, and reserve gear in case of theft, damage, etc.
Brilliant ponts. Really good to see all in one go. Thank you!
Also, I’m 67 and started developing my own photos at 15. Did a day release at College and numerous courses over the years….but….add up the hours I’ve spent taking photos over this time and I bet someone taking loads of photos for a couple of years would knock spots off mine. So totally agree with your point. I’m reasonably happy with what I produce so it’s also a point of how far do you want to take it.
Spot on! Great reminder that gear should be a part of the photography budget, not the whole budget, as well as only buying what you can afford to replace or insure vs maxing out the budget. I've found APS-C mirrorless to be my sweet spot in terms of performance vs affordability, but everyone's risk level and budget will differ. Much as with other outdoor gear, I've found that higher end bodies and lenses with at least some weather sealing give me the confidence to go out in less than ideal conditions and not be so worried about harming this thing I've put significant money into. APS-C also gives me the pixel density to crop, rotate, and otherwise optimize composition. As a hobbyist I'll gladly trade the stop of light and vs. full frame to get similar AF capability, weather sealing, and pixel density with bodies and lenses that are a fraction of the price (Sony a6600 vs A7Riii/iv as my example).
You’re the best! I look forward to your channel every week
Informative and entertaining. This is so good. Many thanks.
I love your videos James...both entertaining and informative...you helped keep me a little saner during the lockdowns and now we're largely free i find your videos help me stay motivated...thank you so much for all the time and energy you give us
Hello James. I hope you're well my friend? Just picking up on the point you made regarding if you're outside, then so is your camera, the number of times I've put my camera away when I thought I'd finished with it, only to have to get the bloomin' thing out again when I see another shot I want to take! Needless to say, the camera stays out until I'm through my front door now!
The other interesting thing you mentioned was about experience and measuring it in hours, not years. In terms of years, I only have about four of experience, but when you consider that over those four years I've been out with my camera at least four if not five times a week, that does add up to hours and hours! Thousands of hours in fact!
Slightly different gear issue - my wife tells me I have a ridiculous amount of outdoor clothing - rain jackets etc - but compared to you, James, I am a total amateur. I’ve lost count of the number of different jackets etc you have :-)
# 4. Olympus, or OMDS. Rain or shine pro lense. It works. Or, they work. Possible to get
50 megapixels too with a newer OM 1. Equipment wise you can use other company’s products. Don’t buy what you can’t afford. Cars, cameras, lenses you have to be able to go and do. I loved Ireland. Didn’t do much photography. Leica, wish list.
At the beginning I didn't expect much from this video, but it is chock full of good ideas that I can use. Thank James!
Thanks for your video. I've been a subscriber since about the beginning of the pandemic and this video very nicely summarized a number of the most important themes you have stressed the last 4-5 years.
Tip #1 - if your camera is in your bag it’s not ready to shoot! That is why I also got a Peak Design clip. Best piece of equipment I have!
Good practical tips especially about gear
Love your content. Great images and sense of humor. Never a dull moment.
What a great video. In every single point I had to agree with you. Very inspiring topic.
Brilliant James. Informative but delivered in a fun format.
As always, great content!
A few of the point you made I was already thinking for quite some times, other not much.
I'm still finding my "see it before", and loosing a few photos.
Phun.... Im not good for the past few months, and not having the will to photograph either.
Notification squad FTW!
And on a side note: thanks for your videos. Been binging for a while. Coincidentally - just after I got back into photography. Took your tip for the “clip” holder thing to heart. Took a while to hunt one down. But yes. You were right. Go figure. It is indeed life changing. And just as I type this you’re talking about the capture clip. Yay.
Also want to share a little bit of a life experience. I’m the type of guy who looks at his feet when walking. Since I’ve gotten back into photography - I’m looking more ahead and around me. Yay. Sorry about the cheesiness. But yes. It’s great stuff.
I've learned so much from your vids, keep it up James.
What podcasts have you listened to?
I think what you were getting at, is that one person could get the experience, capturing the number of photos, rolling the proverbial photographic odometer, that another person would get in 15 years. It just depends on how long per day and how many days per week you put in. Granted, a person needs time to digest, contemplate, mull over what they've learned that day, week or month, but photography like most skills is a repetitive task based learning skill, the more you do, more often and in regular short intervals between taking photos the faster you will gain experience.
Another brilliant video James and so helpful. It was interesting.
thank You!
Cracking video, you made me rethink what I was doing, so instead of considering how to get the new lens past the accountant, I suggested we book a weekend away...off to Staithes again. Makes miles more sense, use the kit ive got. Cheers James
Enjoyed this video, It felt like listening to a mentor, and although I am planning to upgrade from my 7 years old camera (for video stuff), I am still pleased with its photo capabilities, thank you for reinforcing that belief, cheers!